Upon defeating Onox for the first time in Oracle of Seasons, you will receive the “Labrynna Secret,” a password that you can use upon starting up Oracle of Ages and playing what’s called a linked game. Likewise, upon defeating Veran for the first time in Oracle of Ages, you’ll receive the “Holodrum Secret” to use for Oracle of Seasons, starting a linked game there. There are a great many differences in a linked game of Seasons.

Differences:

• You begin the game with the same sword you had in Ages.
• You begin with four hearts instead of the usual three.
• Your name remains the same, as well as the name you gave to Bipin and Blossom’s son. Moreover, he continues to grow up in a linked game, depending on the choices you made for him in the previous game.
• Twinrova makes appearances in several new cutscenes.
• Maple travels on a flying saucer, making her faster.
• Many characters now carry secrets accessible via passwords (see more on that below).
• Queen Ambi makes several cameo appearances from Oracle of Ages.
• The locations of the square and triangle jewels are changed in a linked game.

Square: Go to Din’s stump in North Horon and change the season to summer. From there, go south one screen, then west once. Bomb the rocks and go down into the cave to retrieve the jewel from a treasure chest.
Triangle: This one was Vire’s doing. West of Holly’s house in the Woods of Winter is a cave. Enter it, swim to the treasure chest, and open it find Vire himself. Now go to Sunken City, to the lone patch of deep water south of Syrup’s potion shop. Dive in to find the jewel on a cliff.

• The cave where in a non-linked game Link goes to retrieve the Wooden Sword for the first time has now been transformed into a profoundly difficult bonus dungeon, the Hero’s Cave. The reward at the end of this grueling level is the Power Ring L-3.
• After clearing Snake’s Remains, Princess Zelda comes from Hyrule but gets herself in trouble. Go east once from Impa’s refuge, and then proceed straight north all the way to the Scent Tree in North Horon to find her being held captive by the Great Moblin. Defeat four of his Moblin henchman to make the Moblin King flee, rescuing Zelda–for now.
• Toward the end of a linked game, Zelda once again leaves Impa’s refuge and gets herself in trouble. Now she gets captured by Twinrova. Upon defeating Onox, Din and Nayru combine their powers to aid Link, and the Maku Tree opens the way to the Room of Rites, where Twinrova is holding Zelda. Go there for the true final battle of the Oracle games, against Twinrova and then Ganon.
• Upon defeating Ganon, you’ll receive the “Hero’s Secret.” Use it to start a new file on either Seasons or Ages. It will be exactly a totally clean, new file except that Link begins with four hearts instead of three, and the “Ring Secret” will transfer every single Magic Ring from the first two game sessions.

The password system in the Oracle games is a bit complicated. If you beat Ages first, then you’ll receive the “Holodrum Secret,” a password that shows up at the end of the credits for this game. Start up a new file on Seasons with that password to begin a linked game there. Now some of the characters you find in Seasons will give you secrets (i.e. passwords) related to characters whom you met in Ages. Write these down! Return to Ages and speak to the characters in question, giving them the password to activate the secret. Some characters will give you the item outright, but others will require you to complete some sort of challenge or mini-game in order to obtain it. Once you have the item, the character will then give you another secret/password to take with you back to Holodrum. At this point, return to Seasons and give this password now to Farore in the Hall of Secrets inside the Maku Tree in order to make the item materialize in Seasons as well. Like I said, it’s a complicated system–but immensely useful! Below is a list of secrets that you can obtain in a linked game of Oracle of Seasons (i.e. playing Ages first, Seasons second).

Play through Oracle of Ages and defeat Veran in the Black Tower. Wait through the ending credits, and this password will appear on the screen; write it down. Next when you insert your Oracle of Seasons game pak, use that password to start a new file. In this way, you will begin a linked game!

Play through either Oracle of Ages or Seasons first, then play through the other as a linked game. After defeating both Veran and Onox, the way will be opened to the Room of Rites. Therein defeat both Twinrova and Ganon to see the true ending to the Oracle series. Wait through the ending credits, and this password will appear on the screen; write it down. Next insert whichever game you didn’t play as the first one, and use this password to start a new file. In this way, you will begin a new sequence and can collect some things that you couldn’t previously in the first sequence! (For example, if you played Ages to Seasons, now with the Hero’s Secret play Seasons to Ages in order to collect things that you can only in a linked game of Ages, which you would’ve missed previously.)

