$20…er, Free Game of the Week: Legenda of Zelda – Four Swords Anniversary Edition (DSIWare)

If there is one video game icon who got to celebrate his birthday this year, it’s Link. Legenda of Zelda turned 25 this year, and not only do we get a 3DS remake of one of his greatest adventures (Ocarina of Time), a new Wii game (Skyward Sword), but we get a free version of Link’s first multiplayer outing, Four Swords. Originally an add-on to the Game Boy Advance remake of A Link In To The Past, Four Swords became a surprise hit among fans and critics alike. It is only available until February 20 of next year, so if you have a DSI, DSIXL, or 3DS, hurry up and download it.

When a creature named Vaati kidnaps Princess Zelda, Link is instructed to grab a mysterious artifact known as the Four Sword. This sword splits him into four copies of himself, and he must travel through several areas in order to get to Vaati. The best way to describe Four Sword’s gameplay is basically Zelda meets Gauntlet. You and your pals will work together to solve puzzles using franchise staples such as the boomerang and bombs, but at the same time you’ll be competing with each other to see who can gain the most rupees in each stage. The DSI release adds in a new single-player mode in which a player can swap between two links to solve puzzles, and the game also features some new areas. The game isn’t as deep as the other installments in the Zelda series, but the multiplayer action makes up for it.

Four Swords became an instant classic when it was first released, and the free download is a nice way to celebrate Link’s 25th birthday. If you have friends who have the game, it becomes even better.