There are certain addictions I cannot free myself from: coffee, Red Dwarf, Animal Crossing: New Leaf. You know, the normal everyday addictions. But there’s a new addition to my daily dependencies. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap has become something I love to play every single day. The strangest thing about the addiction: I only want to play for (at most) fifteen minute intervals. Is this the very formula for addiction to handheld games? Unfortunately, I really didn’t get a chance to play many Gameboy Advance games as a kid so I can’t really say. I’m certain I will find that out as this GBA Saturday series plows — the strong language here is totally necessary — into the future.
Like I’ve said in previous posts, I’ve been a fan of Zelda for a pretty long time. I’m not as hardcore about it as I used to be as a kid since the mechanics of the game never really “grew up.” I’m not sure if that’s exactly the right phrase to use and I’m sure some Nintendo fans will find that a tad offensive, but it’s, by my estimation, a fair statement about the series. I find Zelda to be one of those wonderful childhood games that hasn’t been able to translate to older audiences. Basically, I kept Zelda in my childhood and didn’t remain a true fan as I got older and played more complex video games. That being said, I’m pretty excited about the new Zelda Wii U title. I think an open-world Zelda game could recapture the enchantment of the old games without that sense of enchantment being weighed down by antiquated or simplified gameplay.
The first draw to the game: the music is utterly irresistible. Listen to these terrific tunes:
So, I’m sure you can see why my addiction to The Minish Cap caught me off-guard. I decided to play it on a whim. I figured I could try some of the best-loved GBA games since I finally had a machine to play them on. So after playing some Pokemon FireRed, I went straight into the colorful world of The Minish Cap. The game is so inviting, so adorable, you have to have a heart of stone not be charmed by it. The game evokes a feeling of adventureness, friendliness that seems unadulterated. Its aim seems to be to convey a message of pure (almost childish) joy.
It’s fun to slash up bushes and go into little houses; it’s comprised of a myriad of much-loved mini-adventures.
I don’t see my addiction letting up any time soon considering there’s a sassy talking hat (not present in enough video games, by the way). Regardless, I will finish the game so I can do a little retro-review of it for one of these upcoming GBA Saturdays.
Hope you enjoyed my short post about The Minish Cap and come back next Saturday for more GBAdventures!
Have you played The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap? Did you like it? Love it? Couldn’t care less about it? Tell me in the comments!
