The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords
Encyclopedia
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords known as in Japan, is an action-adventure game
co-developed by Nintendo
and Capcom
and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance
and the ninth installment in The Legend of Zelda
video game series. It was released on December 2, 2002 in North America, and on March 14 and March 28 in 2003 in Japan and Europe and Australia respectively. The cartridge contains a modified port of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
and an original multiplayer-only game titled Four Swords.
An enhanced port of Four Swords was released on Nintendo's DSiWare service as on September 28, 2011, and includes new content such as a new single player mode and more areas.
was sealed away after his bid for the Triforce. However, the seal has grown weak, and a wizard named Agahnim has taken over the throne of Hyrule
, and is kidnapping the seven descendants of the Sages who sealed away Ganon, which includes Princess Zelda
, another series mainstay. The game opens with series protagonist Link receiving a message from Zelda, telling him to come save her. Following his Uncle, he finds him near death, and is tasked by his Uncle to find and rescue Zelda, giving him his sword and shield before dying. After Link reaches the dungeons, he frees Zelda from her cage, and takes her through a hidden sewer into a Sanctuary, where she remains hidden. The man in the Sanctuary tells Link of Agahnim's plan to break the seal the Sages placed, requiring Link to obtain the Master Sword. Link travels across Hyrule, aided by a man named Sahasrahla, collecting three pendants from the three dungeons, using them to unseal the Master Sword in the Lost Woods. Link returns to Hyrule Castle with the Master Sword after Zelda is kidnapped. When he meets Agahnim, he finds that he is too late, as Agahnim teleports her away.
After battling and defeating Agahnim, he takes Link into the Sacred Realm, which has been corrupted and transformed into the Dark World by Ganon. He is tasked with rescuing the seven Maidens who have been sealed away in crystals, as well as finding magical items called the Silver Arrows. Link eventually rescues Zelda, and uses the Maidens' power to break into Ganon's Tower. After fighting and defeating Agahnim for the second time, Ganon flies from Agahnim's corpse into the Pyramid of Power. Link follows, doing battle with him. He eventually defeats Ganon, and finds the Triforce. After the Triforce speaks to Link, Link uses it to wish for Hyrule to return to normal. Afterward, he returns the Master Sword to where he found it. If the player has completed Four Swords, they may find an alternate ending by beating a secret dungeon. This dungeon features four Dark Links, in reference to the four Links in the Four Swords game. After defeating them, an ending showing the inhabitants of the Dark World and the various bosses is shown.
s, a bow
, the boomerang
, and a lamp
. It also introduces the Hookshot, the Magic Mirror, and the Pegasus Boots. Link's health is measured in heart containers, which can be replenished by collecting smaller hearts from enemies and bushes. Link also has a magic meter from which some of his items derive power; for example, the Lamp uses some magic meter to light torches. There are two kinds of area - the overworld and the dungeons. The overworld has varying locations, including buildings that house these several dungeons. These dungeons have a set of objectives and items. Dungeons feature a number of keys, one single big key, a dungeon item, a compass, and a dungeon map. The overworld changes drastically when players enter the Dark World, a distorted alternate version of the original overworld. Players may go back and forth using both the Magic Mirror, which allows access to the Light World from the Dark World, and portals scattered across both worlds.
Creating a file for the Game Boy Advance game will give players a profile in both A Link to the Past
and Four Swords. A Link to the Past is single player, but Four Swords is for 2–4 players. Some features in the two games are linked. For example, when players learn a new sword move, it is transferred between games. Once everyone is connected, Player 1 chooses one of the four basic stages to play on. The gameplay is similar to A Link to the Past, though it is cooperative in that stages require teamwork to complete. All dungeons are randomized before play.
Four Swords is the multiplayer portion of the cartridge. Four Swords features gameplay similar to A Link to the Past, with a focus on multi-player; in it, two to four players must cooperatively work through a series of puzzle-laden dungeons, while competing to collect rupees. The player with the most rupees at the end of a level wins a special prize, though all rupees are shared together in the long run. All players are given respective colours - player one is green, player two is red, player three is blue, and player four is purple. Once all players are connected, player one chooses one of the four stages available to play on. All dungeons are randomized before play. The dungeons have three levels to them, with a portal at the end of each level; the first to reach it will be rewarded with a Heart Container, an item that increases the player's health meter. The third level is not a traditional dungeon, but rather a boss battle. Once defeated, they will return to the hub area.
