More than one blatant, large flaw keeps this one away from being a masterpiece, but it's still a lot of fun.
The Bad: The graphics are GBA level, and it's as expensive as a Cube game; the game drags on for no discernable reason; it's apparently unforgivable to unplug your GBA from the connector; your friend can toss you down a hole; you can only keep one item; it's better in short bursts, an annoyance for Zelda fans; this game mucks up the timeline even more.
From 2000 onward, through 2007, we've had a Zelda game every year. That's a huge difference from the four year wait between Adventure of Link and A Link to the Past, and the five year wait from Link's Awakening to Ocarina of Time. While it's impossible for annual Zelda games to all be masterpieces of the caliber of A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time, there are still some truly fantastic games that have come from Eiji Aonuma and the Capcom team, who've worked together leading the franchise since 2000.
It's clearly been quite the struggle sating fans though, as is blatantly clear from, in particular, the Four Swords games (both of them). While multiplayer Zelda worked out better than people thought it could, this one isn't up to par with your average Zelda, and not just because of the graphics.
Aonuma led Nintendo's Zelda team for Majora's Mask, a sequel that had to be finished in just two years, Wind Waker, which was shafted for its cartoonish look (but was nonetheless spectacular), and has since produced this one, Twilight Princess, and Phantom Hourglass.
Capcom's team delivered the Oracle games for GBC (very late in the life of the system), a port of A Link to the Past with the extremely short original Four Swords game, and then finished with The Minish Cap before the deal expired.
So while this game is certainly great and above the average video game, it's clear that it was produced more for the sake of keeping the Zelda wheel turning than for making a masterpiece the way other Zelda titles have been.
On the other hand, if you already invested in the $570 needed to get the full experience from Crystal Chronicles, this is another way to put those GBA-GC connectors to use. If you just do one or two levels every once in awhile and treat this Zelda as a party game, not as the sprawling epic the other titles are, you can have a lot of fun with this guy.
The graphics are noticeably very good coming from a GBA, but look like your Gamecube became a Super Nintendo overnight on the big screen. It is colorful and fun, but the engine is just not very powerful for a Gamecube title. Seeing as you're paying $50 for it and one connector, that's quite the nuisance.
But high production values are a focus for Nintendo as much as any major company. So the sound in the game is really good, as great as any previous Zelda.
The gameplay is fun, but again, only in short bursts of maybe one or two stages. It's an extremely long game, which is normally a good thing, but it grows to be monotonous by the end, mainly because your characters begin just the same way they did as they ended. You can't keep items or heart containers (though the heart container thing is understandable). Your sword doesn't remain improved one stage after it's upgraded with enough Force Gems, and that stoops the game to being a one level a day kind of game.
Yet this title can be enjoyed no matter if you're the only Zelda fan nearby or if there are three buds who'll help you along. It could be argued multiplayer's more fun, but you'll have a good time either way, and that's important, especially for kids in Alaska.
So you get bang for your buck- but not in the way you're expecting. It's a radically different experience from normal console titles nowadays. If you can get past the graphics looking like they're a decade old, and you just straight up want another Zelda title to your collection, I never said the game isn't fun. A lot of the puzzles are brilliant, and give you plenty of satisfaction when beaten.
Is it worth it? There are plenty of other better games out there, especially in a franchise like Zelda, and even on the Gamecube. If you want to complete a Zelda collection though, it's still enjoyable. And that's most important, of course.