Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

I was going to go up the mountain and get to the third pendant, but as is often the way with Zelda games, I went exploring instead. It is just as well I did too, as for my troubles I found two pieces of heart, stacks of rupees, the Ice Staff, Zora's Flippers, and another bottle. Excellent.

Then I finally decided to head up the mountain, and helped an old man on the way. He have me a mirror, and then I stepped into a portal to the Dark World and became a bunny. Now, I remember that I have to stand somewhere and use the mirror from last time I completed it, but I can't for the life of me figure out exactly where. Bah.

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

My trip to the second Pendant was cut short on my first attempt, due to the battery on my GBA SP running out. However, a swift charge later, and I was back on my way.

I remembered most of this dungeon from last time I played the game, so found a couple of pieces of heart on the way in and around it. The "weapon" here was the Power Glove, which I needed to get to the boss, although not to actually kill him. In fact, all I needed to do to kill the three snakes that made up the boss, was hit them with my sword.

Now, don't get me wrong - Link to the Past is a great game. It's just, well, not as great as I recall, and Ages and Seasons, despite being technically less impressive, certainly seem the better games. Maybe it'll improve once it opens up a little more.

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Finally figured out just which person in the village I needed to speak to, and it was off to the west of the map to find some old codger. He sent me off into a dungeon to find a pendant, so off I went.

Pretty standard Zelda stuff in there, although there was no mid-boss. I'm becoming slightly frustrated at the sword mechanics in this version too. Your sword reach is pretty limited, and you can't change direction as easily as other Zelda games, meaning it is harder to both hit and avoid. I'm sure I'll get used to it.

The weapon in the dungeon was the Bow, and along with some arrows (obviously), I make short work of the end boss. Not that I think I needed them, for a change, it just seemed easier that way. I picked up an extra heart too, as well as the pendant, so at least that part of Zelda Lore is intact.

Back to the old man, and he gives me Pegasus Boots (which let me run, not fly) and sends me off to the other two pendants. I stop at the village on the way to the first, and bomb a few walls and find a few rupees. I also found a house with a mini-game in the garden - get to the end of a maze in under 15 seconds. I managed it in 12, and won a piece of heart.

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

No sooner has one Zelda game been completed, another begins. I did complete LttP when it originally came out for the SNES, but that was more than ten years ago. I remember I even got every single piece of heart too. Obviously a time when I had more game patience than I do now!

Anyway. I've got up, after hearing Zelda cry for help, and wander off to the castle. A nasty wizard has taken over the place, and is doing nefarious things to young maidens - Zelda being the last in line. After a short dungeon, I find Zelda and we escape to a sanctuary. Along the way, I picked up a sword, shield, and boomerang. I had a torch to begin with too. I also got an extra heart.

It was off then to the village, to find the elder. Who has gone missing. None of the villagers are much help, and some actually call guards to come and kill me. How nice of them. I did find a big stack of rupees, some bombs, and two empty bottles, however. And an insect net.

Pac-Pix

I still don't seem to be able to draw arrows in any direction other than up. Luckily, you rarely need to (except perhaps at a slight angle), and on those few occasions when I have needed to, I've quickly rotated the DS. You might think of that as cheating. You might be right.

Anyway, Chapters 7, 8 and 9 were all felled. There was a boss at the end of one of them, which involved bouncing arrows off mirrors to hit him from behind. I've also mastered the Bomb Gesture. Which lets me draw bombs, obviously. I did have a bash at Chapter 10, but died.

I also noticed today that, on the level select screen, it says "Book I". Which suggests that Chapter 12 isn't actually the end of the game. Tch.

Legend of Zelda: Oracles Finale: FINALE'D!

Ah. It seems that as well as slapping Twinrova around with a sword, you also have to shoot him/her/it with seeds. Which was why I couldn't kill it yesterday. Once I realised this, it was quickly dispatched, and it was on to Ganon.

Who was much easier than I expected. He warped all over the place, appearing and then doing random attacks. However, I didn't really pay much attention to dodging him, and instead just hit him with my sword when I could. Then I realised I only had half a heart of energy left. Luckily - he only needed one more hit!

