100
An indispensable game, combining arguably the finest RPG/adventure the 16-bit era ever produced (even compared to the likes of Secret of Mana and Final Fantasy VI) with an expertly realised multiplayer rendition of Zelda.
100
The adventure is long, involving, challenging and presented to perfection with beautiful graphics and a stunning soundtrack.
90
Not having to dig out the SNES and clean out the cartridge port is nice enough, but to play this classic game on the bus? Pure Nirvana. [Feb 2003, p.74]
7
Undoubtedly a classic, but the amount of content you’d have to repeat from dying without using save states would be really awful and the difficulty as a whole feels a little too high in general. Also the side quests and side content don’t feel super entertaining or rewarding especially compared to later entires.
9
This review is based off of A Link To The Past on the SNES. Overall, very fun game, I can see why it is considered to be a classic. My only nitpicks are that some things in the game are just way to cryptic. I understand that the older Zelda games were like that usually but some parts genuinely seemed impossible without the internet, or Nintendo Power for people of the past. Besides that, the gameplays is really fun, the dungeons are both puzzling and combat intensive. The music is really good and I never got tired of hearing it. The light world/dark world mechanic is still really cool even today. Overall a must play on the SNES.
10
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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past / Four Swords
Game Boy Advance
Released On:
Dec 3, 2002
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
95
User score
Generally Favorable
8.8
My Score
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All Platforms
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
97% Positive
29 Reviews
29 Reviews
3% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
The puzzles are still clever, the dungeons are still brilliantly laid out, the control is spot-on, and the graphics still look sweet. [Jan 2003, p.64]
100
"Four Swords" is the perfect multiplayer Zelda game. It combines amazing cooperative gameplay with competitive gameplay at the same time. The end result is a multiplayer game like no other.
User score
Generally Favorable
88% Positive
862 Ratings
862 Ratings
8% Mixed
79 Ratings
79 Ratings
4% Negative
39 Ratings
39 Ratings
Dec 30, 2025
10
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Dec 30, 2025
10
Zelda - Breath of the Wild was my very first Zelda game and turned me into a fan. Of course I wanted to explore the series’ roots, so I started playing A Link to the Past. And what can I say - it completely captivated me as well. It’s hard to explain what makes this game so incredibly good. It’s just overflowing with charm. The music and sound effects are unforgettable for me, even after all these years. The graphics have lost none of their appeal, and the gameplay is smooth and satisfying. The dungeon design is crisp and interesting, and the overworld invites exploration and sometimes even feels surprisingly open, reminding me a little of Breath of the Wild, though of course not nearly as expansive. Compared to other SNES games, this Zelda has that certain something that is difficult to put into words - it's just magical, and the gameplay mechanics are much better than in other SNES games. 10 out of 10.
97
While Zelda Advance is really two games on one cartridge, each is brilliant and very solid in its own right.
95
"Four Swords" is the most fun I've ever had with a four-player GBA game. [Jan 2003, p.212]
92
A great handheld port of one of the greatest games ever released for Nintendo's 16-bit system.
90
To the untrained eye, the Link To The Past cartridge may well appear to be nothing more than another videogame for kids and others who refuse to grow out of childhood. However, it is much more than that, being as worthy a narrative as many popular books out there can be.
74
The control of the game is where this really shines.
Feb 24, 2026
7
Undoubtedly a classic, but the amount of content you’d have to repeat from dying without using save states would be really awful and the difficulty as a whole feels a little too high in general. Also the side quests and side content don’t feel super entertaining or rewarding especially compared to later entires.
Jan 1, 2025
7
It wasnt bad, but i expected more, the other 2d zelda games are much better in my opinion
Sep 18, 2021
4
Definitely has not aged well. The first half of the game is pretty ok, nothing too special however. The dungeons are pretty simple, but inoffensive, I was waiting for the more interesting dungeons to come later. However what I got later was the Ice Palace, and Turtle rock. Not bad dungeons puzzle wise, in fact the Ice Palace in particular has a very nice puzzle near to the end. However what makes this dungeon unbearable is the ice physics, mixed with enemy spam. That's this ganes idea of difficulty, just putting too many enemies on screen. Both of these dungeons have boss rooms you can't leave, and you need magic to defeat them. If you're out of magic, you're out of luck. Its simply a frustrating mess in the endgame, and an inoffensive, but nothing special early and mid game. Links Awakening on the GameBoy is better than this.
Jul 23, 2020
4
terrible hit box, you only swing on one side of your body, if enemies are circling you you have to wait for them to get to the right side of your body. You can die real quick, and save spots are very far and few between. Disappointing uninspired boss fights as well. Its just frustrating. The whole dark world thing is super overrated as well, oh boy! You turned into a pink rabbit! Isn't that trippy? Its soooo cheesy and uninspired, and does not belong in Zelda.
