Overview
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, first released in Japan as The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, is an action-adventure game in Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda series. Four Sword Adventures was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on March 18, 2004 and in North American on June 7, 2004. The Game Boy Advance can be used as a controller when using the Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance Cable bundled in the North America game version. Graphically the game looks similar to the original Four Swords game which previously appeared on the Game Boy Advance and drew a lot of inspiration from A Link To The Past but with added Wind Waker effects. The game follows the tried and tested formula of other games in the franchise with familiar enemies, items and bosses popping up along the way.
Hyrulean Adventure
Hyrulean Adventure is the main story mode of the game and it follows the adventures of Link after he has been split into four separate Links. The game can be played in single-player with either the Game Boy Advance or GameCube controller or with up to four players using the Game Boy Advance only.
In single player the player takes control of the green Link and along the way they control all four by selecting different Unit Formations, to solve puzzles or have the Links take turns fighting enemies.
In multiplayer each player takes control of one of the different Links (green, red, blue, purple) separately. When playing using a Game Boy Advance the action will swap between the screen and the handheld, allowing for the player to search areas independently without the other players. The player must battle enemies and work together with the other Links to collect enough force gems and solve puzzles, certain enemies will change color so that only the corresponding Link can do damage. In this game the player can only carry one item at a time, at certain points in the game different Links will need to be carrying different items. Through the duration of each stage it is required that Link collects enough force gems to power up the four sword and he will not be able to complete the stage until he has done this. At certain points in the game Link will find a Moon Pearl which will allow him to travel to the dark world which is represented on the Game Boy Advance screen and is required to advance in some situations. The story consists of eight worlds each with three stages and a boss fight to complete at the end.
In multiplayer mode the player can also access the Tingle Tower from the hub world, within this they can complete against the other players in competitive mini-games. There are eight different mini-games to play, which are unlocked by completing the second stage of each world. Mini-games range from horse racing to cucco wrangling. The multiplayer has become famous in some circles for the griefing that can be caused, players can pick up other players and throw them off cliffs or use bombs and fire to kill other players and steal their rupees. At the end of each stage the game rates each player on his performance from first place to fourth place judging them on things such as force gems collected, enemies defeated, lives lost. In addition to this the players are forced to vote on things such as the most helpful player and the most troublesome player in what is the only incentive to prevent a player from throwing little Jimmy down a canyon and hogging all the best items.
Tingles Tower Mini-games
The winner of a mini-game in the tower will be rewarded with a force fairy. Tingle will reward the winner of the game and also the player who collects the most force gems, if one player wins and collects the most force gems then he alone gets rewarded.
- World 1 – Bucking Bronco – A straightforward horse race against the other players.
- World 2 – Cucco Wrangling – In this mini-game the player must catch as many cuccos as possible and throw them into the pen before the time expires.
- World 3 – Hammer Tag – In this game one of the players will randomly be “on” and must try and make the other players “on” by hitting them with his hammer. In this game the player can travel between the dark and light world and if they’re the player that is “on” they will move faster than all the other Links.
- World 4 – Monster Hunting – The player who can defeat the most enemies within the time limit wins the game.
- World 5 – Volley, by Golly World – In this game the players play volley ball but they can only hit the ball when the color corresponds to that Link.
- 6 – Mole Melee – A twist on whack-a-mole where only the designated Links can hit the corresponding moles.
- World 7 – Monster Hunting Returns – The only upgraded event that is in the tower, in this version there is more enemies and they are harder to kill.
- World 8 – Bonus Level – The last mini-game is a mini dungeon for the players to complete.
Shadow Battle
Shadow Battle is the true competitive mode of Four Sword Adventures, using the Game Boy Advance as a controller two to four players can battle it out as the different colored Links until only one is left standing. If the time expires and there is more than one link left alive then the match is declared a draw. The players can change some of the settings before they battle, for example setting handicaps, turning items off and if “Vaati” is selected he will appear at the end of the game and throw a giant bomb onto the map. There are five different maps for the player to choose from in the shadow battle mode and once they have completed the Hyrulean Adventure once it will unlock the dark world versions of these maps. Throughout the battle orbs will appear with items in them for the players to use.
Shadow Battle Arenas
There are five areas to do battle on in the Shadow Battle mode, after completing the game it will unlock dark world versions of the same arenas.
- The Field – This stage is a grassy stage with a house in the middle. Players have to watch out for traps and hidden objects.
- The Tower of Flames – The main feature of this stage is the lava in the middle which can harm the players.
- Hyrule Castle – A stage in front of Hyrule castle, there are enemies patrolling outside in the light world but Link can find items to use in the dark world.
- Tower of the Wind – On this stage players can hide in the dark world and operate switches to drop bombs onto the light world.
- Above the Clouds – On this stage there is a rotating flame jet that will harm the players, there is a lever on the stage that the players can use to change the direction the flames are travelling.
Story
The game takes place an undetermined amount of time after the events of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords. The game begins on a dark night with a stormy cloud and dark feeling covering all of Hyrule, sending people into panic. Zelda calls upon Link, and sends him to check on the Four Sword, believing that Vaati has escaped. Zelda then journeys to a temple and calls upon the six maidens to open a portal to the Four Swords Sanctuary. Once the portal was opened, a dark figure of Link appears and seals away the six maidens. Link decides to follow after the dark figure and takes the Four Sword; when he does Vaati is released and Link is split into four. The four links are awoke by Kaepora Gaebora, who informs them they must destroy the dark Link, rescue the maidens and Princess Zelda and seal Vaati away once again.
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