Zelda: Four Swords (cube)

[Davros sock drawer]

The use of the GBA in this respect is ideal - only having to worry about your own character. The game changes to the GBA when you enter caverns on the main screen and this works seemlessly - another innovative touch by Nintendo.

Can't agree with this so far. It feels completely jarring to me, especially the way the game beeps at you as if to say "Look here! Now look here! Ok, now back here again!". It's mildly irritating having to keep looking down at the GBA and back again.

But I will definitely stick with it, these are really just my first impressions. It's very rare that I give up on a game without giving it a good go first. I didn't like Halo 2 at first...

[darkwave]

I'm really loving this at the moment. There isn't the same level of depth which is apparent in the more solitary focused Zelda games but the fun of just playing is still there and then some.

I can only refer to the single player experience so far as I haven't found it easy to find one other person with a GBA to try this out with, let alone three!

Sadly, I've been watching the rolling demo to wet my appetite... slowly building my anticipation for some multiplayer Zelda.

Although I have been persuading my girlfriend to get hold of a cheap GBA.

She was especially keen after I let her play on the Nights GBA mini-game from Billy Hatcher.

[Andy_Tanner]

My order of preference goes:

Ocarina of Time

Majora's Mask

The Minish Cap

Link's Awakening

The Wind Waker

Link to the Past

Oracle of Ages/Seasons

I played Link to the past after the N64 games though, which might have a lot to do with why I didn't find it as engaging. Still, I loved Link's Awakening, so it isn't down to the perspective. Maybe it was just a bit too Dungeon-based.

pretty close to my own list though i would definitely place Link To The Past nearer the top, possibly even seconf after Ocarina but the rest i'd leave the same.

the reason i love LTTP so much is because it was the first Zelda i played on the SNES and i only bought because it got a really high mark in all the mags, i'd never heard of Zelda, what with NES never being that popular in the UK.

anyway i was just gobsmacked by it's atmosphere : the way it was raining at the start, the apocalyptic stroy line (very dark in places). but the puzzles and the way you got new items as you went along was just brilliant. it was a real turning point for me as a gamer. that and then the equally mesmerising Super Metroid.

probably worth it's own thread this actually. i'd put Four Swords up there as one of the best games on the Cube but i wouldn't include it in my favourites list (of Zeldas) because it's just so different to the others. i love the way it zooms right out sometimes, that looks ace. and the music is gorgeous.

it's basically a cross between PSO, Gauntlet and LTTP.

[hub2]

the reason i love LTTP so much is because it was the first Zelda i played on the SNES and i only bought because it got a really high mark in all the mags...

I remember that C&VG gave the Jap release something paltry like 67% or there abouts... how wrong they were.

I wonder if they ever re-reviewed it? Anyone?

Anyway, LTTP is probably my fondest gaming memory, such an amazing game.

Although I have been persuading my girlfriend to get hold of a cheap GBA.

SP is ~£34 at videogameplus IIRC. Bargain.

[Andy_Tanner]

I remember that C&VG gave the Jap release something paltry like 67% or something... how wrong they were.

I wonder if they ever re-reviewed it? Anyone?

i used to read Mean Machines which then split into Mean Machines Sega and Nintendo Magazine System (i think). they loved LTTP and was the reason i bought it.

i can't believe that was twelve or thirteen years ago.

[Davros sock drawer]

I actually dug LTTP out last night (well, turned on my Xbox ) and despite initially feeling very strange (not being able to adjust the direction of your sword, mid-attack for instance), it holds up rather well. I did instantly remember why it isn't up there as one of my favourites, namely that it is very easy to die at the beginning, and that it throws you straight into quite a boring mini dungeon. Once I was out and about exploring Kakariko village (with that lovely music), I was hooked again.

Still finishing off The Minish Cap though. Did the final Kinstone fusing last night and got the Tingle Trophy. I'm now trying to get the final 30 figurines, but there are also two very puzzling things outstanding:

1) If you stand in the corner of your bedroom, Ezlo says something like "Is this a secret. Come on, show me!". Gamefaqs turns up nothing on this.

2) How do I build the third house, for Farore?

If someone could tell me, I would kiss and hug them.

[LM]

i was playing this with a mate last night, great fun and all that, but there seems to be some weird bug that reset the game to the title screen a couple of times, both times right after finishing a level but before it saved - a bit harsh...

anyone else had this happen?

[rjpageuk]

If you pull out the GBA -> GC cable while playing it resets I believe.

Maybe you are doing that.

[zektbach]

I actually dug LTTP out last night (well, turned on my Xbox ) and despite initially feeling very strange (not being able to adjust the direction of your sword, mid-attack for instance), it holds up rather well. I did instantly remember why it isn't up there as one of my favourites, namely that it is very easy to die at the beginning, and that it throws you straight into quite a boring mini dungeon. Once I was out and about exploring Kakariko village (with that lovely music), I was hooked again.

Still finishing off The Minish Cap though. Did the final Kinstone fusing last night and got the Tingle Trophy. I'm now trying to get the final 30 figurines, but there are also two very puzzling things outstanding:

1) If you stand in the corner of your bedroom, Ezlo says something like "Is this a secret. Come on, show me!". Gamefaqs turns up nothing on this.

2) How do I build the third house, for Farore?

If someone could tell me, I would kiss and hug them.

1) Ezlo yapping about a secret has nothing to do with the bedroom itself, but if you go around and dig about you'll find a spot that has 20 rupees, thing is, go back into the house, come back out, same spot, another 20 rupees. That's the secret that is being referred to.

2) As for the 3 girls, you can only get houses for two of them (should have picked Farore first time, her charm is +attack, +defense, whilst the others only boost one of either each) so it seems by picking Din and Naryu (who together boost attack and defense) you have fairly shafted yourself

[LM]

If you pull out the GBA -> GC cable while playing it resets I believe.

Maybe you are doing that.

thats what we thought at first - one of the connectors was a bit dodgy - but to happen at the same point both times was weird, unless its at that point (just before saving) that the dodgy connection would cause a reset. I'm sure he got disconnected a few times during the game and it didnt reset...

might have to invest in a more secure lead

[ryodi]

Just had a quick go on this in single player through the first level and it is pretty good, marred slightly by the irritating beep everytime it goes to the GBA screen. So far it has been beautiful to look at surpassing Minish Cap for the water effects but the character models are worse. This is only a single player game for me but short bursts of a simpler Zelda in between getting constantly stuck on Minish Cap should be enough to get my moneys worth from it. Nice cardboard box as well, the colouring reminds of the N64 release of Majora's Mask.

[acidforblood]

Finished this last night, great game. Very nice end of credits as well, beautifully crafted from start to finish.

[Yobo Ahoy]

Been playing this slowly over the course of a fortnight with my brother, and it's absolutely fantastic. We're trying not to rush it, only on level four at the moment. Level 2 was awful, but 1 and 3 were great fun.

Some bits are incredibly frustrating- like not seeing a tiny crack in the wall you're supposed to bomb can piss up the whole level for you. Some other puzzles just don't have any logic to them at all. And it doesn't help that my GBA screen is scratched to hell. Maybe an SP is in order...

All in all though, it's the best GC game I've played for a long while. Since Metroid, probably.

[Davros sock drawer]

1) Ezlo yapping about a secret has nothing to do with the bedroom itself, but if you go around and dig about you'll find a spot that has 20 rupees, thing is, go back into the house, come back out, same spot, another 20 rupees. That's the secret that is being referred to.

Have you actually tried that? Becasue I read it on Gamefaqs after my last post in this thread, dug everywhere outside, and could find no 20 rupee piece...