The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords


 * This article is about the Game Boy Advance game. For the GameCube game, see The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords is a multi-link video game for up to 4 players on the Game Boy Advance platform. The game does not have a single player mode, so it is required that one plays with at least one other player, who must also own their own copy of the game.

Unlike most Zelda titles, Four Swords was designed not by Nintendo but by Flagship, a division of Capcom.

Four Swords ostensibly belongs to The Legend of Zelda series, but its gameplay is significantly different. Featuring Link in 4 different colored tunics, the player and 3 friends must work together to stop the evil wind mage Vaati. The game is included with the Game Boy Advance version of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

Storyline
NOTE: The easiest way to tell the story was to quote from the game itself. The spoken parts (in quotation marks "") are directly quoted, verbatim, from the ingame text, the rest is not. The unusual capitals (after a "...") occurred in the original text whenever a screen of text was cleared and replaced with another, so this has been reproduced here as-is.

At the beginning of Four Swords, Princess Zelda has a bad feeling about the seal holding Vaati, the evil Wind Mage. She takes Link to the sanctuary and expains its history to him.

"We have arrived. That is the sacred blade I spoke of, the Four Sword. Sealed away in its forged steel is Vaati, the wind mage. Lately I have been sensing weakness in the seal. It worries me. That is why we have come here... Be careful. It is said that the body of one who touches this blade will be shattered to pieces. It has mysterious powers. Legends say that when mighty Vaati attacked, a hero arose and saved the people from destruction. They go on to say that by using this sword, the one was as four, and the four combined their strength! Let's check the seal... Step back a moment."

Zelda then approaches the sword, and it moves to one side! Suddenly it grows dark and an evil laugh comes from somewhere. While they look around for the source of the laughter, a hand comes down and grabs Zelda. Link looks up to see her held in the grasp of an indescribable monster. Then it speaks.

"Hoh hoh hoh hoh. Have you some business with me? So, you noticed that the seal was weakening?"

"How rude! Release me!" Zelda demands.

"Eh? I sensed a great power approaching, so I hid myself. But my, what a lovely catch! Surely you must be some noble maiden. My name is Vaati. I am the great wind mage! The seal is broken... so I shall rage yet again! Hoh hoh hoh hoh! And what a gift awaits my return! I shall make you my bride! Onward we go, to my palace of winds! Hoh hoh hoh!" Vaati flies away, then suddenly makes a return pass and knocks Link out cold. Then three fairies appear and call out to him.

"Open your eyes... Young hero... The Princess Zelda has been carried off to Vaati's Palace. Hurry! You must go to her... But you cannot go alone... You have need of the Four Sword... Draw out the blade..."

Link does so, and splits into four, Red, Blue, Purple, and his original Green self. The fairies continue.

"No matter how mighty the enemy, with the power of four, you can defeat it... The Great Fairies ahead know the path to his palace... If the Great Fairies acknoledge your abilities, they will show you the way. If you are able to gather many Rupees along the path to the Great Fairies, they will likely acknowledge your courage... Please rescue the princess..."

Sequels
Four Swords inspired another game that was released for the Nintendo GameCube called Four Swords Adventures that features similar gameplay elements. In an interview, Eiji Aonuma, the director of The Wind Waker and Majora's Mask, announced the tentatively-titled "Four Swords DS" for the Nintendo DS. In the interview he alluded to it being his own project, whereas the previous Four Swords games were all made by Capcom.

After an evil wind falls upon Hyrule, maidens near and far begin to disappear. Zelda, a prominent sage, fears the worst. With the companionship of a close friend, the Hero of Winds, Link, she journeys to the Altar of the Four Sword. The trouble starts there after Link pulls upon the blade, shattering himself into four parts and releasing Vaati, an evil wind sorceror who immediately kidnaps Zelda, leaving Link to go on a quest to locate her.

In his journeys, Link must outwit his nemesis and find his way to the rumored Palace of Winds, for it is there, and there alone, that he can save his lost companion. . . Where there was once one Link, there is now four!

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adentures uses the Game Boy Advance and the Gamecube-GBA link cable for multiplayer. You can link up with three other friends and each person can take control of a Link. You must work together to solve puzzles and save Hyrule.