The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: FOUR SWORDS ADVENTURES

Today, let's cover The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, the game that took the ideas presented in Four Swords and actually brought them to their full fruition. The story is mostly the same as Four Swords, with Vaati breaking free from his seal, except this time, Dark Link acts as a henchman for him throughout the game, and Ganon hijacks the plot at the end.

Given that this is one of the few true multiplayer Zelda adventures, it is structured differently than most Zelda games to account for those four players. Across the game, Link must work together with his three clones to get through the levels, collecting special Force gems along the way. Their items include the fire rod, the boomerang, fire arrows, Pegasus boots, the Roc's feather, the quake and bombos medallions, a hammer, a shovel, the power bracelet, and a cannon. The four Link can also form up into special formations, including a box, a vertical line, and a horizontal line.

Zelda is probably our only major supporting character here, and she is shown performing a sealing spell and creating a rainbow bridge. Other standards like Tingle, Malon, Dampe, and Kaepora Gaebora, and races like Gorons, Deku Scrubs, and Gerudo also pop up here and there. It's also worth noting that this is probably the source of most of the hatred for Tingle, as instead of just being a silly guy who makes maps for you, he's an active menace who slowly creeps onto the stage to steal Force gems if you don't pick them up fast enough.

Vaati is your initial main boss, and his boss fight involves creating cyclones and sending out a ring of energy balls. Dark Link fights you multiple times throughout the game, and is probably going to be the clincher on whether he remains an echo or not. He can use a sword and shield like other Links, but he can also drop bombs, including a giant bomb, leap around really high, multiply, and cover the floor in fire or ice. Finally, we have Ganon, who uses his trident, warps around, calls down lightning, and slams hard.

Outside of them, our bosses include Manhandla, Dodongo, Gohma, Ball-and-Chain Soldiers, Phantom Ganon, Stone Arrghus, the Helmaroc King, a Big Poe, a Moldorm, and an icy creature called Frostare. Our returning enemies include Zoras, Cheep Cheeps, Like Likes, Stalfos, Wizzrobes (with the ability to suck up Force gems), Keese, Hinox, Gibdos, Devalants, Armos, Geldmen, Ghinis, Pengators, and Zols. (Have we seen Devalants, Geldmen, and Pengators before, or was this their first appearance? They're very common, I'm not sure).

This game likewise features more of a level-based system suited to a multiplayer game, with eight worlds divided up into three areas each. The first and most basic chapter features Lake Hylia, the Cave of No Return, and Hyrule Castle. Eastern Hyrule features The Coast, Village of the Blue Maiden, and the Eastern Temple. Death Mountain includes the Foothills, the Mountain Path, and the Tower of Flames. A night-themed section features the Field, the Swamp, and Hyrule Castle again. The Dark World features the Lost Woods, Kakariko Village, and the Temple of Darkness. A desert world features the Desert of Doubt, the Desert Temple, and a Pyramid. An ice world includes Frozen Hyrule, the Ice Temple, and the Tower of Winds. And the final sky-themed world includes the Realm of the Heavens, the Dark Cloud, and the Palace of Winds.

Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Link: sword, shield, bombs, bombchus, boomerang, flute, ember seeds, gale seeds, Pegasus seeds, slingshot, magnetic gloves, power bracelet, Roc's feather, shovel, rod of seasons, switch hook, Harp of Ages, Tune of Echoes, Tune of Currents, Tune of Ages.

Four Links: sword, shield, bow and arrows, boomerang, bombs, Pegasus shoes, Roc's cape, magnetic glove, spark his swords, pull apart, pick up and throw, push, push together, Force gems, fire rod, the fire arrows, quake, bombos medallions, hammer, shovel, power bracelet, cannon, box, vertical line, horizontal line.

