Zelda games usually enjoy a lot of hype, and justifiably so, as Nintendo’s Zelda franchise has produced some of gaming’s finest adventures, captivating players with its pure gameplay and complex, yet easy-to-follow storylines. Aside from Link’s sword-slinging heroics, Zelda games have also focused on certain themes: past versus present, light versus dark, and now, the franchise’s developers have come up with something no one expected: big versus small. By shrinking down to a one-inch-tall size, Link can visit areas and unlock secrets that lie just underfoot.

The first all-new Zelda game for the GBA, The Minish Cap takes place early in the Four Swords storyline, before the creation of the magic blade that can turn one swordsman into four. To make a long story short (and to avoid spoiling too much of the game’s fantastic plot), Link must seek out the legendary Picori folk, AKA the Minish, to learn how to reforge a broken mystic sword. After Link meets up with a squawking, talking piece of headgear named Ezlo, Link is able to shrink at certain “Minish portals” scattered throughout Hyrule. (Ezlo’s banter can become a nuisance at times, but his comic remarks and reactions really give a lot of flavor to the story.) After going microscopic, Link will only be about three pixels high on your GBA screen until you reach certain areas, where the camera zooms in to make him appear normal-sized again. It is in these areas that the game’s artwork really shines; flower stems and blades of grass will loom over you and cast realistic shadows while Link navigates around fallen leaves and twigs, all the while swatting at any pesky gnats or bugs (now large enough to pose something of a threat) that try to get in his way. It’s really some of the best artwork I’ve seen in any 2D Zelda game to date.

Not only does The Minish Cap look like a gem, it plays like one too, and the action is pure and true to the series’ roots. Six dungeons await to test your mettle with complex (but not unsolvable) puzzles and original boss battles, some of which have you fighting normal-sized enemies that are usually chumps, but become much, much larger and more difficult while Link is pea-sized, which adds a lot to TMC’s big-and-small duality. Even getting to the dungeons by navigating the overworld is a challenge worthy of an epic hero, and Ezlo’s shrinking abilities will come in handy, letting you fit through mouseholes, climb bookcases and squeak through narrow passages. Couple all this with colorful characters, very well-written and flavorful dialogue, and a score of diversions and side quests, and you end up with what could be described as a GBA masterpiece.

If I sound like a raving fanboy, there is probably more than an iota of truth to that. I am a long-time fan of the Zelda series and The Minish Cap was a must-have for me. But after I played through the game, I was simply awestruck. The game far surpassed my expectations. Even if you’re not a huge Zelda fan, TMC is easy to pick up and has a way of enthralling you right from the get-go. Simply put, Zelda: The Minish Cap is a GBA treasure that’s worth a closer look.

Final Grade: 90%

For more info you can visit Zelda.com, which, by the way, is one of the trippiest game sites I've ever seen. :)