Item - The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

Even though the last book ended with a cliffhanger of sorts, this one completely stands alone. The only tangible connection it has with its predecessor is the fact that it lifts a few scenes directly from it (how many times does Link have to suggest the same name for Bipin and Blossom's baby?). This recycling of scenes is particularly shameful considering the fact that this book is about a third shorter than the previous one, even though one of that book's biggest problems was excessive brevity! Unsurprisingly, it is the decision-making that suffers here; while the previous book contained quite a few pointless choices, this one barely bothers and instead railroads the character from scene to scene to a greater extent. The same basic structure of the previous book exists, with a couple detailed dungeons followed by a super-fast summary of major events and culminating in two more pointlessly non-linear dungeons and a final battle. It just feels even more rushed and summarized than before. This could have been fun and interesting with better writing or an even slightly thoughtful game design, but it's obviously just a cynical rush job. Don't waste your time.

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