
Those poor Hylians just can't have any fun, can they? Just when everything seems to be all well and good, some creep with bad skin comes along, unleashes a whirlwind of evil and shrouds the land in darkness. It's tough for us to feel too bad for them, though. Because as history has shown, bad news for Hyrule means great news for gamers.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is the third handheld Zelda game developed by Capcom's Flagship Co., Ltd. and the first (and last) original Zelda for the Game Boy Advance. The game was released during the very end of the GBA era — around the release of the DS in North America — moving little more than a million copies worldwide in its lifetime. It may be one of the weakest-selling of the series, but in no way is that a mark of its quality. The Minish Cap is an expertly designed title that stays true to the series' old school roots while introducing a host of new ideas that make it feel fresh seven years later.

Formulaic they may be, but between Majora's Mask, The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword, the Zelda games have given us some cracking narratives over the years. Unfortunately, The Minish Cap's story stands as one of the series' least memorable.
After the evil sorcerer Vaati shatters the legendary Picori Blade, thus breaking an ages-old seal that has kept evil from spreading throughout the land of Hyrule, he turns the princess into stone just to rub it all in. He then dramatically disappears, mumbling something about finding a golden light.
The king says the only way to break the curse on the princess is by restoring the Picori Blade, and the only people who can do that are the Picori themselves. The Picori — or the Minish, as they prefer to be called — are extremely tiny creatures who can only be seen by good-hearted children. Since Link is the only good-hearted child standing in the room at the time, he gets stuck with the task.

If that sounded a tad uninteresting, it's because it is. It gets slightly more interesting as it goes along, but ultimately, it's just not presented in a way that gets us excited. The best part about the whole set-up is that it's brief, and lets you jump quickly into the action. And that's a good thing, because nearly every other aspect of The Minish Cap is positively outstanding.
From even the earliest moments in the game, it's clear that the folks at Flagship set out to create a truly beautiful experience that would set a new benchmark in terms of what we expect visually from a 2D Zelda game. Following in the footsteps of Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures, the visuals in The Minish Cap are a culmination of everything great about A Link to the Past and The Wind Waker. When escorting Princess Zelda to the Picori Festival at the game's outset, the player is immediately drawn in by the intense care and craft that the team put into creating the land they're about to explore. The broad colour palette, the expressive sprites, the meticulously detailed environments — all of these things come together to create one of the most whimsical and fully realised interpretations of Hyrule in the history of the series.

And in the typical Nintendo fashion, the visual style has been carefully chosen to best accent the gameplay — and as far as gameplay is concerned, The Minish Cap has a pretty strong case for being the best handheld Zelda to date.
No time is wasted in introducing exciting new mechanics. Early on in the game, Link meets a strange, loudmouthed and conveniently hat-shaped creature named Ezlo. As it turns out, Ezlo has a grudge to settle with Vaati as well (though he's initially hesitant to go into details about it) so he eagerly decides to join you on your quest. This proves to be quite a blessing, for in addition to making a lovely bit of headgear, he also grants you the remarkable ability to shrink down to Thumbalina-esque sizes. It could have been a simple gimmick, but Flagship has made such effective use of the concept that it ends up being one of the most interesting gameplay twists the series has seen so far.

Shrinking allows you to interact with the tiny Minish creatures who live throughout Hyrule, but to do so you'll need to find a portal that allows you to decrease your size. You soon come to find that many seemingly normal things in the human world (such as tree stumps and cauldrons) are actually portals to the world of the Minish. Standing on such objects and singing a little song (which is done by the pressing of a button, of course — actually singing out loud will accomplish very little) allows Link to shrink down and explore the land around him from a new perspective. This brings a riveting new dimension to exploration. Small puddles become enormous lakes whilst Minish-sized, and walking during a light drizzle of rain can prove to be as hazardous as climbing Death Mountain — tiny water droplets are as large and as dangerous as falling rocks and boulders.
