The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap [Game Boy Advance] review - SNESdrunk

[@migsmigs2425]

I make it a habit to re-play this after every couple of years. Absolute masterpiece.

[@chodicuss1889]

Im like that with a link to the past i like ages and seasons too but never got to replay them

[@Michirin9801]

This game is like, in my top 5 Zeldas, it's aged beautifully and it doesn't overstay its welcome!

[@mr.o1253]

For me, it’s my favorite. Along with Link’s Awakening DX at the same level (I can’t decide which of the two I love more).

[@Captain_Neckbeard]

Same. I judge Zelda fans by how they regard this game. If you dislike this one, you have terrible taste.

[@IndohNintendo]

I 3rd that emotion. I always tell people I have a 5 way tie for favorite Zelda, and Minish Cap is one of those 5.

[@percysmith9535]

Agreed! Something about it's easy simplicity keeps me coming back. It fits the vibe of the game well!

[@andrewsegers7942]

Like, totally!

[@dr_ubo]

The director for this game at Capcom's flagship did such a great job he was hired by Nintendo and has directed every Zelda since Phantom Hourglass. Yes, Fujibayashi (the director for Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom as well as Phantom Hourglass, Oracles & Minish Cap) is still the lead at Zelda. This is why you see parallels such as diagetic design, the Ghibli influence, the "sky" temple/area/city, the sidequest structure (kinstones), etc.

[@Malhonn]

Makes me wish that Nintendo would let Capcom (or at least other studio) try make a "lesser" Zelda title, just so that we have a different take on the series, maybe let other studio do linear Zelda when Nintedo does the open world Zeldas

[@vanyadolly]

I did not know that but it makes me so happy. As a NES Zelda fan, you can tell how much this game is a love letter to the first one.

[@dummyringbomb]

fun fact: the director of this game went on to direct botw and totk

[@gamesgonenuts]

this game was so well done Capcom really did the series justice

[@LotteBlueJays]

@4:21 Crenels are those little wedge shapes you see at the top of castles for archers to hide behind/shoot between.

[@neobogard]

My favourite 2D Zelda game. It has an amazing Ghibli feel to it.

[@Saxdude26]

Absolutely love Minish Cap. It's an underrated gem I always recommend to those who skipped it, and a joy to replay to those who have. Fun fact, Gust Jar and Roc's Cape are actually recurring items. Roc's Cape was first used in the Oracle games, as well as Four Swords, so it's effectively a Capcom and Flagship-designed Zelda item, but the Gust Jar was a key piece of equipment in Skyward Sword and even returned in the Smash series as an item. In spite of the game's moments of repetition, and by-the-numbers nature, its length is the biggest draw. Replayability is this game's strongest quirk, alongside a soundtrack of unique tracks and incredible remixes from as far back as Zelda 1's dungeons.

[@2WhiteAndNerdy]

I'm surprised he didn't talk more about the music. The soundtrack in Minish Cap is SSOOOOOOO good!!!

[@Malhonn]

specially if you consider the GBA soundchip is pretty limited, but somehow there is quite a few games that made magic with it, others being Golden Sun, Megaman battle network series, Ace Attorney series, third Gen pokemon games, and i want to say Mario and Luigi SS but i've not played that game in a while to remember.

[@Foogi9000]

I love how whimsical the Minish Village soundtrack is.

[@L337M4573RK]

The winner of the festival match at the beginning of the game would be allowed to TOUCH the blade; not keep it. Vaati only wanted what he THOUGHT was in the chest, hence the sequence of events that followed. The Roc's Cape was featured previously in Oracle of Seasons.

[@thejoulesthief6841]

I think you're under selling the kinstone mechanics a little. With a compatible kinstone NPC, an image will appear above their head showing you the reward for the kinstones fusions. Getting Golden Monsters to appear, a portal to a new area, or getting NPCs to remember something add little touches to make the world feel alive. Imo, its a hidden charm that can be completely missed if you completely skip the kinstone mechanic.

[@caiodecastro7956]

the only thing i hate about this mechanic is how it makes you consistently run in circles atound the map

[@vanyadolly]

Exactly, and like 90% of them aren't obligatory. You can just fuse when you run into someone and have a stone, and pick up the rewards if you happen to pass by.

[@apeman505]

This is actually my favorite Zelda game. I love the picori and the shrinking mechanic, but my favorite part of the game was looking for and learning all the secret attacks!