Unlike in A Link to the Past where Link may have an inventory of items he has collected, Four Swords only allows a player to have one item at any given time, switching them out at item pedestals. An original item called the Gnat Hat appears, causing Link to shrink and be able to access areas he could not normally reach. This was featured in a later game The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
, though it was in the form of a talking hat named Ezlo. Some features in this game are linked with A Link to the Past. For example, when players learn a new sword move, it is transferred between games. Another link between the two games is that, when both are beaten, players may access a dungeon called "Palace of the Four Sword" in A Link to the Past.
and Capcom
, the process supervised by Minoru Narita, Yoichi Yamada, Takashi Tezuka
and Yoshikazu Yamashita from Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development
. The A Link to the Past portion re-used the art assets from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System version. Alterations include tweaks to item locations to prevent exploiting the game, a reduction of the viewable playing area, and the inclusion of voice samples from Ocarina of Time
. Capcom had begun development of The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
in 2001, but temporarily suspended it to free up resources of the Four Swords multi-player component. The company designed the multi-player portion to force cooperation between players in order to progress. The developers designed the levels to adjust the puzzles to the number of players participating; if two or four players are connected, then a puzzle will require two and four characters, respectively, to complete it. Four Swords differs graphically from the other portion and features a style similar to The Wind Waker
, which was released around the same time. Though Four Swords was not initially planned as the first title in a subseries, the story, intended to be the earliest in the series' chronology at the time of its release, was already considered to influence future games.
, who demonstrated the multi-player mode along with Capcom
's Yoshiki Okamoto
, Namco Bandai
's (formerly Namco
) Kaneto Shiozawa, and Toshihiro Nagoshi
of the now defunct Amusement Vision. It was tentatively titled The Legend of Zelda GBA. In January 2003, the game was on display at the Osaka World Hobby Convention as The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords. It was initially released in North America on December 2, 2002, while it was released the next year in Japan and PAL regions, on March 14 and March 28 respectively. Shigeru Miyamoto made a public appearance in Europe on February 21, 2003, in which he signed any Nintendo products. During this appearance, he gave away ten signed copies of A Link to the Past & Four Swords, a month before it came out in the UK. Following the Japanese release, Nintendo displayed the game at TV Kumamoto's , an annual event hosted by the Japanese TV station in Kumamoto Prefecture
. In 2006, It was re-released in Nintendo's second run of Player's Choice titles at a reduced price.
's Max Lake called the announcement of a multi-player mode "exciting." In IGN
's Best of E3 awards for the Game Boy Advance, they named it the runner-up to Best of Show below Metroid Fusion
, calling it a "close one." They ultimately gave it to Fusion due to it not being a remake. They described the multi-player component as resembling Diablo
or Gauntlet. They also gave it the award for Biggest Surprise, citing its multi-player mode, calling it a "brilliant addition" and "well worth the price of four Legend of Zelda cartridges." IGN's Craig Harris, in his preview of the game, called the port of A Link to the Past "faithful," though he noted that the ability to control the game will be reduced, due to the lack of two buttons that were both used in the Super NES version. He found the fix to make this work to be adequate, however. He praised the visuals for holding up as well. IGN reported that based on their then new wishlist tool, A Link to the Past & Four Swords was consistently the second most anticipated Game Boy Advance game for the five weeks before its release.
and Metacritic
respectively. The game was a top seller in Japan following is release. It was the second highest title in number of sales the week of its release, and was number six the following week with 0.04 million units. It sold 1.63 million copies in North America as of December 27, 2007 and 0.29 million in Japan as of December 27, 2009. GamePro
s Star Dingo called it a "masterpiece," as well as an "important part of the Grand Renaissance of the Second Dimension." He also praised the overworld for its secrets and "quirky random characters," adding that playing it required patience and exploring. G4TV praised it for being good for kids warming up for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
. IGN's Craig Harris praised the game, giving the gameplay and lasting appeal perfect scores. They praised both modes' puzzle designs, calling the Super NES game the best 2D video game ever, while praising the replay value for offering unlockables to keep players playing.
