Palace of Winds

PALACE OF WINDS

Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures both shared a lot of the same locations, the latter mostly building off of the ideas in the former. The most common location in both of these was the Palace of Winds, a huge floating fortress that Vaati called his home.

This stage would be set on that palace, more or less recreated from its appearances in the game, with lots of wind effects in various areas and moving platforms. I would like for there to be a bit of a co-op gimmick, parts of the stage that require two or more players to activate. Don’t know how well that would work though.

Potential theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNtr4sR6hI8

Four Links

FOUR LINKS

Vaati breaks free from his prison, kidnapping Zelda and escaping to reign terror across Hyrule once again. Link is forced to pull the sword that was used to seal him, a magical sword that splits the user’s soul into four separate pieces.

The Four Swords series had the distinct gimmick of being a multiplayer Legend of Zelda game, that required one to four people to work together, as four separate Links, to work through the various dungeons and save Zelda. This gimmick would return once more in Tri Force Heroes, except with three players instead of four.

Honestly, you could have it be three Links or four Links, I’m just listing it as four because that’s the more iconic set. Either way, the character will be a tandem character with the three/four Links working together and their moves built upon all of the cooperation moves from both the Four Swords games and Tri Force Heroes.

Likelihood rating: Could happen.

Vaati

VAATI

With the premiere of the Game Boy Advance came a remake of A Link to the Past, which came bundled with a new short adventure titled Four Swords, that saw Zelda taking Link to check on a shrine where an ancient evil had been sealed away for years.

This ancient evil was Vaati, a Picori wind mage who had used a magical cap in order to become a powerful sorcerer, eventually becoming overwhelmed by the magic and letting it transform him into a shadowy monstrous form. Vaati would go on to become one of the only villains besides Ganon to recur, acting as the villain of both Four Swords Adventures and Minish Cap.

As a fighter, he will be primarily in his Picori form, but his monstrous form will emerge as part of various attacks. He will be light and floaty, fitting of a wind mage, and his moveset will pull from his various boss battles.

Likelihood rating: Good possibility

Dark Link

DARK LINK

Though his minions will be an active part of the story, trying to resurrect him, Ganon would not end up appearing in this game. Instead, your final boss will come from the most unexpected of places: yourself. A shadow would rise, taking on your shape and attacking you with all the weapons and skills you had picked up throughout the game.

This is Dark Link, a recurring motif throughout the series. Mostly presented as simply a mirror version of Link who would fight him with all the same abilities the player has, this character would be an easy echo fighter, were it not for his appearance in Four Swords Adventures, where he acted as a henchman to the villain Vaati, with a few distinct moves of his own.

As a fighter, Dark Link will be a near-clone of Link, with all the same stats across the board and most of his moveset copied one to one. The only major differences will be brought over from Four Swords Adventures, shaking him up just a little bit.

Likelihood rating: Already in (kind of).

Character Sheet: Manhandla

MANHANDLA

Today, we begin the third (and probably last) big character haul of the Zelda series, assuming the Tingle and CDi games, the remakes, the animated series, and the comics don't add in anything too drastic. Our list covers twenty-eight familiar faces, and they are:

1. Linkle

2. The Youth

3. Wild Zelda

4. Wild Impa

5. Twili Midna

6. Lana

7. Darmani

8. Yunobo

9. Mikau

10. Sidon

11. Teba

12. Riju

13. Hestu

14. Epona

15. Tingle

16. Agitha

17. Purah & Robbie

18. Yves

19. Terrako

20. King Rhoam

21. Wild Fairies

22. Monk Maz Koshia

23. Cia

24. Astor

25. Volga

26. Wizzro

27. Manhandla

28. Sooga

Today, we cover a bit of an odd one. Manhandla has been around as a recurring boss since the very beginning, often portrayed as a giant plant with four mouths pointing in four different directions, forcing you to have to be careful how you approach it. I personally feel it reached its peak design in Four Swords, when each head had a different color and could only be attacked by the Link of that color. However, seeing it in Hyrule Warriors did awaken me to some of its hidden potential as a fighter.

Among the various moves of the boss, it can spew fireballs, spin really fast when it gets angry, fire seeds either as homing or rapid-fire projectiles, uproot itself from the ground and rampage, spew poison across the ground, and lash with its heads to bite and swallow opponents. It's also worth mentioning the boss Diababa from Twilight Princess bears a strong resemblance to it, but its bite and poison attacks are already accounted for, so . . . I think we've got enough.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Bite

Manhandla will lash out its heads and chomp down on anything standing nearby, swallowing them before spitting them out for a second. Uncertain if this will be just one head lashing in the forward direction, or all four heads lashing out in different directions. Also it should be noted that a gimmick for this fighter is that at 0% damage it will have all four heads active, but the more damage it takes, the less heads it will have, resulting in just one head past probably 100 or 200%. At which point, that could make a fun difference with this move, as at full health you can attack from four directions, but at higher damage, you will only attack in one.

Side B: Seed Shot

With a light tap, it will fire out seeds rapid-fire like bullets. With a longer tap though, it will instead spew out stronger targeting missile seeds.

Up B: Rage Spinout

It will get angry and spin really fast, lifting itself up into the air for a short distance like Link or Donkey Kong.

Down B: Poison Smog

It will spew a cloud of poisonous gas across the ground in front of it, damaging anyone who gets caught in it.

Final Smash: Big Manhandla

It will jump off the stage as the ground starts to rumble and a much bigger version of Manhandla bursts from the ground, its four heads lashing out and KOing everything in sight.

Entrance: It will burrow up out of the ground.

Taunts: Up, its four heads will reach up and sniff the air. Side, it will lower its head and the green crystal at its core will be exposed. Down, all four heads will laze around on the ground like they're tired.

