Daily Debate: Is the Age of Online Multiplayer a Chance to Breathe New Life Into the Four Swords Games?

This month marks 20 years since the release of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. Even if you’ve been a longtime Legend of Zelda fan, however, there’s a good chance that you still haven’t played Four Swords Adventures or Four Swords. The most likely reason for this is because, to access these games as fully intended, you are required to play with friends. While multiplayer may be a simple proposition now, the hardware requirements for these games were a barrier-to-entry for many players back in the day. For Four Swords, players needed to find another friend with a Game Boy Advance, a copy of the game, and a Link Cable. For Four Swords Adventures, players could play the campaign solo, though the superior experience was playing with other people, which required up to three Game Boy Advances and a Link Cable for each.

For many kids, the necessary hardware was confusing, and convincing your parents to buy it for you in addition to the game was a hurdle in itself. In my case, I had Four Swords, but finding a friend in rural Pennsylvania who actually had the game and then coordinating enough time with them to play it, much less beat it, proved impossible. Doing this today, with the necessary hardware and games out of circulation, is even more of a challenge, especially for your bank account. Thankfully, multiplayer games come a bit easier these days.

If Nintendo released a Four Swords/Four Swords Adventures bundle that made full use of online multiplayer, people could play together from the comfort of their own homes, and it would be as easy as starting up the game. There would be no need for additional hardware or Link Cables. Matchmaking could pair up players who may not have friends to play with. Playing Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures would be a cinch, and these great games could finally be made accessible to the masses.

So, what do you think? Is the age of online multiplayer a chance to breathe new life into the Four Swords games? What improvements could modern technology bring to these games? Did you miss out on playing these games as a kid? Tell us all about it in the comments.

Nick Miller

Nick is a writer for Zelda Dungeon and a longtime fan of the Zelda franchise. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, archery, skateboarding, and some good ol’ fashioned family time. He’s an advocate for physical media and an avid video game collector. His favorite Zelda game is Ocarina of Time, though Breath of the Wild and the Link’s Awakening remake are close contenders. His other favorite video games series include Kingdom Hearts, Fallout, and Ratchet & Clank.