In Ages, speak to the Red Snake at Vasu Jewelers in Lynna City in the present and get the password from him. Then speak to the same Red Snake at Vasu Jewelers in Horon Village in Seasons, and give him the password. All of your rings from Ages will then be transferred to Seasons! Even better, this works in reverse too, bringing all your rings from Seasons into Ages as well!

South of Lynna City in the present by the Ember Seed Tree is an old lady who appears after you clear Skull Dungeon. She will give you a password to pass along to someone who lives under the Clock Shop. So proceed to the Clock Shop in Horon Village and dig around with your Shovel to uncover a secret entrance. Down below an old man will give you a test: You must defeat twelve enemies in 30 seconds in order to claim his reward–which is none other than the Master Sword (or Noble Sword if you only have the Wooden Sword).

After you clear Crown Dungeon, a Subrosian will take his place at the Mystery Seed Tree at Rolling Ridge. Obtain the password from him and take it to the Master at the Subrosian Smithy. Your reward will be the Mirror Shield (or Iron Shield if you only have the Wooden Shield).

At South Shore (just south of the Black Tower), a girl will appear after you clear Wing Dungeon. Get a password from her and take it to one of the Skull Pirates left behind after Cap’n takes the other pirates away from Subrosia in their ship. The Piratian who takes the password will challenge you to obtain 777 Ore Chunks exactly. Dig all around Subrosia looking for precisely that amount; if you go over, buy something from Subrosia Market. Once you have 777, return to the Skull Pirate, who will give you a Bomb Bag upgrade (50 if you can carry 30 or 30 if you can carry 10).

After you’ve cleared Spirit’s Grave, find a new Deku Scrub inhabiting the far west of Deku Forest and get the password from it. Then in Holodrum, go to Natzu Prairie and find a cave with another Deku Scrub in it, this one singing. Tell it the password. Now what you must do is return to the Scrub with a full compliment of all Mystical Seeds–i.e., 50 of each type. Once you’ve done this, return to the Deku Scrub, and it’ll enable you to carry 99 of each Mystical Seed (or 50 is your current capacity is only 20).

After you clear Wing Dungeon, you’ll find Mayor Plen’s mother living with him in his house in Lynna City. Once you obtain the password from her, take it to Mayor Ruul of Horon Village. You will then receive a Ring Box upgrade!

Upon clearing Spirit’s Grave, proceed straight north from there to find a ghost hanging around outside Syrup’s Potion Shop. Get a password from him. Next proceed to the Graveyard in southwestern Holodrum and dig in front of the gravestone (one screen south of Explorer’s Crypt) with no flowers in front of it. Go inside the entrance you’ve unearthed, and tell the password to the ghost inside. He will give you a mini-challenge: A number of ghosts will appear on the screen, some red, some blue. You must tell him which color there were more of. Pass the test for three rounds, and you will be rewarded with a Heart Container!

There is an empty cave in the far north of Rolling Ridge. After you clear Crown Dungeon, you’ll find a Goron inside. Get the password from him and take it to Biggoron atop Goron Mountain (assuming you’ve already cured his cold with Lava Soup). After you give him the password, Biggoron will make the Biggoron’s Sword for you!

After you clear Crown Dungeon, a Subrosian moves into the cave one screen south of the very northeastern tip of Rolling Ridge. Visit him to get a password. Next enter Subrosia via the Woods of Winter and go south, then west to a cave. Inside is a Subrosian surrounded by grass. Give him the password, and he’ll give you a daunting challenge: Use your Magic Boomerang to cut all the grass in the cave, but you’re only given three throws of the boomerang to accomplish this! This is perhaps the hardest challenge of the linked secrets, but thankfully you have an unlimited number of retries. Complete it successfully to earn Bombchus, which Syrup will also now sell in her potion shop for the outrageous price of 20 Rupees per Bombchu.