IGN included it in their Game Boy Advance Holiday Buyers Guide for 2002, calling its inclusion of multiplayer a "big deal" and that it was the most requested Super NES port for the Game Boy Advance. IGN named it the third best Game Boy Advance game, praising the Game Boy Advance for handling the game so well. However, they cited the multi-player component for making the game "truly awesome." They also included it on their list of most-wanted Nintendo DSi
Virtual Console games, a hypothetical service that in IGN's view would offer handheld games similar to the Wii
's Virtual Console
. They once again praised the multi-player mode, questioning why Nintendo has yet to make a follow-up game on the Nintendo DS
or DSiWare. Eurogamer
's Tom Bramwell praised it, commenting that the port held up over the years, calling it "amazingly deep" and a "gateway drug into the genre." In reviewing the multi-player component, he commented that while it would not be as good as A Link to the Past, it was still remarkable. However, he found fault in the difficulty of finding three other players with Game Boy Advances and copies of the game to play it with.
's Craig Harris' review, he praised Four Swords visuals. However, he gave praise to the presentation, praising the Game Boy Advance for recreating the original game. Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell commented that while the graphics do not stand up against fellow Game Boy Advance game Golden Sun
, they were a better pre-cursor to the upcoming The Wind Waker than visuals similar to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
, citing its cartoon lining. He also praised it for ensuring that the changes to adjust to the Game Boy Advance's smaller screen were unnoticeable. GamePros Star Dingo called the sound effects "indelible," though he noted that they were "a little dated." IGN's Craig Harris called The Legend of Zeldas overture "breathtaking," praising the GBA for recreating the soundtrack of the original. He gave praise to the music of the multi-player mode as well, calling the compositions of A Link to the Pasts music superior. Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell criticized the audio, calling the sound tinnier than the Super NES version. He also calls Link's yelps "contemptible."
, which continued the story and expanded upon the gameplay concepts while including a single-player adventure. In 2005, the Four Swords prequel The Minish Cap
for the Game Boy Advance became the next handheld Zelda game, also co-developed with Capcom. A sequel was announced for the Nintendo DS entitled The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords DS. However, this was cancelled and replaced by The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
.
, this enhanced port of the once multiplayer-only game include a new single-player mode where players have the ability to control two Links, and switch between them to progress through the levels. There are also two new areas that can be unlocked, including the so-called "Realms of Memories", which feature levels resembling those in The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past, and Link's Awakening, and the Hero's Trial, which features harder levels.
As previously with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
, to promote the game commercials were made featuring actor and comedian Robin Williams
with his daughter Zelda Williams
.
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
co-developed by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
and Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
and the ninth installment in The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda, originally released as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Nintendo, and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Set in the fantasy land of Hyrule, the plot centers on a boy named Link, the playable protagonist, who aims to collect the eight fragments...
video game series. It was released on December 2, 2002 in North America, and on March 14 and March 28 in 2003 in Japan and Europe and Australia respectively. The cartridge contains a modified port of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, known as in Japan, is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console, and the third installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was first released in Japan in 1991, and was...
for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
and an original multiplayer-only game titled Four Swords.
An enhanced port of Four Swords was released on Nintendo's DSiWare service as on September 28, 2011, and includes new content such as a new single player mode and more areas.
In A Link to the Past
The intro to A Link to the Past reveals the back story of the game, showing that series antagonist GanonGanon
, anglicized Gannon in early Japanese materials, and also known as , is a fictional character who is the main antagonist of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series of video games. He is the final boss of most games in the series. He was first given a back-story in A Link to the Past...
was sealed away after his bid for the Triforce. However, the seal has grown weak, and a wizard named Agahnim has taken over the throne of Hyrule
Hyrule
The fictional universe depicted in The Legend of Zelda series of video games consists of a variety of lands, the most commonly appearing of these being , and was created by Japanese video game developer Shigeru Miyamoto.-Hyrule:...