So, The End! The entire universe is saved (or something), Zelda is saved, the tree is saved, and everything else is saved. An extended end sequence showed "what happened next", and the credits rolled. Very epic, I'm sure.

And what is this I have here? Link to the Past for the GBA of course!

Legend of Zelda: Oracles Finale

Into the Room of Rites I go, with a simple find-the-hidden-route magic maze thingies between me and Twinrova. In his first form, he was easy. Well, easy to avoid, harder to hit. Then he morphed into a thing which swaps between ice and fire, which was much harder. And I died.

I know how to kill him - he just takes ten million hits. Or so I thought, until I realised I was wearing a ring that upped my defence, but lowered my attack power. Ooops.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages: TOPPLED!

The rest of Dungeon 8 was pretty easy, and I was soon onto the end boss (after picking up the Power Glove). He came in several forms, or rather, with several sets of hands - a bit like a boss from The Wind Waker. Sort of. The final set of hands required the newly-acquired glove to defeat too. What a shock that was.

After that, and with all eight Essences of Time in Link's Magic Invisible Bottomless Rucksack, it was back to see the Maku Tree. Like in Seasons, I was given a seed that would supposedly help me, and it was off to the Black Tower.

Inside, after a short maze and lots of assorted baddies, it confronted Veran, still in the body of Queen Ambi. Removing Veran from her body was almost exactly like it was when she was in Nayru's body, but afterwards I then had to fight her in some kind of fairy form. Luckily, some Evil Links that patrolled around her produced hearts when I killed them, making it much easier (especially as I was wearing a ring that gave me two hearts for every one I picked up). With the fairy-form of Veran dead, things were still not over. I was grabbed back into the tower as I was leaving, and forced to fight her some more - as she morphed between a bee and a turtle.

And she was easy. Nothing like Onox at all - just very, very easy. Labrynna returned to normal, and all was well. The End.

Or not. Since I'd linked the two Ages games together, there's more. The final, almighty battle with Ganon and/or his summoners Twinrova, by the looks of things. A "Our Princess is in another castle!" moment indeed. That'll be next, then. But for now, Ages is complete!

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

Well, the South Seas seems the best place to go, after a clue from a Zora. After travelling round in circles in both the past and the present, I finally found the entrance, and within was a lost ship full of the Skull Pirates from Seasons. I was given the Tokey Eye, which fits a statue on the Tokey island I was at aaaaages ago in the game. Back there, and the statue opens, revealing a cave.

After the cave, and a short maze, it was into Dungeon 8 - Ancient Tomb. As expected, it is full of every "feature" of every other dungeon in the game. Blocks, buttons, switches, etc. It does seem to be pretty easy so far though - as I made it to the mid-boss in under ten minutes.

The mid-boss was also very easy, being a Zelda favourite - baddie-chucks-balls-at-you-smack-them-back-at-him.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

Finally, I figured out that I needed to find Jabu Jabu in the sea. Some time jumping later, to avoid rocks and things that existed in different places in different times, and I found the Zora Village under the sea. Several sub-quests needed to be performed before entering Jabu Jabu's belly, however.

Firstly, the Zora King is sick (in the past) and dead (in the present). Nipping off to find Syrup the witch, I bought some Magic Potion which brought him back from the brink. Then I needed to clean the sea for him, which the Fairy Queen could do. At least, she could if she hadn't been turned into an Octorok. Fairy Powder would turn her back, and that is kept in the local Library. Unfortunately, the library doesn't have the required book to let me access it. Taking a book from the present to the past (another paradoxical time loop thing, it seems) allows me to get the Powder, once I completed an invisible floor puzzle.

Finally, with the Queen back to normal, the sea clean, and the King happy, I could go into Jabu Jabu's belly - Dungeon 7.

This dungeon was on three floors, which could be flooded to different levels by use of switches. Different parts of each floor become accessible depending on whether they're flooded or not. So it was like some kind of huge puzzle. The mid-boss was alarmingly simple - it was a puffer fish that bounced around the screen. Shoot it with seeds, and it deflates, allowing you to hit it with your sword. And that's it.

