The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
There is a school of thought which states that, when considering the merits of something, it should be judged on what it has, rather than what it is missing. This is largely correct. Grand Theft Auto is no less enjoyable for not being multiplayer. That Super Mario Bros. didn't end world hunger is no reason not to sing its praises. You may now be getting a taste of what is to come in this review.
I'm going to court controversy here, and say that I really enjoyed Wind Waker. It has the not inconsiderable honour of spending more time in my Cube than anything else. I found its childish Link and bright, cel-shaded environment rather endearing. Similarly, but even more controversially, I also liked Majora's Mask. So when I first heard of a new GBA Zelda title, I became more than a little excited.
But.
I am growing concerned over the future of the mighty Zelda series. They have all been great games, and are truly a joy to play, with the possible exception of those CDi versions that nobody ever talks about. My concerns lie in the credit sequences, and more specifically how quickly they appear.
The Legend of Zelda had nine dungeons, and an additional quest for you to try afterwards. The Adventure of Link packed seven or so. A Link to the Past was so big that they needed special plastic-coated chips to stop it from leaking out of the cartridge. Ocarina of Time, rest its soul, had three huge dungeons before Adult Link even made an appearance.
Minish Cap (see, I got to it eventually) sees you questing around Hyrule to retrieve four elemental stones. And that is it. New inventory items come thick and fast, with each diminishing empty slot reminding you how close you are to the end. The dungeons are reassuringly large, mind, and are filled with the quality landscaping that have made the series what it is.
Plotwise, the evil Vaati is out to gain the power of the Light Force, and has turned the poor Zelda to stone in the process. The kingdom's only hope is the Minish, a.k.a the Picori, who are able to restore a legendary blade and make everything OK again. Oh, and the Minish people are about an inch tall. This creates the now familiar dual world system, as Link can explore the world either in his normal form or as an adorably animated three-pixel-high blip. In mini form, small puddles become dangerous oceans, town steps impassable cliffs, and even tall grass forms impenetrable forest.
The major sidequest this time is the use of Kinstones, magical stones split in two and distributed around Hyrule. An endless supply of left halves may be found on your travels, and the people and animals you meet hold the right parts. Join matching halves together and something special will happen, usually in the form of opening a new path or revealing the location of a heart piece.
And then it's all over. Kinstones aside, the new Hyrule has little to offer. What it does is beautiful; the dungeons are spot on, with a pleasant supply of puzzles to keep them intersting, and there are plenty of enemies to swish to death. Classic Zelda icons find their home here, from the Ocarina of Wind to the magic lantern to Tingle and Malon and everyone else. The new additions are wonderful, with the Gust Jar portable vacuum being a particularly entertaining piece of kit. Graphically it's a masterpiece, injecting character into ever pixel of the, er, character sprites. Even the Ocarina-esque voices in the form of gasps and giggles spring forth well from the system's tiny speaker. Minish Cap is a joy to behold in almost every respect.
But in the light of Ocarina and particularly Link to the Past, seasoned players will notice that which it doesn't have: About 15 more hours of exploration. Ironically, the game itself is much like its Kinstones. If only someone could find the second half, it would make us very happy indeed.