, and is kidnapping the seven descendants of the Sages who sealed away Ganon, which includes Princess Zelda
Princess Zelda
is the name of a fictional character in The Legend of Zelda series of video games. The name has applied to every female member of Hyrule's royal family, which includes several distinct characters in Hyrule legend. Though she is the eponymous character, the player controls the main protagonist, Link...
, another series mainstay. The game opens with series protagonist Link receiving a message from Zelda, telling him to come save her. Following his Uncle, he finds him near death, and is tasked by his Uncle to find and rescue Zelda, giving him his sword and shield before dying. After Link reaches the dungeons, he frees Zelda from her cage, and takes her through a hidden sewer into a Sanctuary, where she remains hidden. The man in the Sanctuary tells Link of Agahnim's plan to break the seal the Sages placed, requiring Link to obtain the Master Sword. Link travels across Hyrule, aided by a man named Sahasrahla, collecting three pendants from the three dungeons, using them to unseal the Master Sword in the Lost Woods. Link returns to Hyrule Castle with the Master Sword after Zelda is kidnapped. When he meets Agahnim, he finds that he is too late, as Agahnim teleports her away.
After battling and defeating Agahnim, he takes Link into the Sacred Realm, which has been corrupted and transformed into the Dark World by Ganon. He is tasked with rescuing the seven Maidens who have been sealed away in crystals, as well as finding magical items called the Silver Arrows. Link eventually rescues Zelda, and uses the Maidens' power to break into Ganon's Tower. After fighting and defeating Agahnim for the second time, Ganon flies from Agahnim's corpse into the Pyramid of Power. Link follows, doing battle with him. He eventually defeats Ganon, and finds the Triforce. After the Triforce speaks to Link, Link uses it to wish for Hyrule to return to normal. Afterward, he returns the Master Sword to where he found it. If the player has completed Four Swords, they may find an alternate ending by beating a secret dungeon. This dungeon features four Dark Links, in reference to the four Links in the Four Swords game. After defeating them, an ending showing the inhabitants of the Dark World and the various bosses is shown.
In Four Swords
The prologue shows Link and Zelda approaching a sword in a pedestal, called the Four Sword. After Zelda explains its history and the creature sealed within it, the creature named Vaati breaks free, capturing Zelda to marry her. Link is encountered by three fairies who instruct Link to pull the Four Sword out. Link then pulls the Four Sword out, inadvertently creating three copies of himself that fight alongside him. As the game begins, the four Links are tasked with finding four Great Fairies, who together will grant them access to Vaati's palace. After finding the four Great Fairies and entering the palace the Links battle Vaati. After Vaati is thoroughly weakened, he is trapped in the Four Sword. Zelda and Link then return the sword to its pedestal, where Vaati is once again sealed.In A Link to the Past
The gameplay of A Link to the Past has changed very little from the original 1991 release; only slight modifications have been made. The game is an overhead adventure game, with the primary means of fighting and defending being a sword and shield. The sword can do a variety of things, including a sword spin, an energy projectile, and a secret technique introduced in the Game Boy Advance version called the Hurricane Spin. Link collects a variety of different equipment throughout his adventure, featuring series mainstay items such as bombBomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
s, a bow
Bow (weapon)
The bow and arrow is a projectile weapon system that predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.-Description:A bow is a flexible arc that shoots aerodynamic projectiles by means of elastic energy. Essentially, the bow is a form of spring powered by a string or cord...
, the boomerang
Boomerang
A boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
, and a lamp
Lantern
A lantern is a portable lighting device or mounted light fixture used to illuminate broad areas. Lanterns may also be used for signaling, as 'torches', or as general light sources outdoors . Low light level varieties are used for decoration. The term "lantern" is also used more generically to...
. It also introduces the Hookshot, the Magic Mirror, and the Pegasus Boots. Link's health is measured in heart containers, which can be replenished by collecting smaller hearts from enemies and bushes. Link also has a magic meter from which some of his items derive power; for example, the Lamp uses some magic meter to light torches. There are two kinds of area - the overworld and the dungeons. The overworld has varying locations, including buildings that house these several dungeons. These dungeons have a set of objectives and items. Dungeons feature a number of keys, one single big key, a dungeon item, a compass, and a dungeon map. The overworld changes drastically when players enter the Dark World, a distorted alternate version of the original overworld. Players may go back and forth using both the Magic Mirror, which allows access to the Light World from the Dark World, and portals scattered across both worlds.