The weapon picked up here was an upgraded Switch Hook, which lets me swap places with items further away. And yes, you need it for the end boss, who once again was very easy to kill.

Once out of the dungeon, I learn the Black Tower is complete, and people are being turned to stone. The tree has no idea where the final Essence of Time is, so neither do I. Better ask around then, I think.

Pac-Pix

After Chapter 5 being pretty difficult, Chapter 6 was very easy. At the end was a boss, whom you had to kill by firing arrows at his feathers or clouds or whatever surrounding him, without hitting him. Accidently hitting him and not his coating causes him to drop ink on the bit you draw on, stopping you from drawing in that area. Onto Chapter 7 now then.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

Swaptastic fetchquest time! Just like Seasons, you need to take item A to person B to get item C to take to person D to get item E, etc. And, at the end, I got the Nobel Sword for my troubles. However, since I have the Secret to get the Master Sword, I inputted that and now have the most powerful sword in the game. That should make things a bit easier here on in!

Also on my travels, I found Tingle again, who gave me more seed carrying 1337 powaz, and also stumbled across a couple of pieces of heart, giving me another full heart. Only two left now (and two dungeons to go too), so I should have a full set by the end of the game.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages And Seasons

Ages/Seasons Double Team Attack Fight! Win! Or something.

Decided to go back to Seasons and tell the necessary people all these Secrets I've been finding in Ages. That meant trying to remember how to get anywhere in Holodrum, which I found harder than I thought I would. My memory is rubbish.

Anyway, I've sorted out most of them. On my travels I've picked up a larger Ring Box (so I can now carry 5 rings), gained the Mirror Shield, and had Biggoron's Sword forged. The latter is completely ridiculous since it is huge, takes both hands, and is really slow to swing. I also got the Master Sword, but on transferring it to Ages, it turned into the less powerful Nobel Sword. I think I'll come back to that after I've found the Nobel Sword "properly" and see if I get the Master Sword then.

As well as all that, I also found a few more rings and a couple more pieces of heart. Which was nice.

Pro Evolution Soccer 4

Just one game today - online against someone on my friends list. He played as England, I played as Japan. I won 4-0. How embarrasing for him.

Of course, he then complained that he didn't know about the run and shoot buttons and made up other feeble excuses during a post-match IRC discussion. Him == CRAP. FACT.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

Mostly just aimlessly wandering round today. I need to get into Jabu-Jabu's belly, and, although I've found him, I don't know how to get inside him. I can't talk to him, and none of my items work on him or anything. Perhaps I need another item or something?

Burnout 3

Does no-one play this online any more? All I could find were some idiot children trying to put on fake accents, and moaning that everyone else was cheating every time they were overtaken.

Need For Speed Underground 2

Put this on for a quick try. What an awful, awful game. Played a couple of races against the CPU, then some Drag races against a friend. What a stupid mode that is - you don't even have to steer round corners! Then did a Sprint race, which was equally crap. Also tried Career mode, but the storyline (yes, a storyline) is pants and superfluous to the racing. As is everything else, even. And the graphics are rubbish.

Lets never play it again.

Pro Evolution Soccer 4

Played a few games with a friend who had come over today. Of course, he lost them all as he's crap. Two of them did go into penalties, however.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

Defeated the end boss in Dungeon 6, and was then informed that Queen Ambi had left her palace, and I could try to rescue Nayru, the Oracle of Ages. So, off I went. Some minor Splinter Celling took place on the way in, but I soon found her. She was still possessed by Veran, however, so killing him wasn't possible without hurt her - or so it seemed until use of my Mystery Seeds and Switch Hook thingie proved otherwise.

Technically, Veran wasn't actually killed though - he just came out of Nayru's body and into Queen Ambi's, as she arrived on the scene. Nayru warped us back to the present, and there I stopped for the day.

