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When the world first heard the outrageous news that the greatest
multiplatform series was about to be reborn in a four player mode,
everyone panicked. People starting thinking the worst, that this
would, perhaps, be the demise of The Legend of Zelda series. Once
more information became available, it started to seem that the creators
knew what they were doing and how they would present it. Finally,
when the game would launch in a few months, everyone's faith had been
restored as people saw what a beautiful change it was about to make. Four Swords is the very first multiplayer Zelda game, and was released on the GameBoy Advance in America in December, 2002. The game places you into a setting not unlike The Wind Waker and tells the story of the Legend of the Four Sword. While Link was enjoying the morning wind, he was summoned by the Princess Zelda to meet her at her chambers immediately. Zelda explains that she has sensed that something is wrong in the Secret Chamber near that castle. She chose Link because she knew she could trust him and took him to the Chamber of the Four Sword. She then tells his of a legendary boy who defeated an evil wind mage named Vaati. When the boy used this sword, he split into four beings and had the strength to conquer the mage while other knights could not. The boy sealed Vaati in the Four Sword and neither Vaati or the boy were ever seen again. Just as Zelda finished the story, the spirit of Vaati swooped down and kidnapped the princess. Link drew out the Four Sword, split up into four heroes and set out for Vaati's Palace. The game consists of three dungeons which the players must conquer in order to reach Vaati's Palace. The dungeons are randomized specifically so that the puzzles, enemies and even items found will be completely different ever time you enter. The three dungeons are themed as a forest, a icy cave and of course the firey pits of Death Mountain. There are two levels to each dungeon and a boss at the end of the second level, giving the game a true Zelda feel. Once all of the players collect the keys from the dungeons, they can enter Vaati's Palace. The graphics are no less than spectacular. The use of color is beautiful throughout the world, and you really appreciate the care that went into the many enemies that your encounter. All new original music has been devised for this game, and you will be humming the tunes even when you are not playing. Each and every thing inside Link's world has its own specific sound, from the swipe of Link's sword to the evil laugh of Vaati. You really feel engrossed in this world that Nintendo has created. The game has an absolutely perfect balance of teamwork, puzzle-solving and competition. The two to four players work together in a cooperative based mission, to defeat Vaati. Each character can go off wherever he wants in the level. Every puzzle requires much thought and at least two people to complete them, as the puzzles change depending on how many people play. The item selection is vast, as there are so many creative and different types of equipment to use to solve the many challenges the game has to offer. After the boss of the dungeon, the game counts how many rupees the players have accumulated. The player with the most rupees, receives a Medallion of Courage, which will come in handy if you collect a lot of them. Rupees are found EVERYWHERE, whether a monster drops them, or a wall spits them out or even if found in most of the treasure chests, you will usually end up with 3000-5000 rupees at the end of the dungeon. This gives each player a fair shot to collect the most. The competition however, does not get into the way of play. The result is one of the most enthralling multiplayer experience on the GBA. If you and your friends own a GBA I highly suggest you purchase this game. Friends can play for hours on end collecting rupees and medallions. The game has endless replay value do to the motive, and randomized dungeons. And with Link to the Past bundled with extra features and connectivity, why refuse? Some said that the idea would fail, but it didn't, it created a grand Zelda feel that we can now share with four people at a time. Reviewed by Zephka |
