The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

"Zelda: Four Swords Adventures is a reminder that 2D games are still in."

Every Zelda fan loved the old 2D Zelda games back in the day. They were marvelous back in the day, and the old-school style of those games are still nostalgic today. With the recent releases of 3D Zelda games, it seemed that the "old" Zelda games were only limited to the handheld systems. Then, an unexpected twist occurred. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures was released for the Gamecube. It was a lot different than previous Zelda games for the N64 and Gamecube. Not only was it the first 2D Zelda game on a major console after Link To the Past (on the SNES), but Four Swords also dedicated the whole game towards multiplayer. Four Swords broke many boundaries that no other Zelda game has ever even thought of breaching.


Story
If you were tired of the same ol' plot throughout basically all of the Zelda games, then you should really enjoy the story in Four Swords. Ganon makes such a minute appearance, and he's not even the main antagonist of the story! While the story is fresh and new, it is quite shallow. In mere seconds of the start of the game, Zelda and six Shrine Maidens are kidnapped by a mysterious entity. The pursuer is Shadow Link, an evil clone of the Hyrulean hero. The duo battles their way to a strange shrine; the Shrine of the Four Sword. Link unsheathes a strange sword from the center of the shrine, and all hell breaks loose.

It turns out that the Four Sword was the cell of an evil monster, Vaati. With Link removing the sword from its pedestal; Vaati is now free to wreak havoc on all of Hyrule. Another side effect of the Four Sword is that it splits Link into four separate people. I would have never guessed! So now four Links must work together to not only save the Shrine Maidens and Zelda, but eliminate Vaati. Of course, you will still have to deal with Shadow Link from time to time. The story will be appealing if you're sick of the same old crap in every Zelda game, yet they still share their similarities.


Graphics
I know there are some people out there that feel that even though a game is 2D, it cannot have good graphics for that sole reason. Luckily, I am not one of those people. The graphics in Four Swords are nothing short of great. One might say that the game looks like a SNES game, and they are partly right. There are of course graphical capabilities for 2D games, but everything in Four Swords is bright and very crisp. The Link sprite looks very awesome and moves nicely. The enemies are the same as well. The environments in Four Swords can be quite massive at some times, and they are awe-inspiring. The colorful and cartoony feel of the environments are truly astounding.

A lot of the graphical style came from The Wind Waker. You get that cartoony look and feel with some cel-shaded effects here and there. You will witness the same explosions in Four Swords that you witnessed in Wind Waker. If you're a fan of Wind Waker's graphics, then be happy. When you enter a house or cave, the screen will change. If playing by yourself, a GBA screen will come up over the screen. If you're playing with a GBA, then look at it when you enter a room. The graphics are just as nice on the Game Boy Advance then they are on the Gamecube. They look nearly identical and are nice overall. There is absolutely no slowdown in Four Swords, which is impressive knowing that there is always a lot of things going on at one time. The characters move very smoothly. Overall, the graphics in Four Swords are very bright and cheery with a cartoony look. Even if you're not a fan of the Wind Waker's style, your old-school self should jump for joy.


Controls
The controls feel like any other Zelda game, with a few exceptions here and there. You can still equip an item to the A button; press it to use the equipped item or weapon. Press B to slash with your sword. Of course, the ever-so-famous spin attack is back in Four Swords; hold and let go to use it. R is the designated lift/pull/throw button as always.

The four Links incorporate a nice control feature. You can control one of the four Links by using the D-Pad. One is controlled while the others simply stand there. You can regroup them by pressing Y or L or toggle the control of each Link by pressing X. There are different formations that you can set up using the four Links (detailed info later). You can press L to freeze time and bring up a list of formations. From there you can pick a formation to use. With that aside, you can simply use the C Stick to change formations in real time, making it quick and easy. The controls are more or less the same on the GBA, with the exception of a few lost buttons. The controls in Four Swords are obnoxiously simple to use, given various ways to use them.


Sound
The sound in Four Swords packs such an old-school style that you simply cannot complain about it. All of Zelda's classical sounds that make it a hit are all introduced in Four Swords, either remixed or the same as before. You will hear all the nostalgic jingles and tunes that are oh so familiar to the Zelda realm. You have Link's signature screams and squeals as he attacks an Octorock or plummets into a hole.

While the old music is great, the new music in Four Swords is nothing to complain about as well. A lot of the new sounds and music may seem familiar to gamer who have played Wind Waker or Minish Cap. Most of the music seems to have been derived from the more modern Zelda games. That's not a problem though; the sound and music is great in this game. A lot of the sounds may seem familiar to gamers alike, since many were taken from both old and new Zelda games.


Gameplay
Four Swords Adventures was basically designed for multiplayer, but that doesn't mean that you can't have fun playing it alone. Many old worlds, as well as new areas, are introduced in Four Swords. You will find yourself at Hyrule Castle from time to time, as well as older areas such as Death Mountain. There are eight worlds in Four Swords; each world is split up into three levels, ending with a dungeon. So, you have 24 levels right there, plus a bonus level at the end (it's really short). At the end of each world is a maiden, so once you save all six, you must rescue Zelda. By then, you're at the eighth world, where you must track down and destroy Vaati.

