The Four Sword, which splits Link into four heroes in the game's opening sequence, is also the key to breaking the magic barrier at each stage's end. But you can demolish it only after you power up your blade by pocketing 2,000 Force Gems. Leave no stone unturned, vegetation unburned or wall intact—you'll find not only gems but also power-ups and secrets.

Whether you're playing solo or multiplayer, keep your eyes open for combo ops. The more enemies you can beat down with your blade (not other weapons) in short succession the more Force Gems will rain down after the battle.

The strange Shadow Link provokes Link into pulling the Four Sword from its shrine, releasing Vaati, the supremely evil wind sorcerer who debuted in the GBA's Four Swords. Each time you meet Shadow Link, slash him before he runs to earn 100 Force Gems. If he jumps around, break your four-Link formation to set up an ambush.

In the main adventure, Vaati returns to hijack Hyrule with thousands upon thousands of minions. Fortunately, there are four Links, and they can arrange themselves in four formations: wide (horizontal), long (vertical), cross and box. Each has its uses, whether to sweep up a litter of gems before they vanish, to gut foes efficiently or to solve puzzles. You can also disband the group and move a sole Link when needed.
If there's one thing we love more than banding together to save Hyrule, it's stabbing each other in the back. In a multiplayer quest, each player uses a GBA to control his destiny and view interior action when he leaves the pack, to put multiplayer squads to the test, some areas' layouts are significantly different, and eight in-quest minigames open up in Tingle's Tower.

THE FIRST LAND:

In the first land, you'll blaze through three stages in search of Vaati. You'll also get the hang of action that shifts to the GBA, In single-player mode, you can use a GCN Controller and see the GBA screen simulated on your TV. Use a GBA if you have one to hone your multiplayer edge!

LAKE HYLIA:

In the first stage of Whereabouts of the Wind, you'll rampage across Lake Hylia and get a handle on using squad formations to scare up as many Force Gems as possible.
Mow the grass on the far side of the bridge to reveal four buttons. Place a Link on each one to reveal treasure that includes a rare Heart Container.
Use the box formation to activate the switch in the clearing and bring down a rain of gems. Burn the stump in the glen to unleash a gem groundswell.
FIRE ROD
Get the Fire Rod from the house's backyard, then set off a wildfire on the front lawn—one of many dazzling Wind Waker-style effects—to find Force Gems. Burn the stumps to reach a stone that covers a cave.
You can dive for five seconds—plenty of time to scrape up submerged gems along the river and under the waterfall.
Pull up all the stones that surround the sole stump, then torch it to uncork a fountain of gems.
After you get the boomerang from the first cave, toss it at the house key stashed behind the stumps. The boomerang will latch onto the key and return with it. Watch for distant Force Gems and throw the boomerang at 'em.

In the right-hand waterfall cave, disband and put each Link on one of the four buttons. They'll open the middle cave, where you must disband again and put one Link on a buttonthat summons a bridge.
The button is on the far side, so pick up a fellow player and hurl him across the gap.

Go wide to push the huge block. Then walk onto the L-shaped transport in long formation and disband to put one Link on its jutting bit before he gets left behind. Use the box formation to trip the switch on the other side and open a room that holds the damage-halving Blue Bracelet.

TINGLE:

When you swim under the bridge, the view will shift to the GBA. You must get into box formation to pull up a rock that bars passage, and to release the ever-odd Tingle.
First Vaati, then gem-obsessed Tingle. Ugh. At least when you unleash Tingle on Hyrule, he'll open Tingle's Tower.

BOSS: CHIEF SOLDIER
If the game's awesome special effects don't floor you, the sheer number of foes that come at you will. When the mob of knights defending the bridge floods toward you, get into wide formation and wade in with swords swinging.
To reach and hack through Vaati's first barrier, you must break down a crew of small soldiers and one large one. Shift between the wide and long formations as you cut up the small fry, then focus on the big guy. Duck around his charges and gash him from the sides.

CAVE OF NO RETURN
After you blast the Lake Hylia barrier, which explodes with another Wind Waker-style spectacle, you'll push into the Cave of No Return. You'll prove the cave a misnomer if you can master the bow and lamp.

Get the two huge Force Gems suspended above the chasm by standing on the edge of the gap and swiping outward with your sword.
Grab the lamp then use it to light the braziers and cause a Force Gem windfall. Always start hoarding gems early—it's a long way to 2,000.

Shift into the long formation to pull the left switch. It'll reveal a chest that holds a Heart Container.
Break pots in the crockery-crammed room to find gems. You'll also find two gem fountains; be ready to sweep them up fast.