[@OctoberRust]

After running around like a wild cucco for hours on end.. having my final Kinstone fusion be of Link climbing a giant beanstalk up to the heavens was so relieving and felt pretty damn epic. If you're planning on getting all figurines but find yourself short on mysterious shells (which you most likely will be!) use the Mole Mitts right outside Link's house to dig up a quick and easy 20 rupees as many times as you'd like and dash your way over to Stockwell's Shop to buy the rest of your shells.

[@alexandruc.5647]

This is the only Zelda game I finished twice and I was about to do it a third time as well. I pretty much loved everything about it. That being said, I never finished A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening or the entries on GBC. I want to finish especially A Link to the Past, because I reached the 2nd half of the game before selling it years ago. I did not care that much about any of the 3D entries in the series, for me a good Zelda game has to be like one of these isometric entries.

[@vanyadolly]

Nice to hear someone else feels the same way. Zelda is always best as a 2D experience to me. It just doesn't feel the same otherwise.

[@Nediablo]

One of the best in the series. My favourite 2D Link adventure. Useless fact: this game is made by Capcom. Upon discovering Ezlo, listen to his theme. Now go play Forgotten World's and go into a shop 😁 Blew my mind when I first heard it as Forgotten World's was played to death when I was a kid on my friends Mega Drive.

[@thejoulesthief6841]

lol thats amazing. Thank you for the fact. It literally made my day.

[@QuwehShunMark]

One of my favorites, the sword techs are great. Did miss out on the mirror shield because I ignored kinstones so they're not completely useless.

[@jordanneal576]

The gust jar and the mole mitts both showed up in Skyward Sword.

[@cc_chris]

Your statement on the game being "both very hand-holdy and sometimes not very intuitive at all" rings true for a lot of GBA games for some reason, in my opinion.

[@ShadowEl]

You say the Minish Cap items never appeared in another Zelda game, and while they technically weren't called Mole Mitts, the Digging Mitts in Skyward Sword are basically the same item. Both games were directed by Hidemaro Fujibayashi.

[@joshuaturner1072]

Man, don't forget the soundtrack. And yeah, the final boss was really well done. One of the best in the series. Story is great, especially if you're into Zelda lore. Really fun game.

[@matthewnoland2008]

Absolutely one of my favorite Zelda games.

[@jeremygreen2883]

I just bought a dupe cartridge of this from a local game store like a week ago and I'm playing it on my Advance SP. This has been my first exposure to Minish Cap and I'm loving it!

[@JBaughb]

your local store sells cartridge dupes? if you're going to buy those, why not buy a GBA flash cart yourself and download ROMs to it?

[@joaogabrielgama4925]

For me the GBA It's like direct continuity of the Super Nintendo and where it continued to live at that time.

[@wilk8940]

The Mole Mitts and Gust Jar are both in Skyward Sword and the Cape is in Oracle of Seasons

[@madspunky]

This game is SUCCINCT. There's more to do in this one (and everything is quality) than any other 2D Zelda, and the downtime (traveling/explaining/loading) is minimal.

[@KaitouKaiju]

If you want 100% there is more downtime in this game than any other

[@madspunky]

@@KaitouKaiju yeah, getting 100% in this game is lame

[@Retrofire-47]

Serendipity! i just published my own mini-assessment of Minish Cap. i think overall there is so much to love about it: the pixel art, OST, adorable characters, cute story, epic world, tactile combat, etc; but i honestly have a love-hate relationship with it because of the absurd redundancy of combat [no fail state] and what seems to alternate between conspicuous handholding and a total lack of direction - ambivalence i am going to take a lot of notes from the pixel art :3

[@Dorelaxen]

I thought one of the best things about this game was the fact that normal enemies became MASSIVE bosses when you faced them as tiny link.

[@jimbozium]

Did I just hear a Romeo Crennel (a former football defensive coordinator and NFL head coach) reference on a SNES KZbin channel? Yes that happened. Dang do I love this channel. As for the game itself it was a blast. I have never owned a handheld (until the Switch which I always have docked). I played it on the GBA attachment for the GameCube.

[@walter.muller]

Thank you for covering this! I didn't own a Game Boy Advance back in the days but I'm a super fan of Link's Awakening and LTTP and this looks very similar in style. Somehow I missed the release on Nintendo Switch Online. I'm playing it now and it's such a good game.