One the game's most endearing qualities, however, is its emphasis on new items. Zelda titles have recycled items for ages; while there's always a few new ones thrown in, we often find ourselves using arrows, bombs and boomerang as much as ever. This is not the case in The Minish Cap. Series staples like the Hero's Bow and the Bomb Bag are handed out with little excitement or fanfare, while obtaining the boomerang is entirely optional. Instead, the focus is placed on items that were entirely new upon its release (some of which were later used in Skyward Sword) — like the Mole Mitts, The Gust Jar and the Cane of Pacci — or that are fairly obscure, like the Pegasus Boots or Roc's Cape. They may not the most exciting items that Link has ever had (the Gust Jar is literally just a big blue jar that sucks in air) but the fact that they take the front seat provides a refreshing change of pace.

The only problem with all these new gameplay mechanics and items is that they don't always seem to tie in with the story particularly well. The biggest culprit is your sword. Link has to fuse the once-powerful weapon with four sacred elements so it can be restored to its former glory and thus destroy Vaati; each time a new element is collected and fused with the sword, Link is given the ability to “split” himself by standing on certain panels. Charging your sword while standing on these panels creates ghost-like copies of Link that can be used temporarily to solve puzzles. It's a remarkably fun addition, and its put to excellent use, but why the sword allows Link to do this is never explained. As cool as it is, its lack of context makes it feel like a bit like a forced tie-in to the Four Swords releases.
Once you set foot in one of the game's brilliant dungeons, however, these problems just melt away. Like the game that would follow it, Phantom Hourglass, the primary focus is on puzzle solving, not combat, and as a result you likely won't see too many Game Over screens. But arguably unlike Phantom Hourglass, The Minish Cap can actually be legitimately challenging at times: the dungeons are not only incredibly unique, they're also some of the most cleverly designed in the series. Later incarnations in the handheld Zelda games would suffer from an unfortunate sort of sameness in their design from one to the next, but Flagship has made certain that each dungeon in The Minish Cap feels distinctly different from the last, going as far as having unique theme songs for each one.

The most impressively designed labyrinth, however, is Hyrule Field itself. More than any other Zelda game, The Minish Cap's overworld is one that begs to be explored from head to toe. It's almost Metroid-like in its design — at first it appears linear and restrictive, but as new items are acquired and new tasks are accomplished, it reveals itself to be one large, intricately designed and interconnected maze; a design philosophy that would later go on to directly inspire Skyward Sword. While Twilight Princess's overworld often felt barren and lifeless, it's tough to go an inch in The Minish Cap without encountering some enemy, town, character or puzzle. A diverse soundtrack and some addictive, well-integrated sidequests like Kinstone fusing add even more joy to the experience.
Conclusion
It may not be the longest game in the series — Zelda veterans could easily beat it in a weekend — but Nintendo and Flagship have packed so much content into this tiny title that it's hard to believe it's not a full-fledged console release. With several mini-games and a plethora of sidequests, you'll almost definitely be playing long after the credits have rolled, and what it lacks in a compelling narrative it makes up for with a charming presentation and some of the best gameplay the series has to offer. It's an essential and hugely influential entry to the franchise, and further proof that in the world of Zelda, the difference between the console iterations and the handheld ones is not the quality — it's merely the size of the screen.
Comments 98
This is rapidly becoming my favorite 2D Zelda game. It has some absolutely brilliant dungeons and items. I like that it's shorter too; most Zelda games have too much boring filler between the awesome, and that's almost completely absent here.
I haven't finished it, but so far it's a 10 in my book. :3
It may be rather short, but this is a classic! One of the best 2D Zelda games I've played!
A Link to the Past + Link's Awakening = Minish Cap
I agree with this review, except for the part about the plot. Zelda games generally have stories that are good, but not great. Minish Cap is no exception.
Loving it so far, im quite a new gamer so i havnt played most of the virtual console games for!
My favorite of the 5 GBA games I've spent significant time with so far. (I've never played any of them when they were new, so this is a fantastic bonus for me.)
