Legend of Zelda: The Grand Adventures

nother Four Swords adventure takes us on the Gamecube. This game in actuality is three games. Hyrule Adventure (sequel to Four Swords on GBA), Shadow Battle, and Navi Trackers (Japan only). The game takes place as a sequel to the Game Boy Advance title of similar name and is full of references to the other games, using the Four Swords sprite for Link, but otherwise much of it using Link to the Past graphics.

Those soldiers don't stand a chance...

The Story:

Long ago in the inner reaches of Hyrule, an evil wind sorcerer known as Vaati began kidnapping beautiful young maidens, one after another.

Nobody could stop Vaati, and the people of Hyrule despaired. Then, a brave young wanderer carrying only a single sword appeared.

When the young lad took out his sword, he split into four separate beings. The legends say that these four begins worked as one and defeated Vaati.

The wanderer, united once again, imprisoned Vaati deep in Hyrule and sealed the prison with his own sword. This palce became known as the Realm of the Four Sword.

After that, a long time passed.

Then, the wind sorcerer Vaati broke out of his prison and then snatched Princess Zelda of Hyrule.

Zelda's childhood friend, a young boy named Link, claimed the strange power of the Four Sword and fought Vaati fiercely. In the end, he succeeded in sealing Vaati away once again.

And so, peace was restored to Hyrule once again.

Or so everyone thought.

The Game:

Four Swords Adventures came out in an awkward timing, in the time period just after the largely successful Wind Waker and in the wake of information about the next Gamecube installment of the Zelda series changing graphics styles. However, by now means does its relative obscurity signify that its a horrible game; in fact, it's just the opposite. Four Swords, however, was the first Zelda game for a console system to support multiplayer support, and Zelda fans can play the game of 24 separate chapters either by themselves or with one to three of their Zelda friends. Players will find themselves following their Link from the TV screen back to the GBA as they duck in and out of houses and caves. As a throwback to both Four Swords and A Link to the Past for the GBA, it focuses on cooperation, many tasks having to be done by multiple Links. However at the same time, there is a sense of competition as each Link seeks to collect the most Force Gems for the level.

Also not to mention are the two extra features of the game. First, Shadow Battle is the first multiplayer fighting sequence for the Zelda series, and it is very hilarious to watch and play. The scenes take place within five arenas (along with "Dark World" versions of them) and feature a set of traps on the board that players can spring on one another. Also there is the Tingle's Tower, a collection of mini-games for multiple players where you can do anything from obstacle courses to horse racing.