Gaming The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords

[Syk3]

This is kind of late in the thread, but I just want to share my take on Four Swords. ^_^

I think that Four Swords did an excellent job of making Zelda a multiplayer game. There were really many things that could have gone wrong, but they managed to make a really good game. :) I like the idea that you are working with your partner(s) to complete objectives, but at the same time are working against them to collect more rubies. It's not too hard, but it's hard enough to make it long and really gets you into the game with 2 playable areas, and then a boss, and [i]then[/i] about 7 or so levels; I forget.

I was really lucky, because when I bought it, almsot all my friends had the game, and they all had link cables. Because of this, I've never felt the need to buy a seperate link cable, lol. So, I try to play 4 player at lunch, although that has only happened twice, and 2 player on the bus home. It's cool because although I play it so often, it doesn't get boring and has a lot of replay value, because the objectives change every time, and I still havn't beat them all yet. Plus, there's always the possibility of going back and trying to get the golden keys.

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]Heh, yeah, and after you beat the Golden Key Quest, you get to do the Hero Key Quest. It can be hard to collect 5000 Rupees in the dungeons, depending on how many people you're playing with. Me and a friend tried one of the dungeons three times, I think, and we couldn't do it. Then we did it first try with another friend, so that we had three people. :whoops:

You're right, though, Four Swords just never seems to get old, since the dungeons change each time. I've played through the whole game, through the Silver, Gold, and Hero Key Quests, and I still enjoy playing whenever I get the chance. I've also seen most, if not all, of the dungeon "building blocks," but since they're always arranged differently, and in different combinations, it seems almost like an entirely new dungeon.

My favorite dungeon has to be Vaati's Palace on the Hero Key Quest. It consists of 12 levels! It's like you go through each of the other dungeons, bosses included, and then through Vaati's Palace itself. The only thing is, you have to have a decent amount of time on your hands to get through it, since it's so long.

I still haven't been able to play four player, though, since only two of my friends have the game. Three player is still awesome, though I've only gotten to play it a few times. Mostly I just play two player. I want to try four player, though, dangit! :twitch:[/color]

[Guest MeZeTetra]

Hey, can I ask a question? I wanna know if I have played all the Zelda games. Ok I have played The Legend of Link,The Adventures of Zelda, Link to the Past, Link's Awakinimg, Zelda Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, and Windwaker. Is this all the Zelda games that you guys know of?:huh: :hippy:

Thanks guys,

MezeTetra

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]That's all but one, unless you count the ones for the Philips CD-i system. But those weren't even made by Nintendo, so they're usually not counted. (And I suppose there was also an old Game & Watch Zelda game, but good luck finding one of those).

Anyway, the one you're missing is Four Swords. It comes on the same cartridge as the GBA remake of A Link to the Past, and is the first multi-player Zelda game. Each person needs an A Link to the Past/Four Swords cartridge to play, but it's tons of fun. Me and my friend have spent hours and hours playing it, and it never gets old because each dungeon is randomly generated from a bunch of different pre-set pieces. We still see new parts every now and then, and we also suspect there are more that you only see when you're playing 3- and 4-player.[/color]

[Sniglefager]

Yeah, I was reading somewhere that the dungeons change a lot, depending on the number of players you play with. I personally have never played this game, but I've wanted to for a while. The only one of my friends that has a copy of this game besides me is never around, and we hardly ever see each other. I want to know, though, is it really competitive? Because I heard that whoever gets the most rupees "wins," and I wanted to know if the whole competitive thing is important, or if cooperation is more important.

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]Heheh, the competetive part of it is half the fun. (Of course, on the other hand, the other half is the cooperative part). The thing that makes it so fun is that you [i]have[/i] to cooperate to advance through the dungeons and to beat some of the bigger enemies and also the bosses, but at the same time, you're also trying to beat the other player(s). (And yes, whoever collects the most Rupees in a dungeon wins that round, and they get a Medal of Courage for winning. Every medal you win is saved to your game file, so it keeps track of your vistories, and you can get something special if you get 10 medals). At first, me and my friend were just trying to get through the dungeons with enough Rupees to get the keys needed to unlock Vaati's Palace, so it wasn't all that competetive. But now that we've both beaten all three quests (by getting enough Rupees in each dungeon to get the Silver, Gold, and Hero Keys), it doesn't matter how many Rupees we get total.