Pac-Pix

There is actually a bit more to this game than just drawing Pac-Man, it seems. After completing the first four chapters, I can now draw multi-use arrows - they burst bubbles, hit switches, and stun ghosts. I've also killed two"bosses" as well - one which required me to draw larger and larger Pac-Mans (Men?) to eat it, and another one that involved eating his eyes. Obviously.

I had a poke (literally) around the extra bits, and ended up in the Scrapbook. You can draw thingies here, and try to find "secret" gestures. After successfully finding that a cursive L becomes some kind of butterfly, I then learn that a joined up "cock" becomes a raining cloud. Childish, I am.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

It turns out there are two Mermaid's Caves. Well, one, technically - in the Past and the Present. And holes you blow in walls in the past affect the cave in the present too. Sadly, I needed another key to get into the cave in the past (it's the same lock, so why two keys?), so I had to find that first. Two caves means two maps and compasseseseses too.

There are a few four dimensional puzzles to contend with in this dungeon, which complicates things a little. Also, the mid-boss (who I've killed twice already in the Oracles games) appears very close to the end boss. After killing the mid-boss, I got the Mermaid Flippers, which let me swim underwater and into new areas. They also make me swim like a retard.

As expected, they're needed to help kill the end boss, whom I hit about ten billion times, but he killed me. Stupid thing.

Electroplankton

Plinketty plinketty plink!

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

More wandering aimlessly around Rolling Ridge finally led me to the Goron Dance Hall. Oh yes. Dancing. Winning the dancing contest thing gained me a Goron Brotherhood badge which lets me go past a Goron guard.

I knew where I needed to go, but there's a locked door. The owl next to it says something cryptic about a mermaid's secret, and, since there is a mermaid statue in Lynna City, I went off there. Wild goose chase, it was, as there's nothing there. It turned out I needed to do a mini swap-a-thon to gain access to a bomb avoiding game. Winning that got me a key. I also had a go at a shooting game, which gained me a boomerand as well as one of the items needed to get to the bomb game.

And now I'm into Dungeon 6 - the Mermaid's Cave. Tch. Damn cryptic owls.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

The problem with this game, is, if you leave yourself in a dungeon and then don't play for a day or so, you get completely lost. So, almosy half an hour's play was simply trying to remember what I was doing and where I was going.

Anyway, the end boss in Dungeon 5 was pretty simple, and completely different to every other Zelda boss I can recall. It's more of a puzzle than a boss, in fact. He's a cloud that splits up, and using the Cane of Somaria you have to get him back together before you can smack him. That would be much harder, and certainly less obvious, if it wasn't for the fact that he tells you how to kill him when you meet.

That dungeon complete, I could wander round Rolling Ridge some more, and found more Gorons. I may have to delve back into Oracle of Seasons briefly soon - as I have a Secret Code to get Biggoron's Sword from there now.

Pac-Pix

Just a quick go of this to see what it's like. It's like, er, Pac-Man, only not. It seems fun, if a little repetitive so far.

Completed the first chapter and turned it off for now.

Electroplankton

It isn't technically a game. You play it, but it isn't a game. It isn't really a toy either, as it is too much like a game. Mind you, it isn't really a musical instrument, as it's more like a toy.

There are no levels. No scores. No power-ups. No lives. No bosses. No killing, collecting, jumping, shooting or driving. Just "things" to press and move. And they vibrate. Or jangle. Or whizz or bang or tinkle or hum or clank or plink or bubble. Or all of the above. They record your voice, respond to claps, fly around the screen and bounce off musical leaves.

It really is most bizarre.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

The weapon was a switch-with-things hook hoodilly. So, not really a weapon then, actually. Although you do use it on the end boss in that dungeon, as expected.

With that dungeon out of the way, I was sent on a trek through time and, er, place to find bomb flowers to help a Goron elder. Of course, that required a sub-quest, which involved throwing bombs as the Great Moblin who muttered something about me defeating him in Holodrum (which I never did). Odd.

