The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

 Game Boy Advance
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 481 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 437 out of 481
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 481
  3. Negative: 11 out of 481
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. RefinedInsights
    Aug 16, 2023
    9
    Better than most of the console Zelda Games, including Majoras Mask. I liked the dungeons, the story, and the gameplay. Next to A Link Between Worlds, this one is by far one of the best handheld Zelda games.
  2. RDM1414blue
    Jul 2, 2023
    9
    A solid game in the Zelda library and must play for Zelda fans. Minish Cap is full of puzzles, Secrets to find and mysterious shells to find. All the dungeons are different, fun to play and have different items needed to complete them. The boss battle at the end is a high point for me well designed like the rest of the game.
  3. Yojimbo2015
    May 6, 2023
    8
    Another hugely playable arcade RPG with lovely graphics and fun puzzles that effortlessy draws you into its magical world. Easily one of the best RPGs on the Advance.
  4. greninjaX
    Apr 8, 2023
    10
    one of the best zelda games ever made. this tiny adventure brings massive enjoyment
  5. Dangusse
    Apr 4, 2023
    8
    the game has some frustrating roadblocks, and the pacing of kinstone interactions necessitate an added degree of backtracking that doesn't always feel fluid or organic compared to other zelda games. imo there are also a few issues with the control scheme due to the lack of buttons on the GBA. this makes the introductory experience in minish cap a bit strange, as it's really not athe game has some frustrating roadblocks, and the pacing of kinstone interactions necessitate an added degree of backtracking that doesn't always feel fluid or organic compared to other zelda games. imo there are also a few issues with the control scheme due to the lack of buttons on the GBA. this makes the introductory experience in minish cap a bit strange, as it's really not a conventional zelda title.

    there is also a lengthy trading sequence about halfway through the game which i did not personally enjoy at all and which required a walkthrough because many characters had to be talked to several times in a row in order to get a specific reaction from them, which is not normal for a zelda game. it's very easy to walk directly up to the solution, do the right thing, but have the game not quite accept your action yet, and that's a pretty serious flaw in this title.

    essentially, you can tell that capcom made this game, as they do not seem to fully understand every aspect of the game they are developing from the player's perspective. still, the game improves drastically from there forwards, with some very fun and challenging dungeons, silly npcs, and great boss battles. it also has some really great and colorful pixel graphics that still look good today, and while looking at it directly next to other GBA titles it's hard to disagree that the visuals have a superior degree of artistic polish, and graceful use of pixel art, compared to many gba titles that were still giving everything a thick black outline and struggling on how to deal with the resolution.

    it seems there are quite a few unique optional encounters in this game, which does give me a good feeling about a second attempt. finding out that i can't get the light arrows at all if i don't do [spoilers] was a pretty big letdown though, as from what i can see it may be a bit overpowered to get them that early in the game. still, i can't find precise info on how much more powerful they are, so i will have to try it a second time.

