The ROM contains three new stages built from tilesets of The Legend of Zelda (NES), A Link to the Past, and Link’s Awakening. These aren't just asset flips; they are lovingly crafted homages. For instance, the Link’s Awakening stage redesigns the Bottle Grotto maze puzzle for a co-op/single-player environment. These levels are exclusive to this ROM; they exist nowhere else in the Zelda series.

You might wonder: After all this legal and technical trouble, is the game even good?

Surprisingly, yes. While Four Swords is not Breath of the Wild, the Anniversary Edition is arguably the definitive 2D Zelda multiplayer experience (even played solo). The “Realm of Memories” is a gut-punch of nostalgia, re-scored with orchestral touches. The ability to play a dungeon from Link’s Awakening in a totally new engine is something Nintendo has never officially repeated.

Furthermore, because of the ROM exclusive status, owning a playable copy feels like holding a piece of Zelda history that time forgot.

Here is the brutal reality: You cannot legally download the Four Swords Anniversary Edition from Nintendo anymore.

When the Nintendo DSi Shop and the original Nintendo 3DS eShop closed in March 2023, the last legal avenue for purchasing this game vanished. It was never ported to Switch. It is not on the NSO (Nintendo Switch Online) service. It is not on Wii U.

This digital extinction is why the phrase “Zelda Four Swords Anniversary Edition ROM exclusive” has exploded in search volume. For collectors and fans, the only remaining functional copies live on old DSi or 3DS hardware that still have the game installed. If that hardware dies, the game dies with it.

Because no physical cartridge exists for the Anniversary Edition (the original GBA cartridge is a different game), the ROM has become the sole preservation method.

Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5) – For those who can legally obtain or preserve it