Anyway, I was then able to get into Dungeon 5, which has lots of red and blue blocks that I need to swap between a lot to reach various areas. The mid-boss was very easy indeed, and required me to race him to a ball, and chuck it at him before he chucked it at me. I've found the map and compass, and also the weapon here - the Cane of Somaria. It was entirely expected that it'd be the weapon I got though, as some of the puzzles were crying out for it. I just have the Big Key and end boss to find and do now.

Populous

Two more levels done today. I'm up to level 15 now (yes, that does add up if you know how Populous works). A desert level and an ice level today. The computer is getting slightly harder now, and can swamp, earthquake, and even volcano me. Sadly for him, he's also a bit rubbish at watching his own back. Besides, volcanoing a few of my castles has little or no effect when I have some 60 of them (versus his three).

And the build-one-layer-higher-than-him-then-flood-the-place tactic is always a winner.

Populous

I got this Master System game today as a competition prize. It was probably my favourite Master System game, but has long since gone missing. So, I was pleased to have it back again.

Played through three levels, which took just over an hour. It is just a great as I remember. I could have easily done more levels in the same amount of time, but half of the fun is toying with the other "team".

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

More wandering around Symmetry City, and it turns out I'd missed a house to go in. Got the broken Tuni Nut, and went off to see Tokkey up the mountain. I played my harp to him, and he gave me another tune that now lets be go back to the future (TM) whereever I want. With this, I made it up some wall to get the nut repaired (which involved some silly minigame), and went back to Symmetry City. Oh yes, and picked up some more bomb-carrying-space on the way.

With the nut fixed, and the eruptions stopped, a cave in the City in the present time appeared. And, it is Dungeon 4. Lots of minecarts so far. Picked up the map and compass, and have killed the mid-boss (although technically, he mostly kills himself). No weapon picked up yet though...

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

With the dungeon complete, I had to get off Tokay Island. Conveniently, Demetri the Dodongo dragon lizard fish monster bull appeared, and carried me back to civilisation.

I was told by the Maku Tree to head north-west, and on my way met Impa who informed me Zelda had been kidnapped - by some baddie from Seasons, in fact. Into the Black Tower and quick game of Donkey Kong later, and Zelda was saved. I got a ring for my trouble. When I finally get to the north-west area, I find a bridge is out and the workmen have all done a runner. Talking to them once found does nothing, so I leave to go back.

On my way back to the Maku Tree, the rabbit fairy things find my and say Rocky the Kangaroo is lost in the woods. Off to find him then, who helps me get to all the workmen, and the bridge is built. Across the river is the ruins of Symmetry City, which, back in the past, is suffering from a volcano eruption. Had a wander round, and spoke to some guy who mutters stuff about time shifts and echoes, but I have no idea what he's on about. Anyway, enough for now.

Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst

Hurrah! I have success! Limited success, anyway.

I found that if I set up Windows shortcuts to change the input language from EN to JP (and back), then when I found I couldn't type or access the menu within the game, I could swap language and it'd work. For a bit, and then I'd have to swap again. But it works!

Then I realised that my joypad (a GC pad through a USB adapter) doesn't let me go "full speed". That is to say, I push forward fully, and my character walks instead of runs. Needless to say, that caused tedium beyond tedium. Finally making it onto the planet's surface, I ran into the Rappy Festival. Sadly, you can't kill the stupid yellow birds, but the Samba de Amigo music playing in the background was nice, if a little unexpected. Blew up some crates instead, before getting really annoyed at my lack of running sk1llZ and gave up.

Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst

I downloaded the client for the beta test of the PC version last night. This evening, I have struggled and fought to get the bloody thing to work - and after two hours, I'm giving up.

Firstly, I couldn't type anything. That meant that I couldn't even get into the game. Turned out to be something to do with Japanese language support. Then I could type, but it wouldn't recognise the ID and password I was setting up. It seems that "Register ID" actually means "Go to this webpage we're not going to tell you the location of, sign up there, and then come back and use the Register ID button again and use the ID you've just signed up with".

With that out of the way, I could start the game and actually get into some of the menus. Sadly, I accidently quit out of the menus, and now I can't get back into them again. Also, I can't chat to anyone, nor quit the game.