Creating a file for the Game Boy Advance game will give players a profile in both A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, known as in Japan, is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console, and the third installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was first released in Japan in 1991, and was...
and Four Swords. A Link to the Past is single player, but Four Swords is for 2–4 players. Some features in the two games are linked. For example, when players learn a new sword move, it is transferred between games. Once everyone is connected, Player 1 chooses one of the four basic stages to play on. The gameplay is similar to A Link to the Past, though it is cooperative in that stages require teamwork to complete. All dungeons are randomized before play.
In Four Swords
Unlike in A Link to the Past where Link may have an inventory of items he has collected, Four Swords only allows a player to have one item at any given time, switching them out at item pedestals. An original item called the Gnat Hat appears, causing Link to shrink and be able to access areas he could not normally reach. This was featured in a later game The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, known as in Japan, is the twelfth game in The Legend of Zelda of video games, developed by Capcom, with Nintendo overseeing the development process. It was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2004 in Japan and Europe and 2005 in North America and Australia...
, though it was in the form of a talking hat named Ezlo. Some features in this game are linked with A Link to the Past. For example, when players learn a new sword move, it is transferred between games. Another link between the two games is that, when both are beaten, players may access a dungeon called "Palace of the Four Sword" in A Link to the Past.
Development
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords was a collaborative development effort between NintendoNintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
and Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
, the process supervised by Minoru Narita, Yoichi Yamada, Takashi Tezuka
Takashi Tezuka
, sometimes credited under his nickname Ten Ten, is a video game designer working for Nintendo. A graduate of the Design Department of Osaka University of Arts, he joined the company in April 1984 and was involved with some of the most critically acclaimed Nintendo series, including Mario and The...
and Yoshikazu Yamashita from Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development
Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development
, commonly abbreviated as EAD, is the largest division inside Nintendo. It was preceded by the , a team of designers with an art background responsible for many different tasks, which Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka originally belonged to...
. The A Link to the Past portion re-used the art assets from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System version. Alterations include tweaks to item locations to prevent exploiting the game, a reduction of the viewable playing area, and the inclusion of voice samples from Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998...
. Capcom had begun development of The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, known as in Japan, is the twelfth game in The Legend of Zelda of video games, developed by Capcom, with Nintendo overseeing the development process. It was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2004 in Japan and Europe and 2005 in North America and Australia...
in 2001, but temporarily suspended it to free up resources of the Four Swords multi-player component. The company designed the multi-player portion to force cooperation between players in order to progress. The developers designed the levels to adjust the puzzles to the number of players participating; if two or four players are connected, then a puzzle will require two and four characters, respectively, to complete it. Four Swords differs graphically from the other portion and features a style similar to The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, released as in Japan, is an action-adventure game and the tenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, in Europe on May 2, 2003, and in Australia on...
, which was released around the same time. Though Four Swords was not initially planned as the first title in a subseries, the story, intended to be the earliest in the series' chronology at the time of its release, was already considered to influence future games.
Promotion and release
The game was first revealed at E3 2002 by series developer Shigeru MiyamotoShigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
, who demonstrated the multi-player mode along with Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
's Yoshiki Okamoto
Yoshiki Okamoto
Yoshiki Okamoto , sometimes credited as Kihaji Okamoto, is a video game designer credited with producing many popular titles for Konami, including Gyruss and Time Pilot, and Capcom, including Final Fight and Street Fighter II...
, Namco Bandai
Namco Bandai
, also known as the Bandai Namco Group, is a Japanese holding company formed from the merger of Namco and Bandai. It has interests in toys, video games and arcades, anime, and amusement parks. The new entity was founded on September 29, 2005...
