Instantly recognizable, unexpectedly refreshing.
User Rating: 9 | The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap GBA
[B]Instantly recognizable to all who have played a Zelda game before, yet unexpectedly refreshing.[/B] The Legend of Zelda has been one of Nintendo’s most successful franchises ever since the original Legend of Zelda appeared on the NES in 1987. 5 years later A Link to the Past rose the bar for top-down action adventurers into previously unknown heights. Fast forward to 2005 and the Minish Cap, released on the GBA, stands proudly asides its 13 year old brother as one of the best 2D games every created, and possibly the best GBA game to date. Whether you are a Zelda veteran or virgin, you are bound to enjoy this well crafted experience that draws inspiration from it’s 18 year legacy. As all but the first of the portable Zelda tittles, the Minish Cap has been developed by Capcoms in-house development team Flagship, monitored by Aunoma, who was responsible for the Wind Waker. While most of us perfectly know what to expect from a new Zelda title before we even boot it up, Flagship have done a wonderful job at incorporating a large array of new ideas and locales amongst a massive amount of familiar elements borrowed from nearly every game ever released in the series. The return of the ongoing spin-attack from the Wind Waker and A Link to the Pasts Armos knights are but two examples. Each Zelda game differentiates itself from its predecessors in that there is always one gameplay gimmick that overshadows the whole game and this time it takes the form of a talkative beaked cap, which enables you to shrink to a Picori-sized 4 pixels in height and functions as a guide, helping you through the game and keeping you on track with the main quest. This quest consists of restoring power to the sacred Picori blade called the Four Sword in order to stop Vaati from becoming all-powerful and freeing Zelda from the stone form Vaati imprisoned her in. True to Zelda tradition this is achieved by retrieving 4 elements conveniently stored away deep within monster-infested dungeons. On first sight this might not seem to bid well for the longevity of the game, but those with a knack for exploration will easily take a 20-odd hours to beat the main quest. And explore you will. Even more so then previous Zelda games you are encouraged to double-check every nook and cranny for collectibles, rupees and hearts, and Flagship have made sure that there is indeed something to find wherever you look. Taking on his microscopic size Link sees the world from a whole different perspective, where high grass forms impenetrable forests, puddles lakes, and even the most harmless of enemies become threatening monsters. In this state Link can spot and talk to the Picori people, the Minish and even enter their homes. These little elves came to Hyrule ages ago and have secretly lived amongst humans ever since, only to slowly be forgotten by the humans which now see them as pure lore. A few Minish are intricate to advancing the main quest, while most just give you valuable information, or offer to fuse kingstones with you. These kingstones are found all over Hyrule and fusing them with humans, Picori and animals alike will result in a chest appearing or some event happening somewhere on the map. All in all there are a 100 something kingstone fusions to be had, and if you want to complete the game fully they’re best not ignored. Graphically the game is very pleasing. No 2D Zelda game has ever shown so much detail in both environment and character design, yet it stays true to it’s SNES roots. Shrink down to Picori-size and enter a narrow passageway or the Picori settlements and things only get better as the detail level multiplies by 10. Animation is top-notch throughout, albeit a bit lacking after seeing what good animation can do for games with the Wind Waker. Another subtle yet pleasing detail is the abandoning of the static shifting screen-sized environment in which Link moves for a smoother and more contemporary alternative in which Link remains in the center of the screen and the environment moves beneath his feet. With the GBA portable Zelda games have finally surpassed the realm of tuned down blinky-bloinky transitions of classical scores and have entered the field of the true Zelda compositions as they were intended to be heard. The music mainly consists of an array of old familiar scores added by a small number of newly composed ones. The sound effects are nicely done and subtly added, and most characters yelp something when spoken to. All as can be expected, although the enemy grunts sorely lack grunting as most of them stroll on in complete silence. The gameplay department won’t disappoint either as both new and old items such as the gust jar and Pegasus boots often sport multiple functions. This opens up a lot of possibilities for inventive puzzles and boss battles. The downside of this multifunctionality is that figuring out how to solve certain situations sometimes turns into a simple matter of trial and error. There are a healthy number of sidequests to be had, yet most of them rely on kingstone fusions at one point or another, making it all feel a tad ad random. These fusions ensure that you’ll partake in plenty of backtracking and exploring to determine exactly what result they have triggered. To prevent all these small events from being forgotten over time they are niftily marked on your map of the overworld. Some of you might find it reassuring to know that fetch-quests have been kept to a minimum and are always confined to well determined areas. All in all Flagship have delivered a very enjoyable game worthy of the Zelda name. It might not be as big as A Link to the Past but it will keep you occupied for 15 to 30 hours and leave you satisfied as you finally store it away in your collection, which is all that can and should be expected from a Zelda game. Quite a shame the cart isn’t gold though.