    regarding minish cap supposedly being shorter: you *can* beat the game very fast. at the same time, it's drastically longer than link's awakening and not much shorter than alttp. especially if you have a good memory of the game, you can beat almost any zelda game in one sitting. what's much more relevant is how much content is in the world, and there is a huge amount of it in minish cap. the overworld is small, but if you factor in all of the areas you explore as minish it is actually quite a bit larger.    … Expand
  6. Gugu2423
    Mar 15, 2023
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great game love the boss and how we need to use most of the tools to beat it and how every boss was fresh.
    Finished 03/15/22    … Expand
  7. Xyldaz
    Feb 27, 2023
    10
    One of the very best of the series. The game is very impressive in its simplicity, as it seems to have understood the core of the Zelda franchise before its time. Aging very well, the game offers beautiful and diverse environnements, with an increasing but never too tough difficulty curve.
    Surely one of the easier games in the series, but that makes it probably the best entry point    One of the very best of the series. The game is very impressive in its simplicity, as it seems to have understood the core of the Zelda franchise before its time. Aging very well, the game offers beautiful and diverse environnements, with an increasing but never too tough difficulty curve.
    Surely one of the easier games in the series, but that makes it probably the best entry point together with Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. The charming world and innovative mechanics truly set this game apart from its predecessors on Game Boy.    … Expand
  8. Onioncreature
    Feb 20, 2023
    10
    Played this for the first time recently on the NSO service and was blown away. It's a fantastic title and I'd rank it highly among the series. The Minish Cap is in most ways appears to be a straight forward iteration of the structure of the 2D Zelda series, but it has an immense amount of charm and great game design which make it stand out. The mechanic of shrinking down to Minish sizePlayed this for the first time recently on the NSO service and was blown away. It's a fantastic title and I'd rank it highly among the series. The Minish Cap is in most ways appears to be a straight forward iteration of the structure of the 2D Zelda series, but it has an immense amount of charm and great game design which make it stand out. The mechanic of shrinking down to Minish size was really fun, and I loved seeing the spritework of objects at this scale. The spritework in general is some of the best on the GBA, and looks great throughout. I had only a few minor nitpicks, such as a lack of enemy variety in the late-game, but apart from that it was a perfect and highly engaging experience.… Expand
  9. giannis2001
    Sep 4, 2022
    9
    What I love about Zelda games is that they don't age. I recently played this game and it's amazing. The Minish mechanic is another original that gives new puzzles to solve and a new aspect of the overworld. Must play.
  10. Jobni
    Feb 14, 2023
    8
    It’s a nice game but not one of my favorites. I don't think it's particularly difficult and I don't think it takes long to complete the game. The only time I was a little bit challenged was against the final boss. But as always there is a good storyline and it’s fun to play.
  11. leosenra
    Jan 12, 2023
    9
    este jogo pode não ser um dos melhores da franquia, porem não fica atrás pois é um excelente game mesmo que tenha sido desenvolvido pela capcom e não pelo miyamoto. Cada templo nesse jogo e muito bem trabalhado e ideal para que não tome muito tempo do jogador e nem pouco tempo, o jogo pode ter uma curta duração mas cada minuto vale muito a pena.
  12. nelvin
    Nov 19, 2022
    8
    Minish cap has really good side quests and the kinstone are really cool.I like that it barely focuses on the story but it's boss fights dungeons are really good. The world and the characters aren't as good as the other 2d Zeldas and there are alot of cryptic bull **** that makes no sense
  13. hector_bcn98
    Oct 31, 2022
    8
    Mazmorras de un alto nivel, no así el mundo exterior. La historia no es tan potente como nos tiene acostumbrados, se nota que no lo hizo totalmente Nintendo.
  14. joadson
    Jul 1, 2022
    10
    The best zelda for game boy advance with a very good story and new characters 10/10
  15. TSNintendogamer
    May 5, 2022
    9
    I love this game and it's one of the best games of all time. It may have a few flaws like it being too short or one particular part like the library book part being too criptic with the rest being pretty easy but other then that it's a great game. Me and my brother got the game when we were 11 years old and my brother beat it with the guides help but for me, I did it without theI love this game and it's one of the best games of all time. It may have a few flaws like it being too short or one particular part like the library book part being too criptic with the rest being pretty easy but other then that it's a great game. Me and my brother got the game when we were 11 years old and my brother beat it with the guides help but for me, I did it without the guide. I beat the game after my brother and it was a good experience and yes the game doesn't too much to innovate but if it aint broke, don't fix it. It borrowed alot from four swords but they really went all out with the engine. The graphics are very good to look at expecially if you're on a giant vine or when you're small. The vine part reminds me of when I was at tahoe and I was looked at the lake from afar when I was skiing. I would say the biggest problem with the game is that it's only 6 dungeons long but there is things to do between them.… Expand
  16. GitanoUrbano
    May 1, 2022
    10
    Es una aventura divertidisima llen de mecanicas originales donde las horas se te pasan volando
  17. Ironrulo
    Jan 11, 2022
    9
    Buen game play, visualmente hermoso, buena dificultad y buena música, sin duda un ejemplo de cómo tener tu fórmula clásica pero más vistosa.
  18. Felozity
    Dec 8, 2021
    10
    First Zelda I played and one of the first games i had as child on my gba. So many memories
  19. JoeyPL5
    Nov 16, 2021
    9
    I'm jealous of people who got to play this as a kid. I thought it was incredible as an adult, 17 years after it was released, so I can only imagine playing it as a kid when it came out.
  20. ylnylmn
    Oct 4, 2021
    9
    The game was very fun. I tried to do all the sidequests etc. I'm probably 95% done. There are many things to do in the game. Collecting shells, learning various sword techniques, I learned all the techniques and the game became incredibly fun. Especially searching and fusing Kinstones was my favorite thing in the game. I spent a lot of time in Hyrule town because it is constantly changingThe game was very fun. I tried to do all the sidequests etc. I'm probably 95% done. There are many things to do in the game. Collecting shells, learning various sword techniques, I learned all the techniques and the game became incredibly fun. Especially searching and fusing Kinstones was my favorite thing in the game. I spent a lot of time in Hyrule town because it is constantly changing and the town is so alive. Dungeons are easier than previous 2D zelda games. You can move forward without getting lost. Except for the last boss, other bosses are easy. Graphics are good. Story and characters are good. A nice zelda game where you can spend your time.… Expand
  21. konjakthesober
    Sep 23, 2021
    10
    It may be my favorite zelda because it is the one I played the most. It anyway one of the best games for the gameboy.
  22. WhoDaDev
    Aug 6, 2021
    10
    This game is leagues better than Link to the Past. Honestly the best 2D Zelda so far, with Link between Worlds cutting pretty close to this one, although Kinstones kinda suck in 2021.
  23. Melon_man
    Aug 2, 2021
    8
    Great 2d Zelda. The shrinking mechanics add so much depth to areas such as Hyrule town. Using the kinstones is a pain though.
  24. 6oni
    Jun 21, 2021
    9
    They are not real puzzles, you are going to spin more than a spinning top, but the hero's journey runs through the tales of classical culture
  25. brawler795
    May 31, 2021
    9
    This game is such a classic. The world, mechanics, story, art etc all work so well. It is definitely worthy to be considered a sleeper top 5 Zelda game. My only real issue is how short the game is because everything about it had me wanting more. It's a game worth replaying time and time again to revisit the Minish, or to simply absorb the charm of the game once more.
  26. Ozzy01
    Jan 11, 2021
    10
    Its my first GBA and Zelda game. This game is just adorable. I still cant understand why this game is 89.
  27. AbeFiletti
    Oct 23, 2020
    8
    Minish Cap is a fun game. It isn't anything amazing, but it is a fun trip nonetheless. I would have to say that the overall dungeons were some of the best 2D dungeons in the series. It had an interesting and engaging story as well. No Ganon this time which is kind of a breath of fresh air. Vaati had appeared other times in the series before this, but this is easily the best he's been. WeMinish Cap is a fun game. It isn't anything amazing, but it is a fun trip nonetheless. I would have to say that the overall dungeons were some of the best 2D dungeons in the series. It had an interesting and engaging story as well. No Ganon this time which is kind of a breath of fresh air. Vaati had appeared other times in the series before this, but this is easily the best he's been. We have seen the same art style before with Four Swords, and Four Swords Adventure, but it is definitely the best here. It has one big side quest through the game with these things called Kinstones, and it was really fun. When every you saw someone you could merge Kinstones with you always wanted to fuse them together. Although I'm talking all these great things about the game it does have one big problem. The quests, or missions you do before getting into the dungeons can be really annoying sometimes. It's not that they aren't fun it's just as soon as you complete one thing you have to do another, and another, and another. But other than that it doesn't have much bringing it down. While not as good as others in the series, it is still a solid adventure. I give it a B+, and an 8/10.… Expand
  28. INU4SH4
    Jun 23, 2020
    8
    I'm a huge fan of the 3D Zelda universe but this game made me also fall in love with Zelda's 2D environment.