Unless I Alt-Tab out, which actually quits, meaning I can't tab out, check the forums for help, and tab back - as the game has quit and I need to reload it and log in again.

Most. Frustrating. Game. EVAAR.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

And into Dungeon 3. This Oracles game is certainly more puzzley than Seasons, with many more difficult puzzles to solve and easier (so far) baddies and bosses. Dungeon 3 was pretty small, but the puzzles extended it somewhat.

The mid-boss was very simple. He actually tells you how to kill him, pretty much. Needless to say, no problems there. The weapon I picked up in this dungeon was a Seed Shooter. Similar to the Seed Slingshot from Seasons, only this one makes the seeds rebound off walls. And gosh yes, you need that ability to kill the (painfully easy) end boss. Three down, five to go...

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

Paradoxes abound when I got Cheval's rope in the present to use in the past as he hadn't finished developing it yet. Ditto the flippers. With the raft built, it was off to see Tingle to get some sea charts, and I went rafting off into the sea. Where a storm blew up, and shipwrecked me on an island full of Tokay lizard people. The thieving gets stole all my item though, so I spent ages collecting them all back again. Did grow a scent tree though, and hopped back and forth through time a few times.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

First off, I created a new game by linking Seasons to Ages. Although I'd hoped that this would give me teh magic powaz from Seasons at the start of my quest, it didn't. Rubbish. It did, however, continue the story. Twinrova, some baddies I met in Seasons, appeared and said some stuff about Onox not dying in vain, and some flames being lit so that the Great King can be summoned. Or something. And then it was off into the world of Labrynna.

And, as before, standard Zelda fare so far. Nayru (the Oracle of Ages) gets possessed by the evil Veran and sent into the past, Link follows, saves a baby tree, tree grows into Maku Tree, Link goes into dungeons, etc. etc.

The first dungeon was alarmingly simple to complete. The mid-boss died with just a few sword swings, and the end boss was also pretty easy to fend off. Picked up the Power Bracelet in there too, so I can pick rocks and pots and things up now.

Went off to some woods then, which some rabbit fairy things helpfully rearranged magically and I had to play hide-and-seek with them before it went back to normal. Then I needed to go into the past again, to find some Mystery Seeds to give to a Queen who needs to give them to Veran. Yes, I'm helping the evil one. Tch.

The Queen gave me some bombs, so I can now blow stuff up. That allowed me into the next dungeon, which was also pretty simple. It did involve a load of mine carts though. The mid-boss was some flying thing that kept trying to drop on me (and was easily killed), and the end boss was one of the easiest in any Zelda game ever. Time consuming, but it was virtually impossible for it to actually hurt you, unless you were retarded or something. You chuck bombs in its head, and it dies. Picked up Roc's Feather in Dungeon 2 also.

Now I need to find some rope that doesn't rot in water, to give to Raft Man to make a raft so I can get to the next dungeon.

Sonic Advance 2

Ah yes, a proper Sonic game. Not like that Sonic Heroes monstrosity, with its stupid 3D-ness and team-ness and Cream-ness and die-for-no-reason-ness. This is a normal 2D Sonic, and because of that, it works.

Although it suffers from some generic 2D platformer traits (ice/fire/grass levels, etc.), it makes up for it by actually being fun and not crap. OK, so I died a few times, but unlike Heroes, I felt it was my fault, and not the game just being crap that caused it. Ran (literally - it is a Sonic game after all) through the first few Zones - the Green Hill type one, the Lava type one, Zool-a-like Music Zone, and some kind of nighttime Ice Cap-in-Hollywood level. And then onto Sky Canyon.

I'm not sure how the sky can have a canyon, but anyway.

Bosses so far have been fairly easy. I'm not too sure I like the way you have to go about killing them though. Remember the tree-cutting boss from Sonic and Knuckles's first zone? You have to chase after it as the level scrolls continuously. Well, they're all like that in Sonic Advance 2. So far, anyway.

Currently, I'm stuck on Sky Canyon Act 2. Well, not so much stuck, as "run out of lives before I complete it". But I'll get there.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons: FINNYSHED!

