When I finally die, although I don’t believe it will ever happen, I want my gravestone
to say: Here lies Ryan.
He loved his wife, he loved his children, and he loved The Legend of Zelda.
The Legend of Zelda The Minish Cap holds a very special place in my heart.
It came out right at the end of the Gameboy Advanced’s lifetime and everyone knew it
was going to be the last Zelda made from the classic top down perspective.
And I did not know how to handle that.
I mean, I loved Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask but there was something just, magical,
something special about top down Zelda.
If it was good enough for A Link to the Past, than it was good enough for me.
But atlas, The Minish Cap was the last ride, and thankfully it is a memorial one.
The game starts out like most Zelda games start.
You are a young, cap-less, Link and you are asked to the Picori Festival by Princess Zelda.
Nothing could go wrong, right?
Well, things do go wrong and Zelda is turned to stone and it is up to Link to save her.
Link soon meets Ezlo, a minish who got transformed into a mix between a bird and a cap.
He becomes friends with Link and joins him on his quest and because he doesn’t have
legs he rides ontop of Link’s head.
This is where Link first gets that green hat that will stay with him throughout the series.
Link’s quest requires him to restore power to the mythical Picori Sword.
You will grow to love Ezlo, with his funny comments and actions.
This is how he quickly became my favorite of Link’s companions.
Minish Cap introduces some new things to the Zelda formula.
While A Link to the Past had you go back and forth between worlds, the Minish Cap has you
going back and forth between sizes.
There is a new race here, the Minish.
They are a race of small people that are invisible to humans.
With help of Ezlo, Link can shrink down to Minish size and see Hyrule from a whole new
perspective.
This will help you with puzzle solving with some areas only being accessible when you
are Minish size.
These moments also look really great, with objects like raindrops becoming boulders and
leaves that are bigger than Link.
It really makes you feel like you are the size of a thumb nail.
And this wouldn’t be a Zelda game without items to help you explore.
Of course some stables like the boomerang and shield are back but new is the Gust Jar,
which can be used to suck up enemies or shoot out gusts of wind.
It comes in handy and you will feel comfortable with it right away.
Also new are Kinstones, which are broken medallions you will find throughout your adventure.
Most of the characters in the game has Kinstones pieces and if you find the other half and
combine them, you can unlock things in Hyrule, such as new areas opening up or treasure chests.
It really encourages you to explore everywhere.
The game truly looks amazing.
Link is animated very nicely and the world of Hyrule really comes to life.
The game is squeezing every little ounce of power out of the GBA.
But it goes beyond just the graphics.
It’s the little tricks like when Link is Minish size that really bring you into the
world.
With the graphics, the characters and classic gameplay, it makes the game one of the best
in the series, which is saying a lot.
If this as it seems to be and the last Zelda game from this perspective, it is great to
see its last entry be this good.