Completing these tasks may seem easier than they actually are. The levels in Four Swords are played out differently from other Zelda games. I'm sure you're aware now that it isn't a free-roaming game; you have levels to beat. With that said, the levels aren't very linear, but don't expect a GTA-style world to play in. There is still an amount of difficulty added into the game, simply to avoid people from running to the end of the level in an instant. As opposed to scrounging for rupees, they have been rightfully replaced by Force Gems. They're pretty much one in the same, but you must collect 2,000 Force Gems for the level exit to open. That means that you're going to have to do some exploring for them. Force Gems are found anywhere where rupees would; in rooms, under grass and bushes, in water, anywhere.

Well, collecting Force Gems can be a drag too, with all the dangers and puzzles scattered around each of the many levels. Many of the puzzles are nothing more than clever, but the real intelligence is that you can complete any puzzle with or without friends. That means that you aren't limited to playing the game alone. You simply must control each of the four Links as opposed to a buddy doing so. To do this, press to D-Pad to split them up and press X to control each of the four Links. Most of the time, you only have to do something as simple as control a Link so he steps on a switch, then use another one to go through the opened path.

The main problem of Four Swords is the difficulty. For the most part, the game is very simple. While is is long and will take a long time to beat, it's quite easy overall. Through the game, you collect Force Fairies. What they do is revive you if you happen to die. You will be revived in the same spot in which you died. If you have no Force Fairies left when you die, then it's game over. The only problem is that Force Fairies are so common in the game. You can collect up to 5 in one level. By the end of the game, you will most likely have nearly 100 of these "extra lives"! Still, the difficulty of the game doesn't detract from the sheer amounts of fun that you'll be having.

Many of the enemies and items from other Zelda games make an appearance in Four Swords. Throughout the game, you will be the holder of the Power Bracelet, Roc's Feather, Fire Rod, Lamp (yay), Magic Hammer, and many others. With these items, you must defeat an onslaught of nostalgic enemies, such as Octorocks, Tektites, Moblins, Manhandlas, Zoras, Gohma, and others. New enemies and items are found in the game as well. Many of the bosses in the game are beatable while playing alone, but are a lot harder than when you play with friends. Most require the use of multiple Links or different weapons, so the game is definitely easier when you play with friends.

Now, about that multiplayer. You can play with up to four players; each must have their own GBA and Link Cable. Right off the bat, that's a hassle. Similar to Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, it's hard to play with four players if you need all of that equipment. If you are accessible to it, then you're golden. When playing with buddies, you must consult to your GBA when you enter a room or cave. You can almost use this as a sense of secrecy, so other players can't see what you're doing until it's done. This brings up the point where you can be good or evil.

In terms of friendship, Four Swords will either make or break you. Sure, you can always team up with each other to succeed in challenges or predicaments. That's how the game wants to be played. At the end of each level is a small presentation where "awards" are given out to each player. Whoever has the most Force Gems at the end of each level, whoever has the most hearts, whoever died the most, little tidbits like that. This "award show" at the end of each level can control whether or not you want to be a good person or not. Heck, if you want to win in the end, then you might as well attack your friends. You can actually attack the other Links and steal their Force Gems for yourself. In fact, you can actually pick up another player and throw him in a hole or a pool of lava! The multiplayer in Four Swords makes playing with friends a lot more fun than other games (unless you're the guy that's getting killed constantly).

There are also mini-games to play at Tingle's Tower. While they aren't very fun, they are enjoyable to an extent and pass the time. You also have Shadow Battle, where it's an all-out war between you and your friends. This is the place where it's alright to throw your buddies off of cliffs. While they are a nice touch to the game, the real gem is the Adventure Mode. In short, the gameplay in Four Swords is great alone, but even better with friends.


Replay Value
In Four Swords, there are so many levels to play and so many ways to play the levels. When playing multiplayer, you can tackle each level with a different strategy, which makes playing the game even more fun. The game will take you a while and you can replay the levels after you have beaten them. The replay value when playing with friends is very high, but it's not really the same alone. You have Tingle's Tower and Adventure Mode to play, but they simply aren't as fun if you're without companions.


Overall (not an average): 9/10

Pros
+ Story is fresh and new
+ Sound and music is great for old and new players alike
+ Controls are extremely easy to use
+ Graphics are top notch, even for a 2D game
+ Gameplay is great alone, but even better with friends

Cons
- The graphical capabilities are limited, with it being a 2D game
- Playing alone is a drag sometimes
- Moderate replay value if you are playing alone
- Too many accessories needed to play multiplayer

Zelda: Four Swords Adventures is just what I expected. I was hoping for a new breath of life to resurrect 2D Zelda games, and they have. This being the first multiplayer Zelda game has been a great success. The story is new and exciting, especially if you're sick of Ganon being in every game. The graphics are very nice, consisting of both old and new Zelda games. The sound and music are mostly remixed versions of old tunes, which sounds all excellent. The gameplay is outstanding: it's anything you would expect from a Zelda game. The multiplayer adds so much more content to the game, that it's almost necessary that you play the game with some friends at one point in time. Simply put, there is nothing old about this old-school 2D Zelda game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/13/06, Updated 03/06/09

Game Release: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (US, 06/07/04)