The Hero’s Secret lets the player start a new game that’s identical to the one that starts from creating a brand new game, with two exceptions. Link starts a Hero’s Secret game with an extra heart container and an unappraised ring in his inventory; the ring is one of those “achievement” rings indicating that the owner has defeated Twinrova and Ganon, and so it’s only available by starting a Hero’s Secret game. Second, it’s linked to the previous run through of Ages/Seasons, so a ring secret can be brought over, so Link has access to the Gold Joy Ring (double everything that Link picks up: rupees, seeds, bombs, hearts) or Red/Blue/Green Rings (increase sword damage and/or decrease incoming damage without drawback) or whatever other ring you like to make things a little easier from the beginning. (Or, if making thing’s harder what you’re into, there’s that Cursed Ring.)
Otherwise, it’s the same playing the base game. The story bits that link between the games start over: Bipin and Blossom’s son starts out as a nameless newborn (the screen where you input his name remembers the old name, though), Link has to bond with the animal companions again (the default starting with Ages is Moosh, but I’d done that the first time so I went with Ricky), Twinrova’s appearances are either cut or replaced with the hooded figure, and Maple’s back on her broomstick/vacuum cleaner.
Then there’s the bits that are almost like playing the game without DLC installed. The Subrosians haven’t made the journey to Labrynna, so Rosa’s not there on Crescent Island to help him get his shovel back; fortunately, the tokay who has it is one of the ones who just meekly hands it over when Link finds him. Zelda doesn’t come to help out, and doesn’t get kidnapped by Vire, so there’s no Donkey Kong sequence. There’s no Hero’s Cave (the entrance doesn’t even exist), and of course the game ends after Veran’s defeat, saving Twinrova and Ganon for after Seasons.
Not being given a shield to start the game really highlights the main reason I think I made the right choice starting with Seasons in the first place: there’s no convenient spot near Lynna City to farm rupees. And sure, the stuff from the Advance Shop is especially redundant to me by now, but even saving up the 30 rupees needed to buy a shield is a chore – in the linked game, Link had a sword to start with and Impa gave him a shield, but no such luck here.
The biggest gameplay difference that’s not just something being left out involves the skeleton pirates from Seasons. In the linked game, they appeared in the future, coming to Labrynna after learning how to sail again. In the base game, however, they’re in the past, having originated in Labrynna before becoming shipwrecked in Holodrum/Subrosia. (They’re still skeletons, though.) The zora who blocked the way into the Sea of Storms, where they’re hanging out, correspondingly moves from future to past, leaving no way for Link to access the Sea of Storms in the future. This also leaves one map square, entirely within the future Sea of Storms, that Link can’t access by any means; going the other way, there’s a square in the past that can only be accessed using time travel tricks, but even those fail to reach the Forbidden Square, forever frustrating 100% gamers. (Without the Donkey Kong sequence, Link never goes into the future Black Tower, but that doesn’t leave a spot on the map covered.)
Without needing to wrap up the overall story, the ending goes in a different direction. Ambi and Ralph acknowledge their relationship (with Ambi objecting to being called a great-etc.-grandmother) and Twinrova gloats that their plan is still on track despite Veran’s death. As Link, Ralph, and Nayru return to the future, they’re joined by Impa, and then note that Maku Tree has added a statue of Link to her clearing, to Link’s embarrassment. Nayru plays her music for a crowd as Maple flies overhead, and Maple comes to sit with the rest of the crowd. Link teaches Ralph the spin attack, and Ralph overdoes it. We see Ambi overseeing that statue of Link being carved in the past.
Finally, of course, starting up the save file after finishing the game and talking to Nayru again, she says that Impa has left to go to Holodrum for a Seasons linked game, which is where my journey through this subseries will conclude.
Next: The differences in Seasons when it’s the second game played.