Zelda: sealing spell, rainbow bridge

Din: dance, seasons

Nayru: sing, harp of ages, echoes tune, currents tune, ages tune,  time portals, fireballs, warp

Ralph: sword, (maybe?) bombs, bombchus, boomerang, flute, ember seeds, gale seeds, Pegasus seeds, slingshot, magnetic gloves, power bracelet, Roc's feather, shovel, switch hook

Farore

Impa

Ricky: pouch, leap high, pair of gloves

Moosh: fly

Dimitri: swim

Malon

Talon

Tingle: steal Force gems

Dampe

Maple: broom, crash, potions

Goron

Gerudo

Deku Scrub

Subrosians: shovels, hammers, boomerangs, warp points, buckets, smelt ore

Tokay: steal, swim

Pirate Captain

Great Fairy

Ganon: disappear, trident, energy balls, slam, warp, seal Zelda, lightning

Onox: lightning, cyclones, mace, stomp to make rocks fall, blue flames, dragon form

Veran: possession, ghostly form, summon enemies, dark Links, dark energy balls, fairy, turtle, and spider forms, time warps

Vaati: fly, tentacles, cyclones, lightning balls, colored energy balls, claws, ring of energy balls.

Dark Link: sword, shield, bombs, giant bomb, leap, multiply, fiery floor, icy floor

Twinrova: combine, fly, fire and ice, lava, glaciers

Vire: fireballs, shadow balls, fly, turn into keese

Armos

Hylian Soldiers

Wizzrobes

Deku Scrubs

Buzz Blobs

Darknuts

Keese

Gibdos

Lynels

Moblins

Octoroks

Goriyas

Zoras

Stalfos: scythe

Poes

Dodongo

Gohma

Eyegor

Helmasaur

Helmaroc King

Phantom Ganon

Hinox

Bosses:

Aquamentus

Dodongo

Mothula

Gohma

Digdogger

Manhandla

Gleeok

Medusa Head

Facade

Agunima

Frypolar

Pumpkin Head

Head Thwomp

Shadow Hag

Eyesoar

Smog

Octogon

Plasmarine

Ramrock

Swoop

Subterror

Smasher

Angler Fish

Dera Zol

Gouen

Dodongo

Gohma

Phantom Ganon

Stone Arrghus

Helmaroc King

Big Poe

Frostare

Stages:

Eastern Coast

Eyeglass Lake

Goron Mountain

Graveyard

Horon Village

Lost Woods

Moblin's Keep

Mt. Cucco

Natzu Prairie

Samasa Desert

Spool Swamp

Sunken City

Tarm Ruins

Woods of Winter

Temple Remains

Subrosia

Temple of Seasons

Gnarled Root Dungeon

Snake's Remains

Poison Moth's Lair

Dancing Dragon Dungeon

Unicorn's Cave

Ancient Ruins

Explorer's Crypt

Sword & Shield Maze

Onox's Castle

Labrynna

Cheval's Tomb

Crescent Island

Eyeglass Island Library

Fairies' Woods

Forest of Time

Jabu-Jabu's Shrine

Lynna City

Nuun Highlands

Rolling Ridge

Sea of Storms

Symmetry City

Talus Peaks

Yoll Graveyard

Zora Seas

Ambi's Palace

Coast of No Return

Deku Forest

Sea of No Return

Black Tower

Spirit's Grave

Wing Dungeon

Moonlit Grotto

Skull Dungeon

Crown Dungeon

Mermaid's Cave

Jabu-Jabu's Belly

Ancient Tomb

Room of Rites

Chamber of Insight

Sea of Trees

Talus Cave

Death Mountain

Palace of Winds

Lake Hylia

Cave of No Return

Hyrule Castle

The Coast

Village of the Blue Maiden

Eastern Temple

Death Mountain Foothills

Mountain Path

Tower of Flames

Field

Swamp

Lost Woods

Kakariko Village

Temple of Darkness

Desert of Doubt

Desert Temple

Pyramid

Frozen Hyrule

Ice Temple

Tower of Winds

Realm of the Heavens

Dark Cloud

Palace of Winds

Thanks for reading! Next up, a prequel to the Four Swords games!