A classic Zelda adventure that is a bit easier than past offerings.
Without going into where this particular game fits into the Zelda chronology, Link is once again tasked with saving princess Zelda and the kingdom of Hyrule from certain doom at the hands of an evil wizard. Before you've been out too long on your adventure you will come across a talking hat called The Minish Cap that will grant you the ability to shrink to the size of tiny beings, only visible to children, called the Minish. With the help of this ability you will travel to six far-away dungeons and battle four evil monsters to gain the sacred elements that will imbue an ancient magical sword with mystic powers. Only then will you be able to defeat the evil wizard (this time around he's a guy named Vaati) and save the day.
All the classic Zelda creatures (Octarocks, Tektites, Levers too...) return in this adventure for you to make mince-meat of, or die trying. And the classic push-statue-over-switch puzzles can be found in every dungeon, along with some new gems. To help you on your way, you'll have access to all of Link's famous adventuring gear, including the Shield, Boomerang, Bow, Bombs, etc. There are also some all new items that will be available this time around like the Gust Jar which sucks up and blows out air, as well as a Cape that lets Link jump and fly for short distances. Also, as you defeat each boss monster and are rewarded with the elements, you will be able to add the ability of creating (up to four) magical shadows of yourself. This play mechanic will be useful in solving puzzles as well as fighting some of the boss monsters.
Like every Zelda before it, The Minish Cap provides you with hours of treasure hunting madness to enjoy. You have the classic heart containers and magical item upgrades to find as well as new items called Kinstones. Finding the Kinstones is actually the easy part. Finding characters to fuse them with is the real challenge. Throughout the game different characters will wish to fuse with you (matching your half to theirs), and will reward you with either rupees, heart pieces, or even important gameplay items. Fusing with every character is entirely optional and only for those truly crazy Zelda fans. And if that wasn't enough, there are also over a hundred statuettes to collect, one for each character in the game.
The graphics of The Minish Cap, while somewhat reminiscent of 2003's The Wind Waker, have a distinct flavor of their own and are some of the best for the Gameboy Advance so far. The environments are rich and colorful and the characters are all vibrant and interesting. The sound effects are satisfying and the music has the classic Zelda stanzas as well as some great new compositions. In all, the presentation values of The Minish Cap are absolutely top notch.
The Minish Cap provides an excellent Zelda adventure that nevertheless is slightly easier than past offerings. For Zelda fans as well as all GBA owners, this game is a must-have.