The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)

“The basic gameplay is fundamentally identical to that of past games in the series, but the Zelda model is so entertaining, you can hardly call that a negative. The game is a little on the short side if you just plow through the main dungeon...”

“The basic gameplay is fundamentally identical to that of past games in the series, but the Zelda model is so entertaining, you can hardly call that a negative. The game is a little on the short side if you just plow through the main dungeon progression, but there's a vast array of optional side quests to undertake, and Nintendo and Capcom have also done a great job of coming up with new items and abilities for Link that fit right in with the standard Zelda structure.

In The Minish Cap, Link is once again appointed the savior of Hyrule when a wicked sorcerer named Vaati turns Princess Zelda to stone and sets off looking for the legendary light power that will give him dominion over all the peoples of the land. Early on, Link will come into possession of the eponymous cap, a sentient piece of headgear that bossily instructs him on how to complete his quest.

Link's quest to restore Zelda and stop Vaati will be aided by the minish, a race of tiny, powerful (and cute) beings whom only children can see. You'll find portals hidden throughout the game that will shrink Link down to minish size, which will help you solve puzzles, find secret items, and generally see the world from a new perspective.”

“Neat game, and a neat mechanic. Played more true to the SNES version than any other version I've played. Although it still lacks difficulty like the rest of the new installments of this series, it offered a new story and a new villain... Which...”

“Neat game, and a neat mechanic. Played more true to the SNES version than any other version I've played. Although it still lacks difficulty like the rest of the new installments of this series, it offered a new story and a new villain... Which almost felt like a first for this series at the time.”