Great game, and great review.
A puppy dies every time someone says "trill."
Love Minish Cap, one of my favourite GBA games.
It's too bad it's so short. What is there is impressive though. Particularly the visuals. Graphically this is one of, if not the most impressive Zelda game ever made. It sure is the best-looking GBA game.
Great review
I wasn't going to play this game unless it got a good review
that how I roll
My favorite Zelda game 10/10
Haven't even started the game yet on 3DS as I beat it on my GBA SP (for third time) a couple of weeks ago. But I'll surely go and beat it on my 3DS also and try to get those Kinstone fusions that I missed on my last playthrough.
Yeah, this is definitely a great little game, and one that's gotten kind of an undeservedly bad wrap since it's so short.
I enjoyed the game overall back when I played it, but there were two things that bugged me: having to leave the room to reset puzzles and the short length of the game. In my book, a puzzle loses a lot of credibility if you have to do something silly such as walking out of a room to reset it. I want to see the sequence where the enemies sneak in and re-position the puzzle
Minish Cap is probably one of my least favorite Zelda games, but it was still a very good game for what was a very good handheld.
Um...?
http://web.archive.org/web/20100910010807/http://retro.nintendolife.com/reviews/2010/09/legend_of_zelda_the_minish_cap_retro
So you just threw away all the comments, edited the review a smidge and slapped it on the main page like it was new? Who even cares about a new review, it's only for ambassadors, and it's free. So this is pointless. Great job, nintendolife.
I actually kind of like Minish Cap, despite it being a zelda game. Definetly the best 2d zelda ever made. 6/10
Probably my least favorite Zelda as well. Fun little game, but nowhere near the caliber of other Zelda titles.
@Blink83
That link was worth it to see all the users I'm glad aren't here anymore. Ah the times, how they have changed.
@blink83 Hey, you should check for our retro reviews of Metroid Fusion and Wario Land 4 while you're at it. Might save you time in a few days
But why do you do that...? I mean they're free so it's not like a review is needed to decide if they want to purchase it or not. And you just throw all the original comments/memories out the window
You could even make a feature simply linking to all the ambassador game reviews. This review rehash thing is really pointless to me.
hahaha looked at the article just after 100%-ing minish cap. Such a coincidence.
@Mickeymac did you look up ur username?
Basically it's Christmas time and most of the games we want to review we've already reviewed. Our GBA section is pretty slim — I think we only have 24 reviews — so this is a good chance to improve that with titles everyone's talking about. We'll be posting new reviews of the other games we never reviewed so it's only fair our existing reviews have their share of the limelight too
Possibly my favorite GBA game and I can't wait to play it once exams are over.
But why do you do that...? I mean they're free so it's not like a review is needed to decide if they want to purchase it or not.
Preserving this comment for posterity when the GBA games become available for purchase.
I have finished it like 3 times on my GBA! Soon the 4 times cuz im gonna play it on 3DS...
this game is based off of my user-name
Continue the reviews, please! I check for the GBA reviews all day now
Great review! Reliving the game and finds that I feel more for it now than I did, always thought it good though.
@blink83
Reviews are more than just buyers guides. They illuminate the games themselves and their perspective sparks conversation. We put it on the front page because hey, a lot of people are playing it right now. We're not trying to pass it off as new.
As for people saying it's a 10...here's how I feel:
The Zelda games, for me at least, are so legendary and consistently brilliant that they sort of exist outside of the normal spectrum of gaming and are at a point where they can only really be judged against themselves. Which is to say, Zelda's only competition in its field is Zelda. As a game, Minish Cap is darned near perfect. As a Zelda game, I think it could be better.
In my opinion this is the best zelda ever , while I have enjoyed every zelda on every nintendo machine a great deal, this zelda was just more exciting and more fun than any other in my opinion.
I've always preferred the handheld, top-view Zelda gameplay to the free-roaming 3d games. So I'm thrilled that Minish is in the ambassador games list, especially as I've never played it before. The first dungeon alone is just ingenious, if that's a precursor of things to come then I'm in for a real treat!
