The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Nintendo's famous swords-and-sorcery champion Link faces some enormous challenges, as he journeys through the Lilliputian lands of the Minish folk in this Game Boy Advance adventure. Though it may be too small for a normal-sized person to ever notice, the realm of the Minish hosts a bustling community of good-hearted people. Unfortunately, it is also a community of people in trouble, and it will take a hero like Link to help save them all. So it's lucky that at the beginning of this adventure, Link rescues a creature that allows him to shrink in size. This wise-cracking creature -- which is actually a talking hat -- offers a few other surprises as well, and the powers it bestows on its wearer become instrumental in solving many of the game's puzzles.
Some of the environments in Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap are best suited to a person of normal size, while others can only be accessed by someone of Minish proportion; Link must learn when to switch back and forth in order to accomplish different tasks. Real-time battles and NPC interaction also play their part in this adventure. Many characters carry "kinstones," which are half-pieces of special pendants. Often, when Link can recover the missing half of a kinstone, new characters, areas, or abilities become available. The Minish Cap was developed by the same Capcom studio that created the well-received Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages Legend of Zelda titles for Game Boy Color. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide
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Product Details
| UPC: | 045496734909 |
|---|---|
| Release Date: | January 11, 2005 |
| Platform: | Game Boy Advance |
| Genre: | Role-Playing |
| Style: | Third-Person 2D Action RPG |
Review
Link returns in classic form for The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, exclusively for the Game Boy Advance. This game brings back the classic third-person overhead perspective that has defined the Zelda series from the beginning, but just because the feel of the game is nostalgic doesn't mean that this is just another stroll through Hyrule. Nintendo worked with Capcom to create an imaginative adventure featuring a new race of beings, some new gadgets for Link, and a few new abilities. While the game does not offer much new and innovative gameplay, it makes up for it with simple, video game goodness.It begins with Link attending the Picori Festival with Princess Zelda. During the ceremony, the evil wizard Vaati emerges and opens a monster-filled chest so he can obtain the fabled light force. During the confusion, Vaati turns Zelda into stone, leaving it up to Link to find the mysterious and miniscule Picori to help change Zelda back to normal. At this point, many gamers would notice that Link is undeniably hatless. Link encounters his "hat" in the cursed form of Ezlo, a Picori wizard. Despite resembling a duck more than a hat, Ezlo aids Link by shrinking him down to the size of a Picori so he can talk to them. It is then that Ezlo reveals that the Picori refer to themselves as the "Minish."
Link moves about the game screen visiting towns and engaging monsters at will. Link's arsenal can be employed by assigning various weapons and tools to the controls and the fashionable Ezlo offers help and comic relief whenever needed. Some of Link's new gadgetry include the mole mitts which can be used to plow into certain walls and the gust jar that works like a high powered vacuum. There is also a fighting master who tutors Link in the art of fighting. This gives players a chance to employ new methods of destroying enemies instead of the usual hack-and-slash. The one flaw in the overall game play is it's too simple and many of the enemies can be dispatched with the swing of a sword. There is also a surprising lack of dungeons compared to previous versions, which makes the game itself depressingly short.
As for the dynamics itself, the environments are imaginative and colorful. The Minish themselves are a welcome addition to the races of Hyrule and Zelda veterans will recognize many characters from previous Zelda installments as well as certain background music. The Minish Cap might not break any new ground, but remains a wonderful addition to the saga that is Zelda and is sure to appeal to gamers of all ages.
Credits
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Link [The Legend of Zelda] | Character |
| Princess Zelda | Character |
| Vaati [Legend of Zelda] | Character |
| Ezlo [Legend of Zelda] | Character |
| Capcom Co., Ltd. | Developer |
| Nintendo of America, Inc. | Manufacturer/Publisher |
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