The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

With Minish Cap being the only full-size original Zelda game on the Gameboy Advance, Capcom had their work cut out for them. Based on my experience, they were absolutely ready for the challenge. A common theme in Zelda games is the traversal between two parallel worlds, as introduced by A Link to the Past's dark world. However, I would have never considered how cute, clever, and enjoyable an experience I would have if those worlds were only separated by the hero's size.

The Minish Cap has gameplay that is almost immediately recognizable for anyone who has played a 2d Zelda game, and it feels very comfortable to jump into. However, additions like Kinstones (allowing players to open up new secrets in the world by matching collectibles with NPC's) and the ability to shrink to the size of a bug help this entry to stand apart. The developers were able to create dungeons that seamlessly combined the abilities of both full-size and mini Link, making the mechanic feel like a true feature of the game, rather than just a tack-on gimmick.

The Hyrule created in The Minish Cap was also one of the most creative and enjoyable of the 2d Zelda titles, and it is definitely one that I would enjoy revisiting in the future. I've got my fingers crossed for a Switch remake à la Link's Awakening. In the meantime, the GBA is a great place to be!
The game can be purchased for Nintendo WiiU here (as of 1/16/20): https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/the-legend-of-zelda-the-minish-cap-wii-u/

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