So basically, we're just trying to stab each other in the back as much as possible, while being forced to cooperate. It's great fun, heh. About the only rule we have is that we try not to cause harm to the other player(s) on purpose. (Since you can pick up and throw or hit other players into pits and flames and whatnot, it can get ugly real fast without a rule like that). It's mainly because we don't want to die, but also because you get double the normal amount for any Rupees that you pick up while every player has full hearts.

So yeah, if you get the chance, you should definitely play this game; you won't be disappointed. I have 23 Medals of Courage, and even after playing that much, I still love to play it whenever I get the chance. (It should be 25, but my friend reset his game a couple times before it could save. And it would be over 30, except that I let him win about 6 or 7 times so that he could get up to 10 medals). And that's just the times that I've won, too. I've probably played around 40-45 rounds altogether.[/color]

[Sniglefager]

Oh, that sounds really cool. Also, I just realized while I was playing a new file on Link to the Past, when you get the Master Sword, you can fire energy or whatever out of your sword when your health is full. When I turned the game off and played it later, a message said that I could use that same power in Four Swords. I saw this message on my old, corupted (sp?) 5+ hours of gameplay file (yes, I am still mad at this), but I misread it the first time and I thought it said on LTTP, and I was like "duh." Oh, yeah, my other question.

When I looked at that file, it showed that power on the Four Swords half of the menu. I also noticed two other slots, and I was wondering, what other powers do you get, and how?

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]Do you mean those slots to the right of the Sword Beams icon? That would be where it displays the keys you've earned. Each little mark is where a key would go, if you've gotten one. There's a Silver, Gold, and Hero key for each of the three dungeons.

There's actually only two abilities that you get (besides the normal Spin Attack, which youu start out with). One is the Sword Beam, and the other is the Hurricane Spin. If you've played The Wind Waker and gotten the Hurricane Spin in that, it's pretty much the same thing. In LTP, you charge up your sword twice (it'll charge up to let you do a normal Spin Attack, and then if you wait that amount of time again, it'll make that little charge-up noise again), let up the button, and then tap the button. As long as you keep tapping the button, and as long as you have some magic power left in your magic meter, you can just keep doing it. In Four Swords, since you don't have a magic meter, there's just a set amount of time that you can keep doing it before you have to charge up again. But, in FS, you don't have to wait twice as long for your sword to charge in order to use it.

In LTP, the Hurricane Spin is actually not that useful. I've only used it a few times, and most of those were just for fun. In Four Swords, however, it's very, [i]very[/i] useful. With a little practice, it makes defeating some of the bigger enemies a lot easier, and it also works really well for chopping down bushes and grass. (You do not, however, want to use it to put out flames in the Death Mountain dungeon. Since you don't have that handy little energy ring around you while you're doing a Spin Attack/Huricane Spin like you do in the 3D games, you're still vulnerable on every side that your sword isn't occupying. So basically, you'll put out a couple flames and then run into the next ones, which will hurt you and stop the Hurricane Spin).

To get the Hurricane Spin in A Link to the Past/Four Swords, you have to first win ten rounds in Four Swords, to get ten Medals of Courage. You'll also need to have gotten the Bug-Catching Net and Magic Powder in A Link to the Past. (I think that's all the items you need, but there might be one more; it's been awhile since I did it). Then, in LTP, go to the Woodsmen's Hut and talk to Q. Bumpkin who's inside. If you can complete his riddle game, you'll earn some wooden statues to go in your house, and also the Hurricane Spin.

Also, you may have noticed an extra opening in the Pyramid of Power, over towards the east side of it where you jump down to get the Heart Container Piece. That's the Dungeon of the Four Sword, and to be able to get in, you'll need to have beaten A Link to the Past and at least the Silver Key Quest of Four Swords. If you manage to beat the dungeon, you'll get a different ending and it'll also tell how many times you've used each item and how long you've been playing.

And yeah, they are coming out with a Four Swords game for the GameCube. I believe there was a thread about it and Tetra's Trackers a little ways down the threads page. I can't wait for it to be released.[/color]

[Sniglefager]

Oh, so that's what that temple place was. I just found that place today. That stupid punk took my 20 rupees lol. Speaking of LTTP, I kind of need some help on a dungeon, so I was wondering, should I PM you, or should I just edit my post (I don't wanna wander [i]too[/i] off subject here. Thanks for all the info on Four Swords, though. I'm definetly gonna drag my friend over to my house one of these days so we can play it lol.