@Chicken_Brutus
I hope that happens sooner rather than later. I NEED to play this.
On another note, when are the NES games supposed to be available to everyone? I thought it was when the rest of the Ambassador games got released, but that's obviously wrong.
Lovely review! Agree completely, but I would give it a 10/10. That's so true what you said 'it's not the size of the console'... This is a fantastic game! One of my favorites in the Zelda series. People say you can easily beat it in a weekend, but seriously, unless you are playing for 48 straight hours with no life and no sleep you really can't. I played it off and on for quite a few months when it came out and still never officially beat it. Wonderful level design and characters, quests, music, everything
You guys forgot to mention this was also the 12th Zelda game in the franchise history.
@tweet75 totally agreed! @corbs totally disagree! It's the best!! The handheld Zelda games are my favorite. The console (Wii) Zelda games imho are a whole different game to me and I do not find them as challenging and fun.
Why no 10?!?!?!? >:{
It is after all the best handheld Zelda game so far. If you put it up against other handheld entries in the series then its a 10. There's no comparing it to the console ones because those are console games
What? This deserves a 10.
@Kid_A So the only zelda game that currently deserves a perfect score is the one that is the best?
@blink83
U Mad Blink?
This how NL rolls, if you don't like it, you can leave bro.
Now I have 4 Zeldas to go! Link to the Past, Wind Waker, Spirit Tracks, and Skyward Sword! (BTW, What happened to the SS Bundle? I can't find it, and my mom can't either... no SS for christmas...)
@SmexiZeldaMan, Giratina6
It's short.
@blink83 It's the exact same game...so i don't see the problem in re-posting the review to those who mightn't have seen it before....
Ugh! No time left for homework! Nintendo really shouldn't hand these out for early 3DS adopters!
The only Zelda game I have ever beaten.
@whimsy
I don't think I understand what you're saying. It's all subjective. I think the "best" Zelda game is Wind Waker, but you'll see that we gave it a 9. I gave Link's Awakening a 10, but I wouldn't say it's the best game in the series. It all comes down to personal opinion and your individual idea of what makes a great Zelda game.
This was the last 2-D overhead view styled Zelda and a great one!
I really liked how well they used the shrinking idea in this.
The puzzles are very clever and well thought out.
The music is catchy and there's alot of classic remixes in there too.
It might be short if you rush through but the completionist could easily spend far longer getting everything.
@Kid_A: You said this "only" got a 9 because there are better Zelda games. Since Minish Cap is one of my favorites in the series, and Whimsy apparently agrees, this would mean that only the absolute best zelda game is deserving of a 10.
10/10
this is the I play every time I start my 3DS
Funny how skyward sword got a perfect 10 yet the complaints about controls would suggest otherwise. Minish cap has traditional button controls yet it only got a 9/10. What brought Minish cap's score down by that one point? The lack of dungeons? The fact that it's 2-D when at this point they were mostly all 3D?
7 or 8/10 for being short and easy. Also, because finding spots for Kinstone fusion is annoying. >8C
@Link79
From our Skyward Sword review: "...no title on Kinect or PlayStation Move can hold a candle to the artistry of Skyward Sword."
You won't find any complaints about controls in our perfect 10 review. In fact you won't find any complaints at all. You will find some complaints in this Minish Cap review. Reading is the key here.
@uel and @whimsy
You guys seem to think that there can only be one "best," perfect 10 Zelda game. I think you'll find that we've given A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and Skyward Sword all 10/10s. In our opinion, these games are the bar, and Minish Cap doesn't quite reach it. A 9/10 is still an incredibly good score, mind you, and it's well deserved: Minish Cap is an incredibly good game.
this review score was fair, while this is indeed the best handheld Zelda game, it's not perfect, and nine isn't a bad score, also remember people, the scores are SUBJECTIVE to the opinion of the author. I don't agree with James giving Skyward Sword a 10/10 (it's one of my favourite Zelda games, don't get me wrong, but it's not perfect, I personally give it a 9/10), but I respect his opinion, and won't complain about it.
