The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past + Four Swords

Two games on one cartridge, and both exceptional – that is an offer you cannot refuse. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past + Four Swords brought to the Game Boy Advance a port of what many still consider the best two-dimensional Zelda ever, and on top of that added something the series had never had before – multiplayer. For fans of Hyrule it was a double helping of joy.

The foundation of the package is A Link to the Past, a 1991 classic originally for the SNES. This game defined the modern Zelda formula: a sprawling world split between Light and Dark, between which the player switches to solve interconnected puzzles, a series of thoughtfully designed dungeons and an iconic arsenal of tools from the hookshot to magic mirrors. Even decades later it is a textbook example of flawless game design, and the GBA port made it accessible to a whole new generation of players on the go.

The real novelty, though, is Four Swords – the very first cooperative Zelda in history. By linking several Game Boy Advance consoles, players could go through dungeons together, compete for rupees and cooperate while also throwing sticks under each other's feet. This game planted the seed from which later cooperative Zelda experiments grew, and in 2002 it was a small revolution for a brand that had, until then, been an exclusively solo affair.

The combination of a timeless classic and pioneering multiplayer makes this cartridge an exceptionally valuable package. You get both a game you will fall in love with alone in the quiet of your room and an experience best savored amid laughter with friends beside you. It is an ideal example of how cleverly ported releases could add extra value.

Anyone who does not know A Link to the Past has a unique chance to catch up on one of the greatest gems of the genre. And anyone who knows it by heart gets a reason to return – this time with two or more.

Why play it: For the timeless SNES classic in handheld form plus the historically first cooperative Zelda – double the value on a single cartridge.