One returning The Legend of Zelda fan recently shared a little-known gameplay trick that helps improve survivability in both Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages by providing players with a reliable way of replenishing their heart containers for free. While neither title is known for having particularly difficult bosses relative to other Zelda games, this newly rediscovered tip could potentially make them more accessible to audiences with modern sensibilities who are not used to turn-of-the-century gameplay design.
Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages were the first two Zelda games from Flagship, a long-defunct Japanese developer funded by Nintendo, Capcom, and Sega. They were released simultaneously for the Game Boy Color in 2001 and are playable in either order. The gameplay in Oracle of Ages primarily revolves around environmental puzzles, whereas Oracle of Seasons delivers a more combat-focused experience. Both Oracle games were ported to the 3DS Virtual Console back in 2013.
While Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages enjoyed overwhelmingly favorable reviews and were played by millions within weeks of releasing, some of their mechanics still manage to elude most fans to this date, in true Zelda fashion. One such secret that was recently rediscovered by Reddit user Dubiono is that it's possible to restore empty heart containers for free by sleeping in a bed. Triggering the scripted sleeping sequence requires walking into an upper part of an empty bed (above the blanked fold) for several seconds, which makes this secret extremely difficult to discover on accident.
Skyward Sword would go on to reuse this exact same mechanic 10 years later. Breath of the Wild also featured sleeping as a way to replenish hearts, but that particular The Legend of Zelda game was much more upfront about this functionality, which was highlighted throughout multiple tutorials and locations. Either way, fans looking to put this knowledge to immediate use have until March 27 to purchase the Virtual Console versions of Oracle of Seasons and/or Oracle of Ages, as that's the date when Nintendo is shutting down all 3DS eShop functionality.
That said, there have been numerous reports that the Oracle games are being remade for the Switch. Nintendo has yet to announce anything of substance on that front, but according to earlier insider accounts, the company might be looking to release both remakes before the end of the year. Gameplay-wise, the titles are expected to be similar to the Link's Awakening remake which Nintendo put out in 2019.
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages were released for the Game Boy Color.