Thanks for reading! Next up, we finish our list with the noble swordsman of the Yiga Clan, Sooga!

Character Sheet: Vaati

VAATI

Today, we begin a new round of character sheets, all primarily appearing in the 2D titles from Oracles to Tri Force Heroes. We have quite a few, though not as many as the 3D titles. Among them are:

1. Four Links

2. Ravio

3. Princess Hilda

4. Toon Zelda

5. Din

6. Nayru

7. Ezlo

8. Minish/Picori

9. Linebeck

10. Oshus & Ciela

11. Ralph

12. Alfonzo

13. Madame Couture

14. Subrosian

15. Onox

16. Veran

17. Vaati

18. Bellum

19. Chancellor Cole & Malladus

20. Yuga

21. Lady Maud

22. Byrne

Today, we cover Vaati, the wind mage sealed away by the Four Sword and the main villain of Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures, and Minish Cap, making him the only main villain in the main series of games to feature multiple times outside of Ganon. Somehow that wasn't enough to get him a spot on the Hyrule Warriors roster, but we can poke that sore spot later. For now, let's make him a moveset.

Now, right off the bat, I think we'd base his appearance on his more popular Minish Cap model, the edgy Minish he was before becoming the orby bat thing he is in the Four Swords games, with that form making random appearances throughout and in his Final Smash. Among his abilities, we see him fly, attack with his tentacles, create cyclones (obviously being a wind mage, an important one), throw lightning balls or differently colored energy balls when the multiplayer matters, grow claws, turn people to stone, teleport, summon flames, fire lasers from his eyes, become an eyeball and a dark blob, and grow purple spikes. I think we can do plenty here.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Cyclone

Given he is a wind mage, I feel like this is the most important move to include here. He will summon a swirling gust of wind and cast it forward, where it will linger for a short time and toss anyone who gets too close into the air.

Side B: Eye Laser

He will grow his singular eye design from his monstrous form on his face and fire a straight laser from it across the stage.

Up B: Bat Wings

The bat wings seen on his monstrous form will sprout from his back and he will fly upwards, able to move around erratically a little bit as he does so.

Down B: Colored Orbs

He will cast a circle of orbs out from around himself in four different colors. These orbs will do mild damage and basically no knockback in general, however, if a character wears the same color as one of the orbs, that orb will be a critical hit.

Final Smash: Wind Demon

Wind will pick up heavily around the stage as he transforms into his monstrous self. He will then attack as he does in those boss battles with his tentacles and with lightning as the wind makes it difficult for his opponents to escape.

Entrance: His essence will emerge from the Four Sword Shrine.

Taunts: Up, he will take off his magic cap and dust it. Side, he will turn away and glance back at you all emo-like. Down, he will pick up the chest he was after in Minish Cap.

Thanks for reading! Next up, the demon of the sea from Phantom Hourglass.

Character Sheet: Four Links

FOUR LINKS

Today, we begin a new round of character sheets, all primarily appearing in the 2D titles from Oracles to Tri Force Heroes. We have quite a few, though not as many as the 3D titles. Among them are:

1. Four Links

2. Ravio

3. Princess Hilda

4. Toon Zelda

5. Din

6. Nayru

7. Ezlo

8. Minish/Picori

9. Linebeck

10. Oshus & Ciela

11. Ralph

12. Alfonzo

13. Madame Couture

14. Subrosian

15. Onox

16. Veran

17. Vaati

18. Bellum

19. Chancellor Cole & Malladus

20. Yuga

21. Lady Maud

22. Byrne

Today, we will be covering the four Links, more or less based on the teams from Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures, and Tri Force Heroes. I decided to go with a quartet instead of a trio because it's more iconic, but the concept is the same: four Links in green, red, blue, and purple working together to pull off a variety of attacks. Think of it similarly to my Mario & Luigi character from the Mario RPG roster.

So, right off the bat, we will mostly be focusing on the moves that are distinct to the four working together. Obviously they will all have their sword and shield and a lot of their standard moves will build from those, but their specials will be team-specific. This means sparking their swords together, pulling things apart, picking up and throwing each other, pushing each other into position, forming horizontal and vertical lines, and stacking on top of each other. The Doppels used as stand-ins when playing alone can also factor in. From there, I think a few handheld specific regulars could also pop up if needed.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Doppel Switch

This will work in tandem with the Down B, being Placement (we'll get to that). What this will do will switch your player between which of the four Links they are controller, cycling through Green, Red, Blue, and Purple in that order, giving you advantages at certain points in time.

Side B: Pull Apart

Your Links will grab an opponent from two different sides and start pulling them in opposite directions, wracking up damage on the opponent without any knockback.

Up B: Stack Up and Throw

A first button press will cause the Links to stack up on top of each other. A second will cause them to throw each other into the air. If you just press the first time, they can attack as the stack.

Down B: Placement

While you will normally be playing with the three followers following around the leader and doing everything he does, you can press this to place one of the Links (going in backwards order from Purple), somewhere on the stage, where they will take up a doppel form and rest for a while. This can lead to strategies where you switch to that Link in times of danger, leaving behind a new doppel where the first was.

Final Smash: Seal of the Four Sword

The four will attack one after the other before all come together and stab down into their opponent's chest, cutting to a brief shot of the Four Sword Sanctuary, implying that the opponent is now sealed there instead of Vaati.

Entrance: Link will draw the Four Sword and split into four.

Taunts: Up, the Link's will stack up on top of each other and wobble for a second. Side, the Links will clang their swords together, causing sparks. Down, the Links will stumble all over each other and laugh.

Thanks for reading! Next up, a Lorulean variant of Link!

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!