The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: MINISH CAP

Today, let's cover The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap, a Game Boy Advance game that serves as a prequel to the Four Swords games, telling the origin story of Vaati, how he was a Minish (a race of tiny people living in Hyrule) who stole his master's cap to gain powerful magic and then broke into Hyrule Castle, stealing a sacred chest and turning Zelda to stone.

Link is our protagonist, here portrayed as the lazy apprentice of a blacksmith and friend of Princess Zelda. When Vaati's attack occurs, the only blade that can save Zelda is shattered, requiring him to seek out the Minish and ask them to repair it. He uses such weapons as his sword and shield, a gust jar to blow winds, the Cane of Pacci that can flip over anything, a boomerang, mole mitts, a flame lantern, bombs, the Pegasus boots and Roc's cape, an ocarina to control wind, and a bow and arrow.

He is constantly accompanied throughout the game by the Minish sorcerer Ezlo, transformed into a hat by Vaati. Vaati teaches him how to get to the world of the Minish, and frequently helps him use items from their world (making him at least a partial gimmick rep). He and his race, the Picori, also have a few distinct abilities they can use, having adapted to life at minuscule size. They shrink and grow by traveling through special cracks, they can use elastic mushrooms to spring themselves, they can be blown up into the air by strong updrafts, and they can parachute via leaves, or his own body in Ezlo's case.

Zelda is our primary supporting character, though she spends much of her time as stone. Her father King Daltus and Link's mentor Master Smith, as well as a lot of regulars such as Malon, Dampe, Tingle, and the Great Fairy, make up a lot of the supporting NPC cast, as well as a few important Minish like Festari or Melari.

Vaati is our main villain this time, luckily staying free of Ganon and getting to shine on his own, and gaining a humanoid form instead of just his big monstrous form like the other games. In game, we see him throw a ball of lightning, turn people to stone, teleport, throw flames, turn into a flying eyeball, then a dark blob, fire lasers from his eyes, grow purple spikes, and then attack with his arms in his final monstrous form.

The bosses include a giant Chuchu (probably regular size, but you're tiny so . . .), Gleerok (basically a Gleeok, but with a rock shell), Mazaal (a big Mesoamerican-looking statue), a giant Octorok (again, probably regular size), and a pair of Gyorgs. A giant caterpillar called Madderpillar and a few Darknuts also act as minibosses. Our returning enemies include Chuchus (who can grow spikes now), Octoroks, Spiny Beetles, Tektites, Helmasaurs, Bob-Ombs, Peahats, Moblins, Moldorms, Ropes, Eyegors, Armos, Stalfos (who can throw bones), Wallmasters, Wizzrobes, Gibdos, and Ghinis. A few newcomers include: Acrobandits, masked ducks that stand on top of each other; Pestos, basically flies; Puffstools, walking mushrooms; Mulldozers, basically beetles; Rollobites, basically pillbugs; Sluggulas, basically slugs; and Keatons, masked foxes with knives.

The Hyrule of this game features a lot of the basics, including Hyrule Castle, Castle Town, Lon Lon Ranch, Eastern Hills, Minish Woods where you find the Minish and their village, Hyrule Field, the Trilby Highlands and Mount Crenel, the Western Wood, Castor Wilds, the Wind Ruins, Lake Hylia, the Royal Crypt, Veil Falls, and the Cloud Tops. The dungeons specifically include Deep Wood Shrine, the Cave of Flame, the Fortress of Winds, the Temple of Droplets, and Vaati's base of operations, the Palace of Winds.

Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Link: sword, shield, bombs, bombchus, boomerang, flute, ember seeds, gale seeds, Pegasus seeds, slingshot, magnetic gloves, power bracelet, Roc's feather, shovel, rod of seasons, switch hook, Harp of Ages, Tune of Echoes, Tune of Currents, Tune of Ages, gust jar, Cane of Pacci, mole mitts, flame lantern, Ocarina of Winds

Four Links: sword, shield, bow and arrows, boomerang, bombs, Pegasus shoes, Roc's cape, magnetic glove, spark his swords, pull apart, pick up and throw, push, push together, Force gems, fire rod, the fire arrows, quake, bombos medallions, hammer, shovel, power bracelet, cannon, box, vertical line, horizontal line.