's (formerly Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
) Kaneto Shiozawa, and Toshihiro Nagoshi
Toshihiro Nagoshi
is a Japanese video game producer and designer for Sega. Nagoshi headed Sega AM4/Amusement Vision. He is best known as the producer and director of the Super Monkey Ball series, excluding Super Monkey Ball Adventure. His credits also include Virtua Striker, Daytona USA, and Spikeout...
of the now defunct Amusement Vision. It was tentatively titled The Legend of Zelda GBA. In January 2003, the game was on display at the Osaka World Hobby Convention as The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords. It was initially released in North America on December 2, 2002, while it was released the next year in Japan and PAL regions, on March 14 and March 28 respectively. Shigeru Miyamoto made a public appearance in Europe on February 21, 2003, in which he signed any Nintendo products. During this appearance, he gave away ten signed copies of A Link to the Past & Four Swords, a month before it came out in the UK. Following the Japanese release, Nintendo displayed the game at TV Kumamoto's , an annual event hosted by the Japanese TV station in Kumamoto Prefecture
Kumamoto Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyushu Island. The capital is the city of Kumamoto.- History :Historically the area was called Higo Province; and the province was renamed Kumamoto during the Meiji Restoration. The creation of prefectures was part of the abolition of the feudal system...
. In 2006, It was re-released in Nintendo's second run of Player's Choice titles at a reduced price.
Pre-release
Nintendo World ReportNintendo World Report
Nintendo World Report is a Nintendo-specific video game website that covers Nintendo's current consoles, the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, and Wii.-History:...
's Max Lake called the announcement of a multi-player mode "exciting." In IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Best of E3 awards for the Game Boy Advance, they named it the runner-up to Best of Show below Metroid Fusion
Metroid Fusion
, also known as Metroid 4, is an action-adventure video game published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. It was released in North America, Europe, and Australia in November 2002, and in Japan in February 2003. The game is the fourth main installment in the Metroid series...
, calling it a "close one." They ultimately gave it to Fusion due to it not being a remake. They described the multi-player component as resembling Diablo
Diablo (series)
Diablo is an action role-playing game franchise owned and produced by Blizzard Entertainment. , the series has sold over 18.5 million copies worldwide.-Story:...
or Gauntlet. They also gave it the award for Biggest Surprise, citing its multi-player mode, calling it a "brilliant addition" and "well worth the price of four Legend of Zelda cartridges." IGN's Craig Harris, in his preview of the game, called the port of A Link to the Past "faithful," though he noted that the ability to control the game will be reduced, due to the lack of two buttons that were both used in the Super NES version. He found the fix to make this work to be adequate, however. He praised the visuals for holding up as well. IGN reported that based on their then new wishlist tool, A Link to the Past & Four Swords was consistently the second most anticipated Game Boy Advance game for the five weeks before its release.
Post-release
Since its release, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords has been met with highly positive reception. It holds an aggregate score of 91.70% and 95 at Game RankingsGame Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
and Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
respectively. The game was a top seller in Japan following is release. It was the second highest title in number of sales the week of its release, and was number six the following week with 0.04 million units. It sold 1.63 million copies in North America as of December 27, 2007 and 0.29 million in Japan as of December 27, 2009. GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
s Star Dingo called it a "masterpiece," as well as an "important part of the Grand Renaissance of the Second Dimension." He also praised the overworld for its secrets and "quirky random characters," adding that playing it required patience and exploring. G4TV praised it for being good for kids warming up for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, released as in Japan, is an action-adventure game and the tenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, in Europe on May 2, 2003, and in Australia on...
. IGN's Craig Harris praised the game, giving the gameplay and lasting appeal perfect scores. They praised both modes' puzzle designs, calling the Super NES game the best 2D video game ever, while praising the replay value for offering unlockables to keep players playing.
IGN included it in their Game Boy Advance Holiday Buyers Guide for 2002, calling its inclusion of multiplayer a "big deal" and that it was the most requested Super NES port for the Game Boy Advance. IGN named it the third best Game Boy Advance game, praising the Game Boy Advance for handling the game so well. However, they cited the multi-player component for making the game "truly awesome." They also included it on their list of most-wanted Nintendo DSi
Nintendo DSi
The is a handheld game system created by Nintendo and launched in 2008 and 2009 in Japan, North America, PAL territories, and other regions. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's PlayStation Portable...
