Labrynna is a massive headache. If you played The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages back in 2001, you probably remember the feeling of getting hopelessly lost in the Tokay’s item-stealing shenanigans or trying to wrap your brain around the Mermaid's Cave. But the real magic—the stuff that kept us hooked for hundreds of hours—wasn't just the time-traveling puzzles. It was the password system. Specifically, the oracle of ages secrets that bridged the gap between this game and its sister title, Oracle of Seasons.
Most games today use cloud saves or DLC to expand the experience. Capcom and Nintendo did it with strings of gibberish text. It was clunky. It was brilliant. It transformed a standard handheld adventure into a sprawling, two-continent epic that felt way ahead of its time.
The Linked Game Loophole
You can't talk about these games without talking about the "Linked Game" mechanic. Most players finish Ages, see the credits, and think they're done. Wrong. Honestly, you've only seen about 70% of the actual story. When you finish one game, you get a "Secret to Holodrum" (or Labrynna, depending on where you started). Entering this code in a fresh save of the other game triggers a Linked Game.
This isn't just a "New Game Plus" mode. It fundamentally changes the world. Characters from the first game start popping up in the second. Princess Zelda actually shows up—she’s basically non-existent in a "Clean" playthrough. Even the bosses get harder. But the real meat of the experience lies in the NPCs who ask you for specific codes. These are the oracle of ages secrets that most people miss because they require constant backtracking between two different save files.
How the Secret Exchange Actually Works
Imagine you’re wandering through the Lynna City of the past. You find a character—let's say the Graveyard Kid—who gives you a specific string of characters. You then have to physically write that down (or take a photo of your screen, since it's 2026 and we all have smartphones now), boot up your Oracle of Seasons save, find the corresponding NPC there, and give them the code.
They give you an upgrade. Usually a kick-ass one.
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Then—and this is the part that used to drive me crazy—they give you another code to take back to Ages. You take that back to Farore in the Maku Tree, and boom: Biggoron’s Sword, or a Lvl-3 Ring, or extra Heart Containers. It’s a literal cross-game dialogue.
The Most Useful Oracle of Ages Secrets You Need to Find
Not all secrets are created equal. Some give you a goofy ring that turns you into a Goomba. Others give you the Master Sword. Guess which one people actually care about?
The Master Sword secret is the big one. In a standard playthrough, the best weapon you get is the Noble Sword. To get the legendary blade, you have to complete a secret exchange involving the Clock Shop in Holodrum and the smithy in Labrynna. It’s a multi-step process that feels like a genuine quest rather than just a checklist item.
Then there’s the Biggoron’s Sword. This thing is huge. It takes up both A and B button slots. You can't use a shield while holding it. Is it practical? Sorta. Is it fun to swing a blade that’s half the size of the screen? Absolutely. You get this by talking to the Goron on Rolling Ridge who has a "cold."
- The King Zora Secret: This one is vital for your health bar.
- The Library Secret: Helps you upgrade your shield to the Mirror Shield, which is basically essential for the end-game projectiles.
- The Tingle Secret: Yeah, everyone’s favorite map-maker. He gives you a seed satchel upgrade.
The "Hero’s Secret" and the True Ending
If you really want to see everything, you have to go deeper. After finishing a Linked Game, you get the "Hero’s Secret." This starts a brand new game with four hearts instead of three and carries over your rings.
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The real reason to obsess over these oracle of ages secrets is the "True" ending. If you don't link the games, you fight Veran (the Big Bad of Ages) and the game just... ends. But in a Linked Game, you discover that Veran and Onox were just pawns. Twinrova is behind the scenes trying to light the Flames of Sorrow, Destruction, and Despair to resurrect Ganon.
You actually get a final, secret dungeon and a showdown with a mindless, rampaging Ganon. It turns a 20-hour game into a 40-hour saga.
Why the Password System is a Lost Art
We live in an era of seamless integration. We expect our data to just "be there." There’s something tactile and rewarding about the secret system in Oracle of Ages. It required effort. You had to talk to NPCs who seemed unimportant. You had to pay attention to the lore.
Some people find it tedious. I get that. Entering a 16-character string of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and symbols on a D-pad is a test of patience. One wrong "s" instead of an "S" and the whole thing fails. But that friction is what makes the reward feel earned. When you finally walk into the Maku Tree and Farore grants you that Lvl-3 Power Ring because of a secret you brought back from a completely different game world, it feels like you've cheated the system in the best way possible.
Common Mistakes with Secret Entry
Don't be the person who loses their notes. Seriously.
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- Confusing "0" (zero) with "O" (the letter): The Game Boy Color font was notorious for this.
- Wrong Game Version: If you’re playing on the Nintendo Switch Online service, the secrets work exactly the same as the original hardware, but make sure you aren't trying to use a secret from a "Hero's Game" in a "Normal Game."
- NPC Timing: Some NPCs only appear after certain dungeons are cleared. If a secret isn't working, check your story progress in both games.
Ring Secrets: The Hidden Meta-Game
Rings are the most underrated part of the oracle of ages secrets ecosystem. There are 64 rings in total. You can’t get them all in one playthrough. Some are tied to the Gasha Nut system (which is basically the 2001 version of a loot box, let's be real), but the best ones are hidden behind specific passwords.
The Red Joy Ring doubles the value of found items. The Green Luck Ring makes you take less damage from traps. Then there's the Slayer’s Ring, which you only get after killing 1,000 enemies. It’s a completionist’s nightmare and a strategist’s dream. Mixing and matching these rings changes how you approach dungeons. If you’re struggling with a boss, there’s probably a ring secret you haven't found yet that could trivialize the fight.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Playthrough
If you're dusting off your 3DS or firing up the Switch to revisit this classic, don't just wing it.
Start with Oracle of Seasons first if you want a more combat-heavy introduction, then move to Ages for the puzzles. As soon as you finish the first game, save that final password. Keep a dedicated notebook—not a digital one, a physical one—for your secrets. It adds to the vibe.
Talk to every NPC in Labrynna twice. Once in the past, once in the present. If they mention a "faraway land" or a "friend in Holodrum," they are a secret-carrier. Use the Blue Snake in the Vasu Ring Shop to transfer your ring collection between games early on. This gives you a massive power spike that makes the early-game grind much smoother.
Focus on getting the Master Sword as early as possible. The damage output jump from the wooden sword to the Master Sword is astronomical and will save you hours of frustration in the later dungeons like Jabu-Jabu’s Belly.
The secret system isn't just a gimmick; it's the backbone of the most ambitious project the Zelda series ever attempted on a handheld. Mastering these secrets is the difference between playing a game and conquering it.