Zelda: sealing spell, rainbow bridge, stone

Ezlo: gust jar, Cane of Pacci, mole mitts, flame lantern, Ocarina of Winds, shrink, grow, elastic mushrooms, updrafts, parachute, magic cap

Din: dance, seasons

Nayru: sing, harp of ages, echoes tune, currents tune, ages tune,  time portals, fireballs, warp

Ralph: sword, (maybe?) bombs, bombchus, boomerang, flute, ember seeds, gale seeds, Pegasus seeds, slingshot, magnetic gloves, power bracelet, Roc's feather, shovel, switch hook

Farore

Impa

Ricky: pouch, leap high, pair of gloves

Moosh: fly

Dimitri: swim

Malon

Talon

Tingle: steal Force gems

Dampe

Maple: broom, crash, potions

Goron

Gerudo

Deku Scrub

Minish/Picori: shrink, grow, elastic mushroom, updrafts, parachute

Subrosians: shovels, hammers, boomerangs, warp points, buckets, smelt ore

Tokay: steal, swim

Pirate Captain

Great Fairy

Ganon: disappear, trident, energy balls, slam, warp, seal Zelda, lightning

Onox: lightning, cyclones, mace, stomp to make rocks fall, blue flames, dragon form

Veran: possession, ghostly form, summon enemies, dark Links, dark energy balls, fairy, turtle, and spider forms, time warps

Vaati: fly, tentacles, cyclones, lightning balls, colored energy balls, claws, ring of energy balls, stone, teleport, flames, eyeball, dark blob, laser eyes, purple spikes, arms, magic cap

Dark Link: sword, shield, bombs, giant bomb, leap, multiply, fiery floor, icy floor

Twinrova: combine, fly, fire and ice, lava, glaciers

Vire: fireballs, shadow balls, fly, turn into keese

Armos

Hylian Soldiers

Wizzrobes

Deku Scrubs

Buzz Blobs

Darknuts

Keese

Gibdos

Lynels

Moblins

Octoroks

Goriyas

Zoras

Stalfos: scythe

Poes

Dodongo

Gohma

Eyegor

Helmasaur

Helmaroc King

Phantom Ganon

Hinox

Chuchu: spikes

Darknut

Keaton: knives

Bosses:

Aquamentus

Dodongo

Mothula

Gohma

Digdogger

Manhandla

Gleeok

Medusa Head

Facade

Agunima

Frypolar

Pumpkin Head

Head Thwomp

Shadow Hag

Eyesoar

Smog

Octogon

Plasmarine

Ramrock

Swoop

Subterror

Smasher

Angler Fish

Dera Zol

Gouen

Dodongo

Gohma

Phantom Ganon

Stone Arrghus

Helmaroc King

Big Poe

Frostare

Giant Chuchu

Gleerok

Mazaal

Giant Octorok

Madderpillar

Stages:

Eastern Coast

Eyeglass Lake

Goron Mountain

Graveyard

Horon Village

Lost Woods

Moblin's Keep

Mt. Cucco

Natzu Prairie

Samasa Desert

Spool Swamp

Sunken City

Tarm Ruins

Woods of Winter

Temple Remains

Subrosia

Temple of Seasons

Gnarled Root Dungeon

Snake's Remains

Poison Moth's Lair

Dancing Dragon Dungeon

Unicorn's Cave

Ancient Ruins

Explorer's Crypt

Sword & Shield Maze

Onox's Castle

Labrynna

Cheval's Tomb

Crescent Island

Eyeglass Island Library

Fairies' Woods

Forest of Time

Jabu-Jabu's Shrine

Lynna City

Nuun Highlands

Rolling Ridge

Sea of Storms

Symmetry City

Talus Peaks

Yoll Graveyard

Zora Seas

Ambi's Palace

Coast of No Return

Deku Forest

Sea of No Return

Black Tower

Spirit's Grave

Wing Dungeon

Moonlit Grotto

Skull Dungeon

Crown Dungeon

Mermaid's Cave

Jabu-Jabu's Belly

Ancient Tomb

Room of Rites

Chamber of Insight

Sea of Trees

Talus Cave

Death Mountain

Palace of Winds

Lake Hylia

Cave of No Return

Hyrule Castle

The Coast

Village of the Blue Maiden

Eastern Temple

Death Mountain Foothills

Mountain Path

Tower of Flames

Field

Swamp

Lost Woods

Kakariko Village

Temple of Darkness

Desert of Doubt

Desert Temple

Pyramid

Frozen Hyrule

Ice Temple

Tower of Winds

Realm of the Heavens

Dark Cloud

Palace of Winds

Minish Woods

Trilby Highlands

Mount Crenel

Castor Wilds,

Royal Crypt

Cloud Tops

Deep Wood Shrine

Cave of Flame

Fortress of Winds

Temple of Droplets

Thanks for reading! Next up, a direct handheld sequel to a console game. That's rare.