Virtual Console games, a hypothetical service that in IGN's view would offer handheld games similar to the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
. They once again praised the multi-player mode, questioning why Nintendo has yet to make a follow-up game on the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
or DSiWare. Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
's Tom Bramwell praised it, commenting that the port held up over the years, calling it "amazingly deep" and a "gateway drug into the genre." In reviewing the multi-player component, he commented that while it would not be as good as A Link to the Past, it was still remarkable. However, he found fault in the difficulty of finding three other players with Game Boy Advances and copies of the game to play it with.
Audiovisuals
GamePros Star Dingo praised the port of A Link to the Pasts ability to retain its visuals. He specifically praises its "clean sprites," calling its overworld a "colorful, happy place," sarcastically calling it kiddy. He also questioned how the series' cartoon style was abnormal for the series. While the graphics for A Link to the Past were described as not having changed from the original version in IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Craig Harris' review, he praised Four Swords visuals. However, he gave praise to the presentation, praising the Game Boy Advance for recreating the original game. Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell commented that while the graphics do not stand up against fellow Game Boy Advance game Golden Sun
Golden Sun
Golden Sun, released in Japan as , is the first installment in a series of fantasy role-playing video games developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. It was released in November 2001 for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance and was followed by a sequel, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, in...
, they were a better pre-cursor to the upcoming The Wind Waker than visuals similar to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1998; in North America on November 23, 1998; and in Europe on December 11, 1998...
, citing its cartoon lining. He also praised it for ensuring that the changes to adjust to the Game Boy Advance's smaller screen were unnoticeable. GamePros Star Dingo called the sound effects "indelible," though he noted that they were "a little dated." IGN's Craig Harris called The Legend of Zeldas overture "breathtaking," praising the GBA for recreating the soundtrack of the original. He gave praise to the music of the multi-player mode as well, calling the compositions of A Link to the Pasts music superior. Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell criticized the audio, calling the sound tinnier than the Super NES version. He also calls Link's yelps "contemptible."
Legacy
Four Swords was followed in 2004 by a GameCube sequel, Four Swords AdventuresThe Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, released as in Japan, is the eleventh installment of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on March 18, 2004; in North America on June 7, 2004; in Europe on January 7, 2005; and in Australia on April...
, which continued the story and expanded upon the gameplay concepts while including a single-player adventure. In 2005, the Four Swords prequel The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, known as in Japan, is the twelfth game in The Legend of Zelda of video games, developed by Capcom, with Nintendo overseeing the development process. It was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2004 in Japan and Europe and 2005 in North America and Australia...
for the Game Boy Advance became the next handheld Zelda game, also co-developed with Capcom. A sequel was announced for the Nintendo DS entitled The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords DS. However, this was cancelled and replaced by The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
is the fourteenth game in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. It was released after The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii and before The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the Nintendo DS...
.
Enhanced port
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda series, on Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition on DSiWare (for the Nintendo DSi and 3DS users) as a free download between September 28, 2011 and February 20, 2012. Developed by GrezzoGrezzo
Grezzo is a Japanese video game developer. It was founded in December 2006. Koichi Ishii, known for his work on the Mana series of games by Square Enix, signed on as CEO and president of the company in April 2007...
, this enhanced port of the once multiplayer-only game include a new single-player mode where players have the ability to control two Links, and switch between them to progress through the levels. There are also two new areas that can be unlocked, including the so-called "Realms of Memories", which feature levels resembling those in The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past, and Link's Awakening, and the Hero's Trial, which features harder levels.
As previously with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is an action-adventure video game co-developed by Grezzo and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS handheld console. The game was released on June 16, 2011 in Japan, June 17, 2011 in Europe, June 19, 2011 in North America and June 30, 2011 in Australia; however, it...
, to promote the game commercials were made featuring actor and comedian Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
with his daughter Zelda Williams
Zelda Williams
Zelda Rae Williams is an American actress and the daughter of actor and comedian Robin Williams and Marsha Garces. She was named after Princess Zelda of The Legend of Zelda series of video games. Her first big role was that of Melissa Loggia, the main character's teenage love interest in the 2004...
.