Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, the forgotten multiplayer of GameCube

Most people remember their first Zelda. Mine was Ocarina of Time . But it wasn't until years later, with three friends, a GameCube, and several Game Boy Advance games, that I discovered Four Swords Adventures . That night, amid laughter, chaos, and cooperation, I discovered one of the most unjustly forgotten titles in the series.

Released in 2004 for the GameCube, Four Swords Adventures dared to break the formula. It wasn't just Link versus Ganon. Now it was four heroes in sync , facing dungeons, enemies, and challenges in an unprecedented cooperative experience. Each player had their own screen thanks to the GBA, something revolutionary at the time.

It all begins when Link wields the Four Sword, inadvertently unleashing the dreaded Vaati and splitting into four versions of himself. The kingdom of Hyrule falls into chaos, and only these four heroes can rescue the maidens, restore power to the sword, and face Ganon himself.

The narrative, though simple, is deeply tied to the series' lore , taking place chronologically after the events of A Link to the Past . Its level-based system is more reminiscent of Super Mario than a traditional Zelda, giving it a more agile pace and making it more conducive to multiplayer sessions.

While the focus was on group play, Four Swords Adventures also offered a robust single-player mode. Switching between the four Links, rearranging them in formation, and solving puzzles required ingenuity. And while co-op shined, the solo mode was so polished that it didn't feel like an afterthought.

In addition to Hyrule's Adventure mode, the game offered Battle , where players competed for gems, and in Japan, Navi Trackers , a sort of competitive minigame narrated by Tetra. This variety reinforced its replay value, something key in the Nintendo ecosystem.

Despite its innovation, Four Swords Adventures wasn't a sales success. The reason? Its complex technical setup: cables, handheld consoles, and player coordination. It wasn't accessible to everyone, but those who played it rarely forget it.

Its ideas, however, didn't die there . Games like Tri Force Heroes and Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom inherit its multiplayer foundations, and the revamped 2D aesthetic reappears in current titles. Even the concept of controlling multiple characters simultaneously has been retained in other Nintendo titles.

Today, in an era of online co-op and constant remakes, Four Swords Adventures deserves a second chance. It's the perfect example of how Nintendo experimented with its most iconic series without losing its essence.

It may not have sold millions, nor had modern ports, but its soul lives on in every puzzle we solve together, in every dungeon we explore side by side, and in every laugh shared on the couch.

Because some games don't need fame to be unforgettable. They just need to be played... in good company.