One of the greatest games on the Game Boy Advance, this game is a testament to nostalgic greatness. A must-play.
Even though the Game Boy Advance for the most part has been abandoned due to the release of the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP, there are some games that just cannot be forgotten. For me, the Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap is a testament to that. While it doesn’t really break away from the traditional Zelda formula, it’s such a well crafted adventure that unless you’re overly critical about the games you play, you should be able to fall in love with this game as soon as it’s popped into your handheld. Here’s the review. One of the things that has never really changed for the Zelda series is the story, and while Minish Cap does break away from that a little bit, it’s still essentially the same. Basically, the country of Hyrule is at peace, and at the beginning there’s a festival in town celebrating the coming of the Minish. It seems like everything is nice, but if you know Zelda, you know that looks can be deceiving. It turns out that the winner of a melee competition earlier that day is Vaati, an evil sorcerer of sorts, and his intent was to take the Master Sword and let evil roam over the land. However, the plan didn’t work accordingly, and Zelda was turned to stone. In the end, you are sent on the quest to rescue her, due to the fact only children can see the Minish, and to repair the Master Sword. Yet again, this story doesn’t really break away from the traditional Zelda formula, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Graphically, this game sparkles. This is perhaps the best looking game to grace the Game Boy Advance, due to the great looking and often varied environments, to the special effects that come with every attack, and of course the characters themselves. Everything looks great when you’re traveling around, but when you’re shrunk to the size of the Minish, that’s when this game really shows how great it looks. Due to your size reduction, the size of the world around you is increased dramatically. What was once a small shoe to you is now another huge place to explore. What was once a tiny pond that you could swim across is now a giant ocean threatening to gobble you up if you fall in. It is all fantastic, and other than a few other games in the GBA library, this is probably the best looking game you’ll ever see. Also, you’ll notice that the Minish Cap takes the graphical greatness from the Wind Waker, from the smoke that runs from an enemy after you defeat them to the overall looks of the characters and environments. Like the story, all of the sound effects and music that are in the Minish Cap is very much traditional. Not that this is a bad thing, however. The series has always been known for the mesmerizing orchestrated music, and the Minish Cap is no different. From the usual themes to Link screaming when he slams his sword upon a foe, it screams nostalgia in every way. Like the graphics, this is one of the best aspects of the game, and is one of the best games in the GBA library in terms of overall quality. Finally, the big aspect of any game, the gameplay, and the Minish Cap delivers in spades. If any of you have played Four Swords Adventures for the GBA, you’ll know what to expect here, and that is definitely not a bad thing. The setup is very simple: to attack with your sword, you swing with the B button, and when you press the A button whichever item is equipped, from you shield to bombs or your bow, is then used. To move, you use the directional pad (duh!) and to grab things you press the R button. Simple, right? It’s the way everything is done that makes this game so great, even if it isn’t terribly different from any other Zelda game we’ve ever played. Items are used to great effect, like the new items called the Gust Jar, which sucks enemies and items up, and then effectively shoots it away. Finally, another new addition is when you press the select button, you are able to talk to the hat on your head. Wait a minute! Has Link finally gone mad? As a matter of fact, no. On your head rests a Minish turned into a completely different creature. He will travel with you for the majority of the game, and he can give you useful tips, or he can make a sarcastic comment that is a mix of funny and a bit of annoyance. Overall, the new additions do help, but if you don’t like the feeling that you’ve done this all before, this game may not be for you.
Replay value in this game isn’t incredibly huge, but it is there. The game itself can be finished in a matter of hours, but there are several things you can do afterwards. First, there are statues that you can collect, which gives a description about every character and enemy you meet in the game. There are also several different techniques you can learn in the game which are definitely worth getting. However, the largest of the additions by far is kinstones. If you go around Hyrule, you’ll meet different people whom you can fuse kinstones with, which can result in you getting different items, more kinstones, and other rewards that can make the experience overly addicting. Each of these additions can take hours to complete, so this can could take a while to complete 100%.
In conclusion, if you own a Game Boy Advance or Nintendo DS, enjoy adventure games, or in general love the Legend of Zelda series, then the Minish Cap belongs in your handheld library. From the beautiful graphics to the incredible music and sound effects, and of course the nostalgic story and the awesome gameplay, the Minish Cap is just an incredible game that simply cannot be missed. If you can find a copy of this game, you owe it to yourself to pick it up. You’ll definitely be impressed.
Overall score: 9.5 out of 10