Four Swords Anniversary Edition: Full Review And Impressions

Many people never got to play the original Four Swords for the GBA, due to the fact that it was strictly multiplayer and required link cables. It simply wasn’t convenient. Well, in honor of the Legend of Zelda’s 25th Anniversary, Four Swords had been re-release as a downloadable title for the DSi and 3DS. This new version is more than just a simple port, but in fact features a whole new quest called the Realm of Memories, and a single player mode. The best part? It’s free!

If you’re not sold on this already and want to see a review of the game, you’ve come to the right place. I know there some people who don’t own a DSi or 3DS and have considered finally making the plunge in order to get some sweet Zelda action. So is this game worth your time?

Four Swords Anniversary Edition Review

If you’ve played Four Swords Adventures for the Gamecube, you’re pretty familiar with the style of this game, but there are some differences. The game is sort of a “party game” experience with less of a focus on the plot and exploration aspects of Zelda, instead focusing on combat and puzzles that all involve multiple players, as well as prompting all parties involved to compete and see who can nab the most rupees. It’s a fun way to team up with your friends and work together as a team to solve the puzzles and beat the baddies…or if you’re like my friends and I, you spend most of your time betraying your friends and throwing them off cliffs, setting them on fire, or bumping them into the rupee-draining black rupees. Cooperation or combat, either way you’re bound to have a lot of fun with this unique spin on the Zelda style.

So what if you don’t have a lot of friends nearby that can link up their DSi’s and 3DS’s? Is the single player mode worth it? I’ve actually played through the entire game in single player mode, and it was still pretty fun, but there were some areas that were lacking. First of all, you lose the competitive nature of the game. I had quite a few good laughs when playing with my friends, but alone, it’s all about puzzle solving. It’s not as exciting to open a treasure chest and get 100 rupees when you didn’t have to slash three of your friends off a cliff to get there.

Then there’s the issue of puzzle solving with only one player. In the single player mode, you control two Links, and you have several different means of doing so. You can simply leave one behind and go off on your own with one Link, calling the other one to your side by pressing X at any time, or you can keep both Links together, with the non-controlled one simply following you. Unfortunately, unlike Four Swords Adventures, you cannot arrange your Links into formations. With only two Links, you’d be limited to simply using a horizontal or vertical formation, but that would be better than the tag-a-long method used in Four Swords. The second Link doesn’t slash his sword or use his items along with the first Link, unless you switch over to him, using the L or R buttons, and make him your primary Link. In Four Swords Adventures, you could attack with multiple Links at the same time. When it comes to solving puzzles that require more than one Link, in lieu of formations, if you go up to something that requires both Links, the second Link automatically assumes whatever position is necessary. This caught me off guard the first time it happened, but it’s actually relatively smooth, and it works pretty well.

Like Four Swords Adventures, rather than having an open overworld, there’s a series of Levels you can choose from, and each level is divided into three stages. The first two stages are filled with various puzzles, while the third stage is a boss fight.

The game is pretty short, and it’s not hard to beat it an around an hour, but it’s specifically built to have fantastic replay value. For instance, after beating the game initially (the silver key quest), you can replay the game for two alternate endings, (gold key quest, and Hero key quest) by getting higher rupee scores in every level.

Lots of games have a high score or medal type quest, so that doesn’t really set it apart, but the very structure of each level has its own unique system that keeps players coming back time and time again to a fresh experience. How is this accomplished? For each level, there are several possible frameworks, and multiple puzzles. What the game does is, when you select a level, it picks one of the possible frameworks (for instance, the Sea of Trees has a river/minecart framework or an overgrown hills framework), and then fills in this frame with puzzles arrange randomly. Therefore, each time you play the Sea of Trees you’re going to have a different level. The very setting of the level can change, and within that setting, the type of puzzles, and the arrangement of those puzzles changes. You can play the same level multiple times in a row and have it be a different setup every time. Talk about replay value!

The anniversary edition also added in an entirely new set of levels called the Realm of Memories, which is unlocked after you’ve beaten the main quest. In the Realm of Memories, players can play through three levels, each again comprised of three stages, all of which are based off of early games in the Zelda series. Unlike the regular quest, these levels are specifically designed to be a certain way, and are not randomly generated. Essentially, it’s set up to feel like you’re playing through the history of the Legend of Zelda franchise.

