The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures is a delightful diversion from the Zelda mythos. Turns out a sorcerer named Vaati is trying to break free from his imprisonment, whilst a Shadow Link is causing all sorts of trouble all over Hyrule. Leave it to Link to find another enchanted blade - the Four Sword - to impede this threat. But he only makes matters worse as the Sword is what kept Vaati caged in the first place. So now there's a Shadow Link on the loose, a sorcerer bent on kidnapping Maidens (go figure), and our hero's split into four versions of himself. Way to go, Link.

What ensues is a delightful change-up in gameplay tactics. Think of it as The Legend of Zelda if it were an arcade game. Each realm of Hyrule is split into levels, with each level separated into stages. Each stage has its own unique crisis underway, complete with a big boss at the end. Of course, the really, really big bosses come at the end of a level, but we'll get to that in a sec.

The gameplay elements mimic the SNES classic A Link to the Past to a tee, which means an easy learning curve to the newbies out there. Where the true challenge lies is with the puzzles that work the old grey matter. Oh, and the flocks of hundreds of enemies that bear down at least once per stage - combat is nothing you haven't seen before if you've been around since 16-bit, but multiply the odds by at least a dozen to get an idea of what you're up against. Good thing you have friends on your side, right?

Of course, there's where that whole pesky teamwork element that comes into play. A lot of obstacles rely on the fact that four Links are playing, and even if one player is at the helm, there are always four of our favorite Hylian on screen. Which means a lot of puzzles can range from easy to infuriating, depending on who and how many people you play with. A simple task like hitting four switches at the same time is easy for four people with half a brain, but tedious to do alone. Likewise, if you see an answer to a tough riddle, but your friends are too busy stabbing each other, things get . . . tenuous.

Ah, but there's more to the teamwork aspect. There are also Force Gems scattered through the levels, and those can be nabbed to power up the Four Sword, buy goodies, and act as the official "points." Here's where the competitive aspect comes in play. Nothing says multi-player like backstabbing and trash-talking, I always say.

The pinnacle of the teamwork-reliant madness is always at the end of a level, where a dark tower awaits, a Maiden is in distress, and a mean boss is ready to face off. If there are slow points in the game (and there are - I had to play the town stage twice and almost returned the bloody game), the stage to cap off every level makes up for it. You'll find the toughest traps, the trickiest puzzles, and the most annoying enemies. With the wash-rinse-repeat nature of each level, it's good to know that there's a great payoff at the end of each cycle. That only helps reinforce the arcade vibe of it all. How many arcade games do you know that don't save their best for the end of a level?

But I bet you're scratching your head wondering, "Multiplayer Zelda sounds good and all, but why with GBA's?" Good question. In order to keep everyone from killing each other for a lack of screen real-estate, every time a Link enters a cave, house, or hole, the interior comes up on that player's GBA while everyone outside keeps his view. This brings up all sorts of interesting puzzle combinations where people have to be in multiple areas at once, or downright shady dealings where friends head for a cave to swipe the cool stuff first. In short, it's the most sense I've seen made of the GBA-GC connectivity, whereas in Crystal Chronicles it felt like a trifle convenience at best and downright gimmicky at worst.

Then again, Nintendo could've made Four Swords an online game and forgone the entire need for expensive "controllers" in the first place.

The need for a GBA could be argued ad nauseum, but what you can't argue is the fact that this game is a sight for those old eyes that yearn for 2D. The entire world is built on A Link to the Past's graphical foundations, but touched up with new sprites here and there, and liberally gifted with the brightest effects and explosions that current technology can provide. Oh, and all in hi-resolution glory with old Zelda anthems blasting through your stereo. Almost brings a tear to my eye . . .

. . . which is why it's almost a shame to say that not everyone should storm stores and buy it now. Four Swords is a multiplayer, stage-based, almost arcadey romp. If that sounds like sacrilege worse than Wind Waker to you, refrain from a playing. Heaven knows I don't need another person on our forums complaining about a game they already knew they wouldn't like.

(ahem)

Likewise, if you don't have friends, or friends smart enough to manage through a linear Zelda, you may want to rent first. Four Swords loses a lot of appeal in single-player but is still beatable and not that bad. Just nothing close to the joy of hooking up with three people, having some friendly competition mixed with cooperation, and reveling in some very, very, very entertaining multi-play. And that is exactly what you should be looking for here.

· · · Kevin Cameron