Gems are stashed in chests around the room that's chocked with colored blocks. A same lined Link can shove a block, so push your way around to reach every chest and reap a gem bounty.

The fire-ring that shields the room key is awfully purty. But don't touch it or you'll be burned. Push the block in each corner of the room to turn off the fire.
To reach the key in the second locked room, shove the midsized blocks out of your way using any formation in which all Links push (not the cross).
If you step on a trapdoor, you'll fall to the divided hall— and onto your GBA screen. Step onto each door to reach every part of the hall and gain its riches.

Clear the floor of pots quickly with charging strikes (by pushing B and the lunge direction simultaneously). You'll find a key in the east pile of pots, and a switch that reveals a chest (with a Heart Container inside) in the north pile.

In the GBA-screen maze, you must choose the correct branch or wind up back at the beginning. Choose the right, left then right paths to head out.
Unlock the north locked door. Before heading onward, throw a Link across the nearby gap and claim the bow and Blue Bracelet.
All Links must cross the gap and step on buttons to reveal the bow.
Light every brazier in the dark chasm by firing an arrow through each of four lit ones on the south ledge. Once it's done, a blizzard of bats will fly in. Go wide and fire volleys to clear them out quickly, but wait to clear the last bat until you've hit the distant switch that makes the bridge appear, or you won't be able to collect the gem windfall.

BOSS: SHADOW LINK
Use the long formation to pull the narrow handles: the left one reveals a chest, the right opens the door.
Shadow Link will at first drop bombs. Throw them back or fire arrows at him to daze him, then go in for a quick lunge before he can get his shield up. In time he'll change color. You must disband and send the matching Link to finish off Shadow Link.
With multiple players swarming the foe, you'll hurt him quickly, but only the color-matched of Link can complete the job.

HYRULE CASTLE
Four Swords Adventures evokes much Zelda nostalgia. If you've played A Link to the Past, you'll get a hint of deja vu in Hyrule Castle, but you'll soon discover a huge, never-.before-seen side of the castle.
Slash the right curtain in the throne room to reveal a chamber that holds a Heart Container, a good boost for the boss fight.  Before facing the  boss, leap off the ledge to find a Heart Container.

Take a detour to the far-left rampart, where you'll find a locked room. Push the nearby block to open the door, then enter to plunder the booty: a Fire Rod, a bow, Force Gems and a Blue Bracelet. Put your Links on the four buttons to expose a huge Force Gem outside.

After you enter the upper part of the castle, keep an eye out for Force Gems. You'll need to slash curtains, move blocks and pull off risky cannonball moves to chase them all down.

The deja vu starts early, when you realize that you're locked out of the castle and must find the secret entrance. Avoid the bomb-throwers on the parapets as you run to the left side and putt up a massive rock.
Enter the stairway to shift to the GBA screen. Old-school gamers rejoice: Link will be inside-scrolling profile—not seen since Zelda II! To reveal a path upward, have a Link stand on a button on each side of the gap. You'll need to hurl one Link over to reach the far button.

You'll reemerge atop the rampart to the right of the locked castle gate. Whack the gate switch then leap off the wall, enter the castle and vanquish a mob of soldiers and a huge knight in the first courtyard. In the second courtyard, pull the right lever to open the door. The great door inside is locked. To find the key, take the right path to the GBA -view room on the far-right rampart Grab the bow and fire it through the door. Watch the TV: the arrow will hit a bridge switch on the south rampart. Cross the bridge then jump to the yard and use a nearby bomb to blast a wall crack—and find the key.
Unlock the great door to enter a yard and face a three-part battle. Use your sword to rack up combos (and higher gem rewards). First you'll take on a few soldiers. Second you'll go toe-to-toe with one ball-and-chain swinging knight. Lunge with a swift strike when the ball passes. Finally you'll face dozens of soldiers; hack away in the long and wide formations.

THE PRISONERS:

On the back-left rampart, bit all four switches at once to open a path with the Spin Attack in cross formation
Drag the nearby statue onto the nearby button to open the jail window and shed light on a prisoner you must save 'inside the dungeon to the right.
Go to the back-right rampart to find the second prisoner. Pull the wide switch in wide formation to collapse a wall, then walk through the breach, pick up the bomb and blast your way to the jailed creature. Head back to the upper gate, which had been
protected by bomb-throwing soldiers and an electric field.The prisoners will join to form a great Fairy that will bring destruction on the soldiers and the barrier. Slash curtains in the next room to find right and left paths that lead to four buttons. Push them all to open the way onward.
In multiplayer mode, players must separate to push the four but tons simultaneously.