As a combined package of two games you can't really go wrong with the GBA version of A Link To The Past/Four Swords.
When Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance back in 2001 it was basically a portable version of their beloved second console, which resulted in quite a lot of the Super Nintendo's catalogue of games been ported to the Game Boy Advance for a new audience to experience, and in 2003 A Link To The Past was one of those very titles ported to the console in a twin-pack of games with a multiplayer version Zelda game called Four Swords.
A Link To The Past/Four Swords quickly established itself as one of the games 'to get' for the game Boy Advance mainly because of the legacy that went along with the classic title and because it also brought a totally new title too. The Four Swords multiplayer was added so players of the original had something else to do if they bought the new Game Boy Advance port. A quick summary of the story goes that an evil wizard called Agahnim is trying to resurrect Ganon by sacrificing the descendants of the seven wise men who once sealed Ganon away in the Evil Realm. So Link takes it upon himself to put a halt to the plans of the evil wizard. The story doesn't sound very original now but back in 1992 it was much fresher as there were only two Zelda games released before A Link to the Past.
If you played A Link to the Past back in the day and you're think of buying this the game it will instantly remind you of just how well the original title played for it's time, and still plays to this day. You control Link from an overhead perspective as you crawl and fight you're way through the games twelve dungeons (an amount of dungeons that remains the most to appear in any single game in the series). The game is a mix of action, exploration, puzzle solving and minimalistic role playing elements. You progress through the game at a stead pace, beating dungeon and finding new weapons which will enable you to get to previously un-accessible areas. The game always remains at a nice and steady pace, you always seem to have something to do and that's great.
One of the most iconic aspects of A Link to the Past back in 1992 (and something that has been revisited in newer instalments in the series) was that the game consisted of two huge parallel worlds. During you're quest to stop Agahnim from resurrecting Ganon you have to travel through both a Light World (which is Hyrule) and a Dark World (which is like a negative image of Hyrule) by using an item called the Magic Mirror. This added a lot of depth to the game as this made for a lot of strategically swapping between the two worlds later on in the game to reach new and unexplored areas.
Despite the fact that this is basically a port Nintendo tweaked a few things for the ported version. In the original Link never made a noise when swinging his sword, but in the Game Boy Advance version he does his now traditional 'yeargh' every time he swings (which may or may not annoy the hell out of you) as a tribute to Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask fans. Also they've made a few other minimal tweaks, like making the boomerang now able to cut grass, making you able to now pick up items by swiping them with your sword and allowing you to keep both the Shovel and Flute at the same time (unlike in the original where the Flute replaces the Shovel in your inventory). None of the changes really affect or change the game, they are basically cosmetic changes that they probably thought the original should have had (although I like ports to be exactly the same as the original version without any tweaks, but hey that's just me).
Now the multiplayer game Four Swords was an interesting addition to the game. While it was Nintendo who made a few cosmetic changes to the port, it was actually Capcom who handled the porting duties, and it was actually Capcom who made the Four Swords add-on. The Four Swords and the A Link to the Past port actually interact as you progress through both (ie. If you get a new sword technique in one you get it in both, and if you complete both games you unlock a new optional dungeon in the A Link to the Past port) but the games are both brilliant games when played separate. Four Swords feels like a typical Zelda game to play as it stays true to the series formula, but instead of playing through one big adventure you played the game through random dungeons. But it is quite annoying to play Four Swords. You need to play it multiplayer, you can't choose to play it alone, so if you want to play it you'll need a friend to help you out. Now normally this wouldn't be a problem but each player needs their own copy of the game, you can't do any form of single-cart play what so ever, and this was a little bit of a let down for me. But the game is great to play regardless, so really you're friends should all own it.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords is a great two game package that'll appeal to all Zelda fans. It has enough new features and tweaks to make players of the original want to buy it, and it also lets new Zelda fans who have never played A Link to the Past before experience the classic game for the first time. Plus the multiplayer Four Swords is great if you've got a few friends to play it along with you. Even though it's not an original Game Boy Advance Zelda title it offers enough to warrant every GBA owner to buy it.
Review by: James Widdowson
Score: 9/10