Most likely the best Zelda game you will find on a portable console.
As many of Zelda classics have begun, Link and long-time friend, Princess Zelda has come across an evil which wants to enslave the land of Hyrule into darkness. This journey begins at the Picori Festival where various activities and competitions are being held. One of the main attractions is the sword competition where the winner receives the honour of touching the legendary Picori Blade. The winner is a new face who wanted to see the Picori sword for the wrong reasons. This man is the sorcerer Vaati, who wishes to overtake Hyrule and obtain the "Light Force". Link and Zelda do attempt to stop him but are easily over-powered and what's worse is that Princess Zelda is turned into stone.
The King of Hyrule enlightens everyone that only the Picori blade can restore Princess Zelda and only the legendary Picori can repair the sword. However, only children can see the Picori and hence Link is sent out to find them. Soon after he departures from Hyrule Castle, Link meets Elzo, a cap-like creature who has been turned into that form by Vaati. As luck would have it, Elzo is very informed about the Minish world and from then on sits upon Link's head and guides him throughout the land of Hyrule.
As most, if not all Zelda games follow a similar path when it comes to gameplay. You begin with a simple sword and shield and from you gain new items and various upgrades that allow Link to complete a certain dungeon or task. However, unlike a few past Zelda games, the items you find will be used on more than one occasion. Many of the main items you find are used to reach a part of an area you couldn’t before or to reach the final boss in a dungeon. Many of the items you find are used more frequently than expected and you will feel that no item was found for a singular purpose.
The Minish Cap also follows the pattern of having a side quest or two. There are two main side quests which are the fusing Kinstones and collecting Mysterious Shells which are used to buy figurines. When you progress a bit further throughout the game, you will find what is known as Kinstone pieces. The pieces you find can be fused with other people's pieces and in return, a new road is opened or something special is revealed. Some pieces are crucial to fuse while others are just for other rewards. The other side quest which you may or may not complete is collecting all of the figurines. During the course of the game, you will find Mysterious Shells which can be exchanged for figurines. It is quite a long process but if you are a true Zelda fan, then it will feel very rewarding.
As for enemies, they are the best they can look on a 2D platformer. They are very detailed which can be compared to their 3D counterparts. But many Zelda fans will be impressed with the final encounter of a dungeon. Each of the bosses is unique even though most are just an enlarged version of another enemy for example a Green Chu Chu. The way which you must defeat them is also quite puzzling along with the difficulty of them. Each enemy has their unique charm that makes this Zelda addition even more addicting.
The control element of the game follows that of classic Zelda where two buttons are the item buttons and the D-pad maneuvers’ Link. Unlike previous, portable Zelda games however, there were no L and R buttons so there were less actions that Link could do. The main action that Link is equipped with is rolling. It proves handy for dodging enemies or moving a bit faster than walking. The L button is just used to fuse Kinstone pieces with others or toggling through the START menu. The controls work nicely and are easy enough to learn so there shouldn't any difficulty even if you are new to Zelda.
But what most people will realise are the graphics. Even though it is only in 2 Dimensional, it is probably the best-looking Zelda that a 2D platformer can produce. A lot of detail has clearly gone into this game and the outcome may surpass your expectations of what a 2D Zelda game looks like. Link, Zelda, everyone has been given extra detail to make them look that extra bit better.
Many Zelda fans will notice that the sound elements of The Minish Cap sample them from past Zelda games so it doesn't offer anything new. However it is nice to get back the source of where it all began. New Zelda gamers however will be hypnotised by its beautiful symphony. The new sound however is quite satisfying as well so it is nice to see that they also take steps in different directions.
Overall, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap delivers everything you want to see in a Zelda game and doesn't go too far away from the Zelda guidelines. Although this installment of Zelda hasn't changed dramatically when comparing the storyline, items, etc, but it's still nice to see a 2 Dimensional Zelda game has still got it's touch. The Minish Cap is an excellent purchase for any Gamboy Advance owner and a superb Zelda game which should consume some amount of time before the next anticipated Zelda game for the Gamecube.