[@Strynki]

I just bought a X55, and it's the first game I decided to play. Spot on review, down the surprise last boss difficulty spike and the now useless collectibles. I think the challenge of swapping weapons/items (e.g., select menu, change items, use it, menu, swap to the other tool you use) is possibly its most significant limitation, IMHO. As the puzzles are creative and fresh (for Zelda's standard) thanks to the new items, a "quality of life" update could be a great addition to the Switch library.

[@johngomez2138]

When I clicked on this I was NOT expecting a Romeo Cranel drop. Good on ya sir, love the vid!

[@Exarian]

You'd think the side-quest of the guy with the hurdy-gurdy would be the sound test reward and the guy selling little figurines would be the one to give you a bragging rights trophy reward.

[@thenostalgiafactor5023]

Total length of video: 480 secs. Total length of "SNES Drunk": 2 secs. .42% of the video was spent listening to "SNES Drunk".

[@blitheringape5321]

Not enough frankly. Disappointing vid

[@k00patr0upa3]

I love the updated graphics, the art design gives this game kind of an anime-like look

[@Ifrit8054]

Have you seen the whole alternate universe stuff for Zelda games. There are two or three timelines that diverge after certain games. Mainly there’s one where link wins the first game and a other where doesn’t. The weird “restart” games are when he died and the ones that seem to follow the first one games line are where he won.

[@petemc4190]

This one has probably the best soundtrack with those funky little tunes

[@mathewhaight]

I am still shocked this is the only traditional Zelda to be done in this artstyle. I love the four swords games, but this art style is too gorgeous to be held to only one traditional Zelda.

[@PaperyPip]

Sounds like we're pretty much on the same page about this one! Some people absolutely love it. And... I can see why, it's Zelda and it's got some great Zelda-ing in it. But, good as it is, there's games like Link's Awakening that I think are better. But that just goes to show how high the standards are for Zelda games. If a game like this came out in almost any other series, it'd be seen by everyone as an all-time great. Zelda is one of the only game series where a game as good The Minish Cap can be overshadowed by arguably better titles. I will say though, in terms of top-down purely pixel art for a Zelda game, this is probably as good as they come.

[@Wickedred413]

Up until I got the NSO expansion this was a Zelda game that avoided me for years. What is shocking to me is I had no idea that Capcom made the minish cap. I knew about Oracle seasons and ages but the fact they made three games is quite surprising because the only two games I've known Capcom for is the Street Fighter and Mega Man games. I'm glad they took a chance and a risk to make something different ended up making three games that no one should sleep on (even though they eventually became sleepers.)

[@thecunninlynguist]

...then you don't know capcom. they've made games that are quite different

[@Wickedred413]

@@thecunninlynguist you're right sir I don't. Yes Capcom has made other games in fact the two games I've played from them off the top of my head are Shrider and DuckTales. Also you have to understand that as a kid I never owned a Gameboy advance or advance SP hell up until I got the DSi in around 2014-15. The only handheld I ever owned other than the Gameboy/GBP is the GBC.

[@blitheringape5321]

Bruh. Devil may cry and resident evil are capcom

[@Wickedred413]

@@blitheringape5321 yes I know but again I never played any of the Capcom Zelda games.Until i got my switch

[@joshuagoforth1658]

Ok I never noticed it till you said it but omg you’re right vaati is magus from Chrono trigger 🤣 and I’m watching this while I play CT again 😂

[@seb8523]

One neat thing about this game, that comes in retrospect : it's one of the earliest game, timeline-wise (only Skyward Sword takes place before it). And so it explains why the Hero of Time always wear a green hat : it's based off of Ezlo!

[@pezyg]

This was a really fun game and holds up very well. If anyone misses the older Zeldas and hasn't played it yet, do yourself a favour and play it

[@beebopcola]

Loved playing this and seeing a departure from the "tried and true" zelda puzzles and items made it feel refreshing. The environments when link is small are so charming they could have made a whole game like that! Thanks for the review and have a great rest of your day!

[@lhfirex]

Link went through a lot of quests to help out Romeo Crennel in this game, and then the Browns never took advantage of it.

[@TriZaba]

Every Legend of zelda feels like a telephone game of different people retelling one original oral history.

[@eskanda3434]

Seriously they all feel like the same game retold again and again

[@Dylans503]

I guess that's why the whole reincarnation bit makes it make sense

[@Korncakes1]

My absolute favorite Zelda game. I agree with a lot of your criticisms though, the game is far from perfect but it’s pretty and it’s fun. I actually like that it’s on the shorter side, I tend to get bored with Zelda games that can feel long just for the sake of it. Also Vaati whooped my ass like five times when I first played it as a teenager, he is tough.