Back to my main point, Minish Cap is one of my favourite Zelda games, love it to death, so happy Nintendo let me have it for free
@Kid_A You guys should just stop scoring zelda games, it's just too much trouble
And looking forward to playing this while I cruise the pacific in early January
@timp29: You guys should just stop scoring
zeldagames, it's just too much troublefixed that for you
I think that it speaks to the quality of the series that although I personally consider Minish Cap to be one of the "lesser" Zelda entries (the ones that are "just" good or very good; there are no bad ones), my opinion of it was still high enough that I thought it warranted an additional two playthroughs since I first finished it.
It was free for me this past weekend.. I can't argue with the value of that.
@Kid_A: I'm not disagreeing with the score. I just think that out of A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and Skyward Sword, only one or two of them are better than Minish Cap. If I reviewed the games, I would either give this one a 10 or the vast majority of them 9s. It's not that there can only be one "best" game, it's that there can only be one better than Minish Cap.
...the difference between the console iterations and the handheld ones is not the quality — it's merely the size of the screen.
Dayum, this dude can write.
Seeing that the game is a bit on the short side of the spectrum, I'm now much more interested in giving this game a full play through than I was before.
Great review @Kid_A
@Mickeymac Although it is short, it is such a charming, enjoyable game that it begs to be played multiple times. I have completed it 100% twice and beaten it 4 times in all Surely a game this fun to play--and replay--should deserve a 10, although 9 is great too (I guess ;__;).
^It's still short.
In order of worst to best, in my opinion
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames
Wario Land 4
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
Kirby and The Amazing Mirror
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap
Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island
Metroid Fusion
It's a weird list...
This has always been my favorite Zelda game behind Windwaker and Oracle of Ages.
Easily my favorite handheld Zelda game. The Minish Cap is wonderful. The puzzles are well-crafted, the characters are entertaining, especially Ezlo, and the items are fun to use. It's too bad that I will probably finish Minish fast. At least it will seem longer than 3D Land.
You people keep saying it's "short"... I don't get it. What's the playtime it took you to beat the game, from start to finish, finishing all the mini games and side quests?? Just curious... Anyone?
They call it short because you can beat all the dungeons in 10 hours, if you don't get stuck (and you probably won't). You do have the option of trying to stretch the game out longer, if you want to collect figurines.
I still have my copy since launch day. I always thought it was one of the best in the series and enjoyed it alot. Im glad it got a good score here.
The Minish Cap is a really fun game, but I think it pales in comparison to Link's Awakening and the Oracle games. The overworld design is superb, and I absolutely loved the idea of Kinstone fusion, but the dungeons are, for the most part, not that memorable, and the story does nothing compelling at all.
@Kid_A: Good job defending the review. I think people whine too much about individual scores. I also agree that this game is not a 10/10. It has too many flaws that can't be overlooked. There is the complete lack of side quests outside of the kinstone fusion, which gets really annoying really fast. (You fuse kinstones to make a treasure appear on the map travel all the way there and open it to get... another kinstone? Really Flagship?) Just getting around the map is a pain, they took the Metroid approach here which gets really annoying. Then there's the problem of the GBA's lack of buttons. Having to switch out items all the time to pull off specific moves gets annoying.
That being said, the dungeons are brilliant. It has the best graphics in the entire series. This is deffinatly a solid game in the Zelda cannon and every bit deserving of a 9.
The best Zelda is Zelda II
I remember playing this on my original GBA and thinking it was good but not great. I'll definitely explore it again now it's on 3DS, especially as it's free and whatnot.
It's not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, but it fails to stick out in my mind, and when we're talking about a series with a myriad of iconic moments in it, that just doesn't bode well personally. Still fun to play though.
finally beat this tonight, despite having the cartridge for years. Thank you ambassador program.Is it just me or is the difficulty of the final boss's forms out of order?