    The strength of this game is definitely the art. The game looks beautiful and the gameplay is super fluid. It does not offer the same feeling of 'epicness' found on some of the greatest Zelda games but this mini world was super entertaining to explore and the visuals and setting    I'm a huge fan of the 3D Zelda universe but this game made me also fall in love with Zelda's 2D environment.

    The strength of this game is definitely the art. The game looks beautiful and the gameplay is super fluid. It does not offer the same feeling of 'epicness' found on some of the greatest Zelda games but this mini world was super entertaining to explore and the visuals and setting were pretty unique.

    Must-play Game Boy game. I also recommend this for fans of beautiful pixel art. You can't go wrong with this gem.    … Expand
  29. f1o_o1f
    Apr 29, 2020
    9
    So much content in such a little game...
    very easy to get into and a lot to discover. Gets very difficult towards the end and beating Vaati is so rewarding!

    Post-game content wasn't necessary though after such a journey in my opinion
  30. tukumalu
    Apr 26, 2020
    9
    A short but wholesome experience with many welcomed mechanics adding onto the experience
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Game Boy Advance Game of 2005
2
#2 Most Discussed Game Boy Advance Game of 2005
2
#2 Most Shared Game Boy Advance Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 56 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 56
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 56
  3. Negative: 0 out of 56
  1. GBA Central
    100
    The game may be short by the franchise's standards, but every minute of it is breathtaking.
    Read full review
  2. NTSC-uk
    90
    Thankfully, longevity hasn't been sacrificed for the sake of beauty: the main quest alone will take the average gamer a minimum of fifteen hours and that's without spending a single moment delving into the fabulous subquests, which will double, even triple that time...A stunning and wondrous game.
    Read full review
  3. GMR Magazine
    90
    Outside of a slightly boring midgame stretch in which you're tracking down overdue library books (no, really) and an overly tough final boss, this is a flawless portable adventure. [Feb 2005, p.91]
See all critic reviews »