The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (2004)

Genre: Action, Adventure | Players: 1 | Developer: Capcom

Minish Cap is the 12th LoZ game and it’s another classic.   You play as the green-suited and brown-booted Link but can change his name to whatever you prefer, so if you want to be Mr Big Sword you can do that.

This time he pairs up with a talking hat that grants the fairy-boy beneath it the ability to shrink to a tiny size, which in turn enables him to reach new places and to interact with a race of small people called the Minish.  This is much more useful than it first seems because the Minish are crucial to the hero’s quest to kill the baddie and rescue the princess.

Gameplay follows the usual pattern; if you’re not familiar with the games that means: enter dungeon, obtain an item you can’t advance without, kill the bad guy and then advance to the next dungeon.  Beyond that there are things to do in the world of Hyrule that will extend your life bar or grant you new abilities.  Many of the side-quests will be impossible to complete until you have a specific item or weapon, usually found in the aforementioned dungeons.

Everything is beautifully designed and unfolds at the player's own pace.  If you don’t want to go dungeon diving you can relax in Hyrule, chop down some grass or hunt for Rupees (loot).   There's a mini pairing-up game that is worth taking the time to explore as it will unlock hidden areas.

It’s the inventiveness of the weapons, the puzzles, the numerous side-quests, the endearing characterisation and the satisfaction of taking down a monstrous boss that make a Zelda game so very special.

4 Gorons all in a row out of 5