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]Well, if you need help with something, IMing me would be the easiest. That way I can actually talk to you and ask where exactly you're stuck, and all that. But yeah, if you don't want to IM, a PM would also be good. Or there's probably a help thread for LTP/FS floating around the forum somewhere.[/color]

[Kahlan]

Does anyone know when Tetra trackers and four swords for GC come out?

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]This is an article I just wrote over the past two days, about the four different colored Links in Zelda: Four Swords. I thought I'd post it up here to see what people think. ^_^[/color]

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[size=3][i][b]The Four Swords of Link[/b][/i][/size]

Any devoted Zelda fan should be familiar with The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, with its Rupee collecting, multi-player madness, featuring four different colored Links. But have you ever stopped to think about each Link as an individual, and not just part of the Link that was split by the Four Sword? Here, I've created personalities for each color, including their favorite item, best pairing, worst pairing, and finally a quote from each, to give more depth to each color Link.

I've you've played Four Swords, you'll know that working together is the key to progressing through the game. You should also know that the game can get quite competitive, and that everything does not always run smoothly. Arguments can break out, insults can be hurled, and even violence (in-game only, hopefully) can ensue. The personalities of these four Links have been created with that in mind; each has his own goal in mind, of what they're trying to accomplish on the quest; each has varying degrees of cooperativeness and competitiveness; they do not always get along.

These four Links are the roles that you and your friends take on while playing the game, and you may find that you relate quite closely to one of them. So now, without further ado, read on and discover which color Link you are.

- [i]Drake Desbreko,[/i] Zelda Lore Master
September 11, 2003


[color=green][b]Green Link[/b] - "I will not fail!"

The original, Green Link is devoted solely to saving Princess Zelda and defeating the Wind Mage Vaati, facing head on the trials presented in the various dungeons he must trek through on his quest. He views the other three Links as teammates, allies in the quest, and seeks to cooperate in order to reach Zelda as soon as possible. He collects Rupees only in order to obtain the keys he needs to open Vaati's Palace, not wanting to be slowed down by extra baggage.

Green Link's prefered item is the trusty Bow & Arrow. One of the most versatile items, it can be used for long-range combat and solving the dungeons' many puzzles. An ideal item for someone trying to conquer the dungeons in as timely a manner as possible.

Working best together with Red Link, whose competetive nature fits well with Green Link's determination, this team works off the strengths of one another to accomplish their goals. Green Link is always trying to keep up with Red Link, causing him to push himself even harder than normal. This pair is by far the most dangerous when facing the monsters that inhabit each dungeon, and also the quickest when it comes to solving puzzles.

Green Link's nature clashes with Purple Link's, causing him to work worst with him. While Green Link pushes onward to save Zelda, Purple Link lingers behind collecting as many Rupees as he can. This, as would be expected, can cause arguments. And this, in turn, causes Green Link to become even more agitated from having wasted so much time. Don't put this pair in the same room together unless you want a heated debate to ensue.[/color]


[color=red][b]Red Link[/b] - "Just try and beat me."

Red Link is Link's competetive side, always fighting to be better than the rest. Pushing ahead, trying to gain an edge over the other three Links, Red Link strives to collect more Rupees than the other three. Besides beating the others, Red Link loves fighting the many dungeon monsters that are around each corner, and sees the other Links as even more of opponents than the monsters. He fights with a very cut-throat attitude, doing anything to gain the lead.

The item of choice for Red Link is Bombs, suiting his highly volatile nature quite well. Not only are they powerful weapons, against monsters as well as the other Links, but they're also good for blowing open weak walls that often hide treasure chests full of Rupees needed for victory.

Pair Red Link and Green Link together and you'd better look out! Nothing can stand in the way of these two, neither monster nor puzzle. With one fighting to win and the other fighting to save Zelda, both spur each other on to the best of their abilities. Don't get in their way or you'll find yourself missing your Rupees and your life.

If there's one thing Red Link hates, it's having to wait around for Blue Link to come do his part in a puzzle. Red Link's temper can flare while waiting for Blue Link to finish exploring--after all, every second Red Link is forced to wait is a second he could be using to snatch Rupees from the other three. Red Link has a history of throwing Blue Link into pits and lava...when Blue Link finally gets around to showing up, that is.[/color]


[color=blue][b]Blue Link[/b] - "This place is awesome..."

Blue Link's passion is exploration, delving deep into the maze-like dungeons and finding their many secrets. He doesn't really care about the other three Links all that much, cooperating with them mainly just to solve the puzzles necessary to progress through the dungeons. And although he does see saving Zelda as their main objective, he doesn't see why they can't explore the dungeons a little more thoroughly. He takes the view that if you rush through the dungeons, you're bound to miss half the fun.

