Nintendo is giving Nintendo 3DS and 2DS owners the chance to play one of the company's best multiplayer games for free for a limited time. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition will be free to download for the company's handheld consoles until Feb. 2, and those who have not played the game before should make downloading the game a priority. Click here to learn how to download the game.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition features the crazy multiplayer gameplay that made the original Gamecube title so compelling. In classic old school Zelda art style (due in part to the original game's requirement that Gamecube owners use the Gameboy Advance as a controller for the game using a special connector cord) up to four players can try to conquer a Zelda game together. But what really makes the game special is that the players will also have to compete with each other, as at the end of each level the top player is rewarded for their efforts. This leads to fierce competition, which can escalate into players frequently throwing their allies off of cliffs or into traps in hopes of having the most rupees at the end of a level.

Considering that it is rare for a Legend of Zelda game to offer multiplayer options, fans of the series have yet another reason to download the excellent Four Swords Anniversary Edition. 

This offering of a free Zelda game appears to be the first in several Legend of Zelda themed events planned by Nintendo. The company is also planning to release the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on to the Wii U eShop, however, that legendary entry in the series will not be arriving on the 3DS eShop at the same time. Nintendo 3DS owners can, however, look forward to "a special Art Academy SketchPad event in Miiverse."

The Nintendo 3DS is currently the company's best-selling console, and the success of its hardware and games have prevented Nintendo from completely tanking in the wake of the Wii U's lackluster sales in 2013.