Hurrah! I had just one attempt today, but it was plenty to defeat the Dragon! I avoided almost all of his attacks, remembered to swap rings when necessary, and even ended up with several hearts remaining.

Onox dead, Din saved, Game Over!

Except for the bit that says "To be continued in Oracle of Ages", of course. Good job I have that too!

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

No.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

Here is a clue: NO.

Over an hour, and some 15 attempts today. Rubbish.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

Yes. I still haven't managed to kill him. I even went back to Ring Man to see if I had any rings that might help me. I have a Power one, which increases my attack strength, but also weakens my defence. That'd be fine, since I can put it on just before I attack the dragon, then take it off in case I get hit.

That was the plan, anyway. In reality, I lost all bar one heart before I even got to the dragon form of Onox, and died after smacking it three times. Bah.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

Stupid dragon. Hate dragon. Slash dragon's face. Dragon slash Link. Link die. GAME OVER.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

GRAAAAHH!!!!!

I killed his first form, but then he turned into a dragon. And killed me.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

Bah. Onox == HARD, me == DEAD. Again.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

Dungeon 8 is teh winned. The mid-boss wasn't so bad after I realised you only had to hit him once in his "fire" form, and could do the rest of the damage in his "ice" form, making him much easier.

The rest of the dungeon was pretty straightforward, with a strange "chuck ice down holes" bit near the end. That done, and it was on to the end boss. Who was really easy. I just watched his patterns for the first time, and then on my second attempt killed him without any problems.

Back to the Maku Tree with the final Essence of Nature, and he gave me some big orb thing, which allowed me into the final dungeon. I assume its the last one anyway - I ran up against Onox, the end of game boss. Unless there's a Ganon here too. Probably (although Minish Cap didn't have one either, and there's no Zelda in this one...).

Anyway, I went into the dungeon, killed a few baddies, and it was on to Onox. I died, since I only figured out how to damage him when I had only one heart left. Rubbish. At least I'll know for next time now.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

Two or three entries to the diary for the price of one here, as I've been plowing through the game off and on today.

Firstly, I finished off Dungeon 7. The 'weapon' there wasn't what I thought it might be, though - it turned out to be Roc's Cape - an upgrade to the feather allowing me to jump three times as far as previously. The mid-boss was pretty feeble, being just two ghosts I'd fought elsewhere in the dungeon, only at the same time. The end boss was a dragon thing not unlike one from another Zelda game, and yes, I needed the cape to avoid his attacks.

I then needed to get to Dungeon 8, which was actually in Subrosia. Getting there involved a bit of travelling through new areas, and setting off a volcano, amongst other things.

And now I'm in Dungeon 8. Which may be the final proper dungeon, although I suspect it won't be. I've picked up the map and compass, and also found the Hyper Slingshot, which lets me fire three seeds at once. I've also faced the mid-boss twice (and died). He's irritating, as you have to swap weapons every half a second (literally).

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

The ship I needed was in the desert, and some "adventuring" needed to be done to reach it and get it afloat. This involved using a skull to find a bell in some quicksand, and then having the bell polished. Obviously.

That complete, and it was into Dungeon 7. Have obtained the map and compass here, and I suspect the weapon may be some kind of grappling hook or possibly a more powerful bomb. Or a chicken.

Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

Dungeon 6 appeared to be huge once I'd found the map, but luckily it wasn't - there were six or so floors, but each one was smaller than the last, so it wasn't oo big in the end. It was a bit complicated though.

The weapon gained here was a Magic Boomerang - an upgrade for my normal one, but this one has greater range, power, and can be aimed with Sensible Soccer-like aftertouch. The mid-boss here was easy, and the end boss (who needed to Magic Boomerang to kill, obviously) was less so.

After the dungeon, I decided to do the "swapathon" sub-quest. Basically, you have an item that you need to swap for another item, which in turn is swapped for another. This generally involves travelling the entire map 8947293 times and talking to just about everyone. So I did. My reward, however, was the Nobel Sword - stronger than my last one, and it shoots if my health is full too. My next job is to find a boat or something, I think.