[@frozenaorta]

Cape feather was featured in the Oracle series, so not an exclusive here. Absolutely adore this game. Minus the kinstones, which just also seemed like tedium. But wonderful for any 2D Zelda fan for sure. Great video, as always.

[@OKtomcat709]

There's more, the Gust Jar and Mole Mitts were both introduced here, are both featured in Skyward Sword (the latter as Digging/Mogma Mitts).

[@isurus0]

look at those beautiful colors and pixel art. these guys were masters

[@thecunninlynguist]

anyone remember people saying on GameFAQs, etc. that the game was incomplete because of supposedly missing kinstone fusions, and not being able to get 3 houses for the oracles...or that because it's about Link's hat, this was the first game in the series. Not my fave zelda, but a fun/fast zelda for the GBA. Some of the tools are fun and trying to get all the kinstone fusions wasn't too bad.

[@kurtweeks6812]

I had the game when it came out, and I remember these. I know for the kinstones, it turned out that there was one or two that changed locations if they weren't gotten before certain story elements which is what led to that particular confusion.

[@LayneSadler]

Great video! Props for the Gaia parallels. Regarding, "these items are only found in the Minish Cap," that is false. The gust jar and digging mitts were in Skyward Sword, which has some of the best item usage.

[@blitheringape5321]

Of all the not snes games to see you cover this is such a lovely surprise What this game did so right was having a home base that isn't tedious. The main gimmick really matters in sorting out the central city. It has plenty of weaknesses as most Zelda games do but it stands out in the series pretty well I think, particularly because travel time isn't a weakness it has (unlike awakening or spirit tracks or ocarina for example)

[@Saberwaisen]

It's still to this day my favorite Zelda, I hope it receives the Link's Awakening treatment and gets a remake for the next Nintendo console.

[@jstewlly4747]

Lol SnesDrunk a NFL fan lol "Romeo Krennel" lol this guy is funny forreal need a beer with em lol

[@ourdivinemouseoverlord3308]

In regards to the difficulty, Minish Cap is the only Zelda game I beat a Minimalist Challenge for (though I allowed saving at dungeon entrances and in safe areas). Good times :)

[@BravePip]

This game was really good, and because of the nice sprite art and using Toon Link, it really holds up well visually! I loved it back in the day, and it was the first GBA game on the Switch Online service that I replayed :D

[@stevesteve0521]

As far as 2ds Zelda’s go it’s 3rd in my list behind link to the past and links a awakening and slightly about link between worlds. Definitely one of if not the best original/ non port or remake gba game

[@supersonicjc]

loved this game when we didnt have smart phones yet, while doing a transport type job i was able to stuff this game into my ds and played it for hours while wating for client appointments to get done... that and sonic advance 3...

[@StiffAftermath]

I love the harmony in the intro!

[@dtPlaythroughs]

What game is the music from at the 2:30 mark? I don't remember that being in Minish Cap but sounds amazing!

[@svcross-do]

I love the capcom zelda games. The oracle saga is the favourite in the series.

[@faloculturismo-fo1sn]

bring more games from game boy advance!! this zelda seems incredible

[@clarafedde8674]

Sigh...only complaint is the fact there are fewer dungeons...and you can miss light arrows. Great game.

[@tracyburnham604]

I love Minish Cap! I think I liked it more than Link to the Past even. Eastward was very reminiscent of Minish Cap although it has a lot of influences

[@ericjames1123]

The random Romeo Crennel mention was amazing!

[@mattb6522]

Good review! I still think this game holds up well. There are some weird design choices, but all in all, it's a fun time. The art style is very nice for a GBA game! Though, it has one of the worst Heart Pieces in Zelda history with the figurine collecting. Though, luckily, there was a patch recently released that moves that Heart Piece, so you can ignore the figurine quest entirely.

[@vanyadolly]

On the switch? I usually play on my gba, but that would be a reason to get it on switch. Did they fix the unfinished quest with the girls/oracles renting houses?

[@dinosoid2000]

I actually just finished my first playthrough a few days ago. A little on the short side unfortunately but a cute game nonetheless. Really enjoyed the size shifting mechanic.

[@AvidCat5000]

It's a good game. I made it harder for myself originally bc I played it on my GB Mini. Very small but convenient for the time.

[@Ghennesph]

congrats on giving minish cap a go, it really was a classic. bit short, but very good for what's there.