Report to the surface of the water above Zora Village in the present age to meet a former pupil of Holodrum’s Master Diver. Obtain the password from him and take it to Master Diver himself at his home (the first house you see at the entrance to Sunken City). To claim the prize, you must pass an obstacle course in 30 seconds or less in an underwater tunnel. Go down the steps when you’re ready and swim through it–don’t even concern yourself with the Cheep Cheeps in here since time is a far greater factor than enemy damage (assuming you have a high number of hearts by this point). The prize at the end of the course is the Swimmer’s Ring.

After clearing Wing Dungeon, go to Ancient Cave in the present age (where Wing Dungeon was in the past). Inside you’ll find a Great Fairy who gives you a password. Now go to the Temple of Seasons in Subrosia into the main entrance (where you received the Rod of Seasons) and go behind the waterfall at the end, to come to an extra room where another Great Fairy dwells. She rewards you with the Heart Ring L-1.

After defeating both Onox and Veran, Din and Nayru combine their powers and open the way to the Room of Rites, where Twinrova is holding Zelda captive to perform their dark rites. Once you’re transported here, in all likelihood you’ll still be in bad shape from the climactic battle before (whether Onox or Veran), so it’d be a good idea to leave immediately by the portal and stock up as well as power up (including visiting Vasu to get the best rings you can for the final battles). Once you’re finally ready, return to the Maku Tree and to the portal. From the entrance of the Room of Rites, proceed north once. Now you’ll be in a room full of eye statues. Once the eyes stop, they will all look in three different directions. Whichever direction is the one they’re not facing (either north, south, east, west) is the direction you must go to proceed. Do this enough times, and you’ll come upon one last empty room. Go north to find Twinrova, and not a moment too soon.

This battle takes place in two main phases, and the witches transport you to the basement beneath the altar to duel. Just as in Ocarina of Time, the Sorceress of Ice (Kotake, clad in blue) is vulnerable to fire, and the Sorceress of Fire (Koume, clad in red) is vulnerable to ice. So when they shoot their fire and ice attacks at you, beat them back with your sword, aiming for the sister of the different color (also, you can block these attacks with a Mirror Shield). After delivering several successful hits, the two sisters will merge into a single form, Twinrova.

Now the arena, along with the boss, will alternate between fire and ice. When Twinrova is in her fire form, the room will become filled with lava pits, and Twinrova will unleash fireballs at you that, if they miss you and hit the wall, will split into three on the ricochet. She will also send Fire Keese to swoop down on you. Since it’s easy to get knocked into the lava, especially on bounce-backs, equip the Steadfast Ring to minimize this effect–and slash away at her with your sword! When she turns into her ice form, the floor will be frozen over and slippery–equip the Snowshoe Ring to negate this handicap. Now Twinrova emits ice crystals that slide around the room damaging you, which can be destroyed with your sword–as well as ice energy that freezes you, which can also be swiped away with the sword. Get in close and keep hacking away at Twinrova. After enough sword slashes (in either form), she’ll be stunned–shoot a Scent Seed at her to damage her. If you run out of Scent Seeds, you’ll have to use an Ember Seed if the room is frozen or a Mystery Seed if the room is fiery. After enough shots from seeds, Twinrova will perish–but not before sacrificing herself to revive the Evil King.

Here it is, the final battle of both games! Ganon is revived as a mindless beast bent on destruction, and it is your task to put him down for good. He has many attacks that you must dodge–it is highly recommended that you have Roc’s Feather (or better yet, Roc’s Cape if you have it) equipped for the entirety of this battle. His most frequent and basic attack is to skewer you with his Trident of Power. Sometimes he’ll slam his fist into the ground, stunning you, enabling him to pelt you with a large orb of energy–jump before his fist hits, then dodge the orb. He’ll also shoot a slower energy attack straight down, followed by two others toward the sides. At other times he’ll use his Trident to shoot out twelve small orbs of energy at you. His most interesting attack is when he changes the room into a dark blue color that reverses the controls on your Game Boy Color’s control pad in an attempt to throw you off. As for your attacks, if all you have is the Noble Sword, the only way to damage Ganon is with spin attacks, which will be tricky to pull off given the frequency with which Ganon warps around the room. With the Master Sword, however, you can simply hack away at the dark beast. With many Master Sword slashes or spin attacks with a lesser sword, Ganon will fall at last, and you’ll be treated to an extra ending.