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Review:

5th May 2003:
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords
Could this be the ultimate Zelda game? Our reviewer seems to think so.
Posted by John Wasabi - Game Boy Advance - UK and Europe

A Link to the Past was one of the best games released on the SNES and with a re-release on the GBA one might just accuse Nintendo of trying to take advantage of consumers. Lets face it, GBA games are not cheap and unless you still have your SNES cartridge there is very little point in buying it for the GBA right? Wrong, chances are you've flogged your precious cartridge and SNES on e-bay or given it away to your less fortunate relatives. Thing is, it doesn't matter if you've played it before and finished it, truth is you've probably forgotten what to do and what to expect but rest assured, from the moment you flip the power on switch, you'll be heading into one of the best adventures of all time.

You all must know the story by now, Link rescues Zelda from the clutches of an evil sorcerer who has cast a curse on the land and it will be Link's task to revive the Master Sword and break the curse. However, like all Zelda games, we know this is just the beginning with bigger forces at work and plot twists that will have you gasping for more. Visually nothing has changed; it is a 100% conversion and although it's been 10 years and may look outdated by today's standards, you're not going to get any complaints from us with this faithful conversion.

Music is also faithfully captured from the original for the GBA cartridge with some nice additions that you'll notice instantly. Link now grunts every time he slashes his sword or yells as he falls into an abyss. It may get annoying after a while for some, but we loved it and really welcome this inclusion.

On the surface it may seem like an instant port but the developers have added a second adventure to the GBA cartridge called The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords. Four Swords is a multiplayer game that requires at least 2 players to link up in order to play and believe me, this is one of the best things to happen to the GBA since the SP. If you decide to put away the cartridge after completing A Link to the Past, then you'll be missing out in a big way for it is an absolute must-play. Heck it doesn't even use the same graphics from A Link to the Past; this is a completely new game, which corresponds to the same timeline as the Gamecube's Wind Waker. The story goes like this; players must rescue Zelda from the clutches of the evil wind sorcerer Vaati but the challenges would be impossible for a single adventurer. Hence fairies have called upon the power of the Four Swords to duplicate a hero with each player controlling a different coloured Link.

The Four Swords is broken up into four different areas, each with its own set-up of dungeons. The first dungeon is a friendly tutorial area that explains the various items and how they work in the other three different areas. Ultimately the aim is to work together in order to progress through the dungeons and the Link with the most rupees at the end of each dungeon will be declared the winner and this is where the fun of backstabbing comes in. Steal from the others, throw them into chasms, there's definitely plenty of fun to be had. Later enemies will require 2 players to destroy by pulling it from each side so eventually at some point, a truce will have to be called between rivalling Link's.

This multiplayer mode even adds extras that are earned in A Link to the Past. For example, if a special sword skill is earned in the main single-player adventure, it can be carried over into Four Swords. It's not just the special skills either; the amount of hearts and other items will also be carried over too. To make the deal even sweeter, those that complete the Four Swords adventure can unlock new never before seen dungeons and mini-quests in A Link to the Past. You would have to be a fool that lacks friends to miss out on this.

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords is one of the best games released on the GBA thus far. The only downside to this game is that you have to rope in an extra friend or three to join in for Four Swords and don't forget the link cables either, all this adds to the costs. However, do make the effort, if you've wanted to try multiplayer on the GBA but wasn't bothered before or there wasn't a right game at the time, then this is your chance. Even so, Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is to this day regarded by some to be the best Zelda of all time, so either way, you can't lose. What are you waiting for? Get this game now.

(Note to readers, this cartridge was reviewed on the GBA SP where light reigns supreme and your actual enjoyment for GBA games is amplified ten fold)

John Wasabi

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Review Summary:

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords is one of the best games released on the GBA thus far. So what if the single player adventure is a remake of the SNES classic, miss this at your peril.

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