EDIT: Regarding the game length: I had a look at the play time of the Zeldas on my 3DS and they stack up as follows; minish cap: 18:12 (one playthrough), Links awakening: 19:07 (one playthrough), Ocarina of time: 21:11 (one and a bit playthrough). So, it looks like minish cap is 1hr shorter (1hr is nothing in a Zelda game). I had played all three before, I have finished ocarina more times that I can count, but hadn't finished minish cap or links awakening before, so they are the best to compare.
Does it matter that Minish Cap only got a 9? Does 9/10 suddenly mean that it's an awful game and much worse than other Zelda games all of a sudden? People need t get a grip. Minish Cap is a superb game, and I've said so in the past on a review I wrote on Amazon.co.uk when it was first released, but whether something is worth a 9 or a 10 is entirely down to the individual reviewers opinion, not peer pressure from angry butthurt fanboys (many of whom haven't even played all games in the series to compare them). Some games are more 'great' to some people than others (I really enjoyed Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers but it would be silly of me to demand it be scored 10/10) but as long as it's a fun game and the review is a positive one then nobody should be complaining about the score being what it is. Personally, I'd only give Minish Cap a 9 too, it's short length compared to the other Zelda games is a (slight) letdown for me. But for other people, the shorter length is a bonus.
Nintendo should announce that all these games will be available for paying customers soon.
10/10 Best Zelda ever :3
@76 If you want to just Tank through a Zelda game then complain it's short then you really need to be asking yourself why you're even playing this game. One of the great things about this game is that you could spend plenty of time outside of the main storyline exploring and unlocking secrets. There are no angry 'butt-hurt' fans here, and no one is taking it too seriously.
First time I beat it on emulator, and it was awesome. Now I am a happy owner of the game on my 3DS
I thought I'd already read this review in the Retro section, but I guess I was wrong. Great game nonetheless!
@80 - You have, they rereviewed it for the 3DS VC. It got 9/10 last time too.
I can't believe this game didn't sell much over a million copies. Surprising just because of the DS launch maybe but it would have been he best game to play on your DS for like the first year! I'm glad Nintendo is giving many a chance to experience this gem!
Many thanks for a great revue Jacob (re-vamped or not).
I just love to read about a game I'm about to play, whether or not it's already on my console. A revue isn't a walkthrough, but it tells me a bit about what to expect and maybe how to start out. Keep 'em coming folks!
Wonderfully designed game.
@34
really? i thought OoT3D was the best portable zelda game. i laugh at the inaccuracy of these comments
It's because a lot of people ignore the validity of remakes and ports.
@SanderEvers Not having to deal with sailing puts Minish Cap over Wind Waker for me. Sailing for hours was so boring... That really killed any desire I would've had to replay Wind Waker. Minish Cap is way too short, but at least zipping through it again doesn't feel like a chore.
Havent really gotten much of this Zelda in the past but thanfully that I have it now, and am absolutely loving it. Love the visual style to the game.
@blink83(14.): While it's a bit unfortunate that the comments on the original review got lost in the process i'm all for reviews on the Ambassador games. Now is the perfect time to discuss these games again and show the world (which included Ninty last time i heard) how we feel about 'em. We might even enjoy them more / less or have a different perspective than we had back when we played 'em first. At least Jacob did if i read the review correctly.
Now what can i say about the game ? Not much except that i really enjoyed it back in the day and never managed to beat the final boss yet. I hope next year i'll find the time to finally beat the game. Iirc this was the first 2D Zelda i really got into after the NES games and that Phantom Hourglass's world and its inhabitants felt much more shallow to me.
I wouldn't dare to compare any of the 2D or DS games to the 3D entries of the series though since they feel very different to me. The basic formula might be the same but the viewpoint just makes it that much more cinematic and epic to me. I find the 2D games more challenging and accessible though so each has its own merits.
