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When A Link To The Past was ported to the GBA in 2002, it was a pretty big deal. Especially to me, since -- if hard pressed -- I would concede that my favorite game of all time would be A Link To The Past. It is to me the finest example of what makes a Zelda game a Zelda game and more importantly, what makes 16-bit gaming untouchable. There's such a perfect balance between limitations and technological mastery found in that cart. It's probably the one game I've replayed more than any other. So when it was ported the GBA I was more than thrilled to now have a portable version. And when the Game Boy Player was released it meant that I could start a dungeon sitting on my porch, and finish it in front of my TV. And other than some added (and maybe annoying) vocal clips, it was a pretty perfect port of the SNES classic. 

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To me, a great port of A Link To The Past was a good enough reason to pick up the GBA cart. But to others there was a far more exciting selling point: Four Swords, a bonus game that allowed you and three friends to chain together your GBA's and help each other through a short quest, each of you as a different colored Link. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try that one past the intro screens. You see, it's not available in a single player mode. And I'm a loner, Dottie... a rebel.

Now surely you'll tell me that a single player mode would have defeated the purpose of Four Swords. We've already played a single sword adventure! you'll yell. And that's all fine and good. But multiplayer requires each Link to have his own GBA as well as his own copy of the game, and I don't have any gamer friends "in real life" as they say. Sure I come on and here and post my little rants, but my actual gaming is generally spent by myself only after work, dinner, and real life responsibilities have been fulfilled. It's relaxing time for me. It's not party time. And like I said, unless they make GBA link cables that can reach interstate, I don't even know anybody who could play Four Swords with me.

Which leads me to the point of this post: Four Swords Adventures, a Gamecube exclusive that I pretty much never notice anybody mentioning when discussing the Zelda cannon. Which is strange to me because it's actually a very unique, and awesome game.

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When Four Swords Adventures is mentioned, the emphasis is always on the multiplayer potential of the game. And surely that's understandable. After all, it is the game's major selling point. It was also one of the first games to successfully integrate the Gamecube/GBA connectability. Four Swords Adventures is meant to be played using the TV as the "main screen" but with each player using a GBA as their own private screen so that they can split up from the party without interrupting anybody else. It's certainly an ingenious approach. There's no denying that.

For a long time I avoided the game, assuming that much like the GBA side-game this would be a multplayer-ONLY affair. But once I discovered that there was a single player mode, the game became must-own for me.

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One thing that never seems to be mentioned is that the single player campaign in Four Swords Adventures is actually a lot of fun. Certainly it's lacking the same exploration that's found in most Zelda games -- as the quest is actually quite linear, but it's still a great game.

Upon its release many critics seemed to put the game down for reusing 2D sprites that didn't show off the Gamecube's potential. Be that as it may, the 2D sprites are a selling point as far as I'm concerned. Here we have an amazingly presented Gamecube quest that goes back to basics and delivers a game based on the classic Link To The Past or Link's Awakening style. As far as I'm concerned, I'd be happy if the series never stopped using these sprites. I like what I like. And I like this. Likewise, much of the music is pulled from the SNES classic -- a point that most critics blasted, while I applauded. Really, what's so wrong with embracing perfection?

Admittedly Four Swords Adventures will not last you nearly as long as A Link To The Past. As I previously mentioned, it's a linear quest which means there's a lot less guess work of the "where do I go next" variety. But at the same time, it's filled with some rather clever puzzles, excellent controls -- which is needed when you're in charge of four characters at once, and some truly awesome boss battles which thrills me to experience in the 16-bit style. If you've been avoiding this one because you thought a single player quest in a multiplayer game would be worthless, please do yourself a favor and add this to your collection now.

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