[@emaheiwa8174]

Thanks man! Love your GBA reviews 🍻❤️

[@FiggsNeughton]

I had a great rest of my day thanks to your videos SNESdrunk!

[@BulbaTube]

"He went through it like crap through a goose" as a Canadian, i appreciate this analogy

[@TVsMrNeil]

I thought this game had some of the most creative items for a Zelda game, but I wasn't too impressed that the game tried to supplement the reduced number of dungeons with a lot of busywork. The game is like, "Kinstones! Seek the Kinstones!" And I'm like, "I don't want to seek the Kinstones. I want dungeons." The figurines are even worse, but at least you're not penalized for not completing that...except I think there's one heart piece that is eternally out of reach if you don't get it. Oh well... I really despise collect-a-thons, and this is about as bad as it gets.

[@chiquita683]

A version of the wind jar is also in Skyward Sword where you need to blow dust

[@breakfastatepiphanies]

This game rocks. One of my favorite Zeldas AND one of my favorite handheld games of all time.

[@ryanponto3276]

Been waiting for this one!

[@NegociosSemEstresse]

My favorite 2D Zelda Game. I love this game!

[@sawbladeknight1592]

Just picked up an original copy a few weeks ago!

[@The16bithero]

Oh Minish Cap, such a beautiful gem! I recommend it to anyone that loves a good but short experience. It has less than half the dungeons in A Link to the Past, but they're so fun, and there's so much to do

[@Bearwolf13]

Every Legend of Zelda game is my favorite Legend of Zelda game lol. Truly I love the entire franchise and I think Minish Cap is brilliant...

[@TheJJO]

Back then there were collect-a-thons. Now there's...trophies. endless trophies...

[@Malhonn]

if anything, the sprite work in this game is amazing, remember that this is a GBA game with limited hardware and cart size looking at how every sprite is so detailed and so animated, no other game comes even close to being this good looking, also in my opinion this art style is the best 2D art style of Zelda, its based on the Art style of the WW but it has its own flavor

[@THEREDHOTWRECK]

The gust jar was also in Skyward Sword (technically gust bellows but it’s pretty much the same thing)

[@thecunninlynguist]

Roc's Cape was also in the oracle games.

[@kennethberry2350]

Love that you're on a GBA kick. I didn't play GBA until about a year ago. I will say you should do a review on Advance Wars 2. I have it as my top 5 games of all time. Great replay and nice to relax to.

[@Pablo121k]

This game is great, so nostalgic for me. Also please review sea of stars

[@marvelmite1]

Just played this for the first time myself last week. I don't know where it falls in my personal ranking but I really loved it

[@ariyapuggala]

Nice to see some Zelda love! Agree totally: The GB games are a lot better than MC but it still manages to do some interesting things.

[@Rocks4You97]

finished it for the first time in 2023 I thought it was a really good game Brings back sweet memories such a unique atmosphere maybe is a bit too easy

[@greyjediacademy]

This game reminds me a lot of my favorite Zelda game, A link to the past 🔥🔥🔥

[@WillC1020]

Just started playing this before finding this video and have to say it is fun and appreciate the art design, the puzzles so far

[@tsvtsvtsv]

wanted to comment this on the other video but happy gotcha day to you and clyde t. dog

[@zaturnneo]

Minish Cap is awesome! I also slept on it for a long time, but damn, worth the wait.

[@leptymarkgrodlar5769]

Excuse me, but the gust bellows and the digging claws basically function the same in skyward sword as gust jar and mole mittens. They have different names but they are very similar items

[@Wilky2526]

I played through this game earlier this year for the first time. I did not expect much, and it turned out to be a blast!

[@PhantomCooper]

The GBA has such an amazing library of games but Minish Cap is deff one of the best along with Mother 3

[@daniellikahong]

Zelda The Minish Cap was a blast when I played it during covid times, EXCEPT the goddamn shells guessing for collecting all the figurines, which I happen to like to complete 100%... all the rest was a real treat to play this game along with it. Happy times, made just like the GameBoy games Oracles and Ages.

[@WhispyWoods.]

I really like this game. Very satisfying to see you finish the blue and red floor puzzle 😁

[@mickeymoff]

Still top 5 gba game and top 5 Zelda game 👌👌

[@MegaMat_Show]

The mole mitts are also in Skyward Sword called the Mogma Mitts.

[@aliceinmansonland448]

I love the Capcom Zelda games, I beat this on a Retro Mini. It's awesome!