Glad to have played this Zelda, not one regret. It also told the story of of Vaati came to power for the Four Swords games... so technically, it's the 1st of the Vaati Trilogy.
Forget about Twilight princess or Skyward sword: This is one of the REAL Zelda's!
It may be small (maybe the smallest main quest) and very easy (maybe one of the easiest), but it's still a great game nonetheless! It looks awesome, has awesome bosses, lots of sidequests (though some can be considered filler like all the kinstone fusions and the blue shells), One of the best Zelda dungeons (the last one), and is just great to play. It also has the best soundtrack, hence the reason why only the Minish cap has a music box where you can listen to all he music.
The story was actually pretty interesting. Yeah, Skyward sword has a story! Zelda gets sucked to the surface, Link goes there to, and Link has to do some stuff because of destiny. Of course we know that Link has to save Zelda and vanquish the evil, but I am 50 hours into the game and it is still not made very clear! What a story! Big applaus!
I choose The Minish cap (and its story) over Skyward sword any day of the week!
@83 - Nope, thats you being wrong again. OoT3D is by far NOT the best.
Nintendo, Capcom and Flagship did such an outstanding job with this GBA Zelda adventure. I actually enjoyed the handheld Zeldas more than the console ones; Link’s Awakening DX, Oracle of Seasons and Ages, and The Minish Cap are some of my favorites. This game looks outstanding, and the soundtrack features great music and classic remixes. Even if the storyline isn't very memorable, I found Minish Cap rather interesting since it's a prequel to the Four Swords saga. The dungeons in this Zelda game are unique and brilliantly designed, and there are plenty of minigames and sidequests to do outside of the main storyline. I’m glad that Nintendo included The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap in the 3DS Ambassadors program. Otherwise, this is an overlooked gem worth tracking down on GBA!
Minish cap also has one of the best sidekicks. Ezlo is very cool and funny. Much better then Midna and also better then Fi. While Fi looks very cool, she talks in autotune style. Autotune is pure evil! Hopefully I never hear it in a Zelda game again!
I enjoyed Minish Cap but I would really like Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. That would be awesome if they remade it for the 3ds and put it in one cartridge.
Please Nintendo release this game in the future for all your costumers! I would be so pissed (and sad) if I can't get the chance to play it on the 3DS..
Link to the Past is the best 2D Zelda game
its me i think but i found this game quite boring. Maybe it was graphics or that stupid hat that always stated obvious but never provided any good advice at all+his annoying personality.. much worse than navi. But i liked kinstones idea and the last boss which was really fun and challenging but the last version of it..i couldnt figure out. maybe if that stupid hat helped me.. i missed navi all the time.
I just beat this game yesterday. It's the first Zelda I have actually started AND finished. I loved every minute of it. There was so much charm and love put into it. Thank you, Nintendo, for making this part of the Ambassador's games. Please, make a new 2D game like this for the 3DS. That would be awesome!!
The part in the ice dungeon where you have to split your clones and run through the maze ofblocks is the most rage inducing thing I've experienced in a handheld Zelda. EVER. The first time I ever got it, it took 6 tries. The fact that your ethereal clones are vaporized just by touching the blocks makes things very tricky indeed. Fusing Kinstones was fun but so were some of the new items and mechanics. The Gust Jar and Mole Mitts in particular were alot of fun.
man i am loving GBA on my wii u. Now only if we get the pokemons.
@Philip_J_Reed stumbled across this comment nearly ten years later and boy it did not age well
"Zelda veterans could easily beat it in a weekend"
I can attest to that. I'm not much of a Zelda veteran, but I did beat the game in a weekend. It's short, but extra sweet, and my only complaint is that it's impossible to 100% the game unless you do everything in a specific order. Also:
"you'll almost definitely be playing long after the credits have rolled"
Unless you're grinding for mysterious shells, I don't think this statement is entirely true. Once I beat the game, I still had to get two tiger scrolls, complete the Goron side quest, and get the mirror shield, plus Tingle trouble, and I did all that in 4 or 5 hours.
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