It's Four Swords all over again, but this time for GameCube, linking (no pun intended) to Game Boy Advance. Is it worth it?
I never really had the opportunity to play the Game Boy Advance version of Four Swords in any sort of depth, as few of my friends have Game Boy Advance handhelds. I can usually get a few friends over to play, but asking them to shell out $60-100 for a Game Boy, and then the cartridge to boot … well, it’s just a bit much. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that Capcom had taken the experiment that was the GBA version, and have made it somewhat more accessible. They’ve certainly made it a lot more fun.
Gone are the Wind Waker inspired versions of Link, replaced by graphics fresh out of “A Link to the Past” for the Super NES. However, these are augmented by puffs of smoke and graphical effects borrowed from the GameCube Zelda title, giving the game an interesting melding of 2D and 3D that looks very good.
Where the game really shines is in the way the link between the GBA and GameCube enhances what was a good idea, and makes it something truly great. You and your friends play on the TV all at once, using your GBA as a controller. However, whenever you enter a house or go underground, your attention turns to your Game Boy, hiding your actions from the rest of the players. This seemingly simple or even gimmicky addition completely changes the strategy of the game, since sometimes you’re all seeing the same thing, and other times, someone could be acquiring wealth that you could be getting a share of. Should you follow the Red Link into that hole in the ground, or possibly keep exploring the world hoping to find a treasure hoard you could keep for yourself? The same applied to the cartridge version of the game, but somewhat to a lesser degree. There’s a sense of urgency in this newest take on the game that is much more appealing. Of course, not needing to buy four cartridges helps too.
There isn’t a whole lot more to say about the game, except that it’s outstanding and incredibly fun. It’s a new sort of party game and is a great reward for Game Boy owners that have at least one friend that’s taken the leap to GameCube.