As a long-time fan of the Zelda series, this kind of thing is a hardcore nostalgia trip. I especially fell in love with the A Link to the Past themed stages, which featured areas both outside and inside Hyrule Castle, as well as a Lost Woods segment. A Link to the Past has always held a very special place in my heart, as my first Zelda game, and easily my favorite of the 2D titles, if not all Zelda games. Replaying those ares with a new spin, and with multiplayer elements thrown in was a real treat. Also featured in the Realm of Memories are stages based on the original Legend of Zelda and Link’s Awakening. While not quite as exciting for me, these stages were also quite fun and full of memories. Nice naming job, Nintendo.

Still, I thought there could have been more done to truly reach the pinnacle of Zelda nostalgia. For example, the enemies in these flashback stages were relatively the same to the enemies in all the regular Four Swords Levels. Why not bring back game-specific enemies in their respective stages? Sure, the stages based off of the original Zelda had octoroks and tektites, but they were clearly still the Four Swords style. Adding in more “vintage” enemies would have been a plus.

The Realm of Memories did a good job of capturing the general essence of each location it was portraying, but some more specific secrets from the old games would have been a welcome addition. For example, the waterfall that hid a secret cave and the mountain wall that hid the “It’s a secret to everybody” Moblin were absent in Four Swords. This would have been a cool way to reward long time fans of the series, by hiding chests full of rupees in old hiding spots from the original games.

Unlike the regular quest, the Realm of Memories levels do not have a boss stage. This was a little disappointing to me, as I was looking forward to seeing old bosses remade with a multiplayer spin. We saw a lot of this in Four Swords Adventures, and it was very fun. Especially considering my love of A Link to the Past, and the unique bosses of Link’s Awakening, it would have been great to see a new twist on these classic enemies, but they didn’t opt to go that direction.

Overall you’re looking at a game that’s playable in single-player mode, but clearly meant for a multiplayer experience. It’s a very fun game to play with friends, and it’s much more accessible this time around. The game is very short, but has fantastic replay value, as you can play it time and time again with a new experience each time. The Realm of Memories quest is fun and has a lot of value to offer long-time fans of the series, but it could have used a little bit more to really kick nostalgia into full gear. Overall, if you look at it as a Zelda themed party game, and not as the usual action adventure style game, it’s a very solid game.

Final Score:

A few slight changes to the single player mode, and some more classic enemies and bosses being added to the Realm of Memories would have bumped this up to an impressive four Reggie’s, but a three is certainly not shameful. For the price of zero dollars, who can complain? It’s worth the download, folks!

Note: At the time of this review, I have not yet been able to try out the new Hero’s Trial mode which is accessed by collecting 30,000 rupees. Another update will come later.

Other Impressions

-Joseph Acosta-

It’s definitely a warm embrace of the past, this game. The memories it brings are ones of camaraderie, arguing together in a room about force gems, throwing each other into pits, laughing amongst friends and generally having a really good time. And with the firm inclusion of the DS Wireless connection to play locally with others, such memories can be experienced once again without the need for connectors or the like. The only flak I could give in regards to that is not allowing for true internet play with those on your Friend List, but it’s so common a theme of Nintendo to exclude it that I’m not really too upset about that.

The Realm of Memories in particular is something I wasn’t really expecting. The throwback to Koholint was so delightful it made me bounce in my chair, bringing back all those memories of Link’s Awakening I had buried away in my mind. Like Ben however, I find the lack of retro bosses to be a little disappointing despite this, even if it’s certainly a feel-good addition that they had absolutely no reason to add to the game overall. Grezzo did an excellent job bringing this to the 3DS, Nintendo was extremely nice giving it to us for free in honor of Zelda’s anniversary, and this little inclusion is the icing to a sweet little cake.

-Alex Plant-

This game’s a great way to revisit the ol’ Four Swords – especially in a world where GBA link cables are basically impossible to come by. The Single Player Mode works surprisingly well, and it’s great that rather than reorienting your two characters manually like you did in the GameCube version the game is smart enough to organize formations based on context. Approach a large rock, and your two characters will line up to shove it aside. Grab an enemy from one side and your second self will pull from the other. It’s a great system, and while it doesn’t work perfectly all the time it was definitely put to good use.

As for the Realm of Memories – the real core of the “new content” present in this game – what a great idea! I definitely appreciated the fact that the layouts of the various areas were true to the layouts of the original games they hail from – of course with some new environmental twists since Four Swords dungeons aren’t multi-screened. The integration of new maze-like structures, genuinely tough combat situations, and neat brain teasers like the springboard sections with these classic environments really resonated with me. Barring the lack of retro boss comebacks – a complaint my fellows seem to share – this is the perfect way to celebrate Zelda‘s 25th anniversary, and I was pleased to find out just how well this game held up as a Single Player experience.