The item for Blue Link is definitely Roc's Cape. This item allows him to jump across gaps that would otherwise be unbridgeable, letting him do more of what he loves; explore more of the dungeons. It also lets him avoid some enemies, since out of the three, Blue Link is the least interested in the fighting and is more than happy to let the others take out any enemies while he explores the surrounding area.

Out of the three other Links, Blue Link gets along best with Purple Link. The most like-minded of any pair, Blue Link likes taking his time to explore while Purple Link hunts for Rupees. Because of this, these two get along better than any of the others, sometimes resulting in them ganging up on Red Link. Blue Link gets his revenge for being thrown off ledges, while Purple Link gets to slow Red Link down in order to grab more Rupees for himself.

Blue Link can't stand Red Link; these two do not get along in any way. Blue Link likes to take his time exploring, which causes Red Link to become extremely impatient and sometimes even violent. Needless to say, Blue Link dislikes being picked up and thrown off of ledges or into lava, so these two have a bit of a fued going on. If they weren't technically the same person, they'd probably end up killing each other.[/color]


[color=purple][b]Purple Link[/b] - "It's all about the Rupees!"

Purple Link just can't get enough of those multi-colored jewels called Rupees. Zelda can wait--right now it's time to grab as much loot as you can! Purple Link is the most upbeat of the four Links; he loves it all. Whether it's fighting enemies, solving puzzles, or exploring, everything yields Rupees to keep him happy. He's driven not as much by the desire to win, as Red Link is, but more by the total amount of Rupees collected. Not that he doesn't enjoy triumphing over Red Link, that is.

The favorite item of Purple Link is the Boomerang. With this item he can retrieve far-away Rupees and stun enemies, rendering them easier to defeat. This helps the four Links stay in perfect health, which means double the Rupees. Purple Link is always watching out for the other Links, trying to keep them at hull health by quickly paralyzing any potential threats. And if the opportunity for snatching Rupees from under the nose of another Link with the Boomerang arises, all the better.

Purple Link pairs best with Blue Link, forming the strongest alliance between any of the four Links. Purple Link loves tagging along with Blue Link as he explores, snagging any Rupees they encounter. Since Blue Link is the least concerned about Rupees, Purple Link usually gets most everything they find. These two make the best treasure hunting group, usually collecting even more Rupees than the fierce pairing of Green Link and Red Link.

When it comes to seeing eye to eye, Purple Link and Green Link are on a slant--they just can't seem to agree. Purple Link's goal is to grab as many Rupees as possible on the quest, while Green Link always tries to hurry the group past unneeded Rupees to reach Zelda faster. This clash of priorities causes frequent arguments, though they never waste too much time, since both want to get on with the quest, even if for different reasons.[/color]

[Samgee Gamwise]

I really like the way you've worked when each player appears into their personalities. All of the characters are really believable, its apparent that you've put a lot of work into this.

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]Thanks. I did put a lot of thought into it. Once I got all the ideas arranged in my mind, though, everything came together pretty easily.

Upon James' request (though I was thinking about it already), I've made a quiz based on this article. Go [url=http://guru.theotaku.com/quiz.php?quiz=42]here[/url] to take it. You'll have fun with this, I guarantee it. Just takes a look at James' comments. ^_^[/color]

JamesOtaku01: What an awesome quiz!
JamesOtaku01: You should make more of these!
JamesOtaku01: This is the best one I've seen. Nobody ever puts effort into these things

[Valen]

Lol! I got Purple Link...

You're Purple Link, the
upbeat, Rupee loving Link in the party. For
you, it's all about the Rupees; the more the
better, whether or not you yourself win.
Whether it's fighting or solving puzzles,
almost everything yields Rupees, so you love it
all. You can be protective of the other Links,
trying to keep them at full health to get the
Rupee Fever bonus, and you love to accompany
Blue Link to snatch up Rupees with the
Boomerang. Green Link is always pushing you to
forget about the extra Rupees, reminding you
that Zelda is the real priority, however, so
you don't get along with him very well
sometimes.


Nice quiz and article Des! Keep 'em commin'!

