Things We Return to in Link, I mean Life.
Though I do consider myself a huge Zelda fan, I'm guilty of not playing every one. In a strange way this makes me lucky. Because two weeks ago I got the opportunity to play a pretty old Zelda title, Zelda: The Minish Cap, for the very first time.
One thing that has always impressed me with certain Nintendo titles is how well they balance the idea of "simple" and "complex." This is how new gamers, old gamers and Nintendo fans alike can find their titles so enjoyable. Minish Cap begins extremely simple. To start the story is easy to follow and the hero, Link, begins like he always does with only lint in his pockets. Fast forward an hour or two and the story has grown and not only has a plethora of new items to use, but also has gained new skills.
The Minish Cap is known (like the title suggests) for being able to shrink Link down to the size of a mouse. While not only does this double the size of the world, it also completely changes the way you look at it. As normal sized Link you'll constantly be looking for puzzles that can only be solved and secrets that can only be reached by your "minish" size.
In terms of story I've always found that with Zelda titles the gamers gets out of it what he/she wants to get out of it. Communicating with everybody around town to gather as much of the story can be tedious sometimes but Minish Cap does give you an incentive for doing so through "kinstones." Kinstones are shattered stones found throughout the gaming world, once you match the other half with someone in town or wherever a secret is unlocked. Linking these stones is sometimes mandatory but other times just to find extras and complete sidequests.
I often try to have a bit of fun with my reviews and looking up with what I've written so far I realize I'm taking this one a bit more seriously. Maybe because I'm sober. Maybe because I'm currently sitting in a food court in a mall waiting for the Verizon store to open so I can fix my phone. Actually the Verizon store has been open for two hours now. Why am I delaying this?