[Deedlit]

[color=009966]I'm Green Link! ^^ :D[/color]

[img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=483981[/img]

[color=green]You're the original Green Link, focused solely on rescuing Zelda and saving the day. You get along okay with the other Links, with the partial exception of Purple Link, and you try to cooperate as much as you can to complete dungeons in as timely a manner as possible. Your item of choice is usually the highly versatile Bow & Arrow, and you get along best with the fierce Red Link, spurring each other on.[/color]

[color=009966]lol And during the entire time I thought that I was going to be [/color][color=blue]Blue Link. :cross:[/color]

[Dr. Eggman]

You're Blue Link, and
your passion is delving into the many secret-
filled dungeons. You don't care for Rupees or
fighting--you're content just to be able to
explore, solve puzzles and find secrets, and
the Roc's Cape compliments this perfectly,
letting you explore areas you wouldn't
otherwise be able to reach. You're the loner
and slowpoke of the group, which means you
don't get along with Red Link at all. On the
other hand, however, Purple Link loves tagging
along to collect all the Rupees you
uncover.


Cool! I'm Blue Link!

[Raichu Tamer]

hey dudes im green link!

You're the original Green
Link, focused solely on rescuing Zelda and
saving the day. You get along okay with the
other Links, with the partial exception of
Purple Link, and you try to cooperate as much
as you can to complete dungeons in as timely a
manner as possible. Your item of choice is
usually the highly versatile Bow & Arrow, and
you get along best with the fierce Red Link,
spurring each other on.


What Color Link are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

gee whizz it is true what they say that the originals are the best!

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]Um, guys? You really should be saying something substantial about the article or quiz, not just posting to put up your quiz result. Otherwise you may as just be posting "I got ____ Link," which everyone [i]should[/i] know is spam.

And I really was hoping for some comments on the article...[/color]

[Ares]

I think this is a good article you've posted. I'd like to be blue Link, but I won't bother taking this quiz. It looks cool, though.

[Fyxe]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=darkblue]Man... that is a really good arcticle! I think it fits them all very well. I'm not really sure what else to say! ^_^ I guess if I were to write an arcticle.... I couldn't have writen it better myself.
If you people want to know... I'm Red Link.... I had an odd feeling I would. Lol.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[IloveBebop]

I love the article and the quiz. They're the best Zelda items I've seen... except for the Zelda manga I saw at a website. The best Zelda items I've seen at this website, in any case.

If anyone wants to know, I got Blue Link. I can relate to all of them, but I do like to explore new places. The greedy Puple Link runs a close second for me.
edit- Oh, I also think that you should make more quizzes, although I hate to say what a lot of other people have said.

[Mei]

[color=green]I really enjoyed the quiz, and it's just so well put together. The results fit so well with each color, it just makes such perfect sense.^^

The article fit in just as well with the quiz, and it's well organized.

You should really make more quizzes Des, you're very understand in the ways of...well..quizzes.[/color]

[center][img]http://live.quizilla.com/user_images/D/Desbreko/1063511807_YouAreRedLink.gif[/img][/center]
[center]You're Red Link, the highly competitive and cut-throat Link. You'll do anything to get ahead of the other three, even resorting to violence; to you, the ends justify the means. You enjoy blowing up your partners with Bombs, especially those that lag behind, such as Blue Link. Working best with Green Link, you love fighting the toughest enemies together. Because of your fierce demeanor, however, you tend not to get along with the other Links very often.[/center]

[color=green]A bit strange, but that [i]is[/i] how I play in the game.^^()[/color]

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]Heh, I didn't think you'd be Red Link, Mei. I guess people can surprise you with their different playing styles, though. ^_^

Thanks for the compliments, by the way. And I probably would make more quizzes, as I had a lot of fun writing this one, if I had any ideas for more of them. If I were going to make another one, I'd want it to be something decently original, and inspiration for that sort of thing doesn't seem to come to me very often. (The idea for the four Link personalities just came to me one night while I was in the shower, lol).[/color]

[OlgaTheDwarf]

[IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=506194[/IMG]

You are Princess Zelda. You are even wimpier than Blue Link and seem to always be captured by the villain. No matter what you do you always seem to be the target of evil plots. Since you are given so much time to yourself, in captivity, you mind is always contemplating the important things in life; which Link you want to marry. Green Link seems the obvious choice, but his un-spontaneous vibe is a major turn-off. Blue Link is nice, but his weak pussyish personality makes him seem as if he is suited more for being your sister, than your husband. Purple Link is a golddigger, only in it for the cash, and you want nothing to do with him. Red Link is perfect, his dark, bad boy personality is just your type, the only problem is that he only is interested in you when Green Link is. You continue to ponder these things as you wait for rescue.

[b]WTF!!![/b] Desbreko, is this some kind of joke?:D