As I mentioned in my review of the Gameboy Advance release of the original Legend of Zelda game, you'll be hard pressed to find a series that has stayed so true to itself since the beginning. The newest member of the Zelda family and the first original Gameboy adventure since 2001's double shot Oracle of Ages/Seasons for Gameboy Colour, is no exception to this trend. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap has everything you'd expect from a classic Zelda adventure and plays pretty much exactly the same, while making noticeable changes, both good and bad, to the basic formula.

With a new Zelda game comes a new special feature, or gimmick if you will. Last time we saw a new handheld Zelda title, Link had the ability to change the seasons to help him with his journey. Now, with the help of a magical cap named Ezlo, Link can shrink himself down to microscopic size. Why in the world is his hat magical, with a name and the ability to talk? And how on Earth could shrinking down to the size of an ant help him on his journey? These will be answered in the game over time, but here comes the basic rundown of the story.

Legend has it that long ago, evil spirits descended onto the magical land of Hyrule and just when the land appeared doomed, tiny creatures known as Minish, or Picori to humans, appeared and granted a young courageous human a single sword and a shining golden light. Of course, the lone warrior fended off the threat and saved the land of Hyrule, restoring peace and hope. The Picori legend explains the story of a mystic doorway in Hyrule that opens once every one hundred years. Take a guess what year the game takes place in? The festivities for the occasion are grand and a large sword fighting competition is held to celebrate. Oddly, a young warrior named Vaati wins the tournament in record time, creating a buzz throughout Hyrule as villagers wonder how he won with such ease and why he is here. The mystery of Vaati and the game's second main star, Ezlo the Minish Cap, unravels as you adventure through Hyrule's many areas.

Using this cap, Link has the ability to shrink himself down to the size of the Minish people, offering a whole new perspective on the world around you and opening up brand new areas within the nooks and crannies of Hyrule. It is funny that small things are the theme of this game, because the game itself can be described with the same word. Not only is this version of Hyrule surprisingly small when compared to past lands (though I am quite fond of the layout of the town), but the quest you're sent on is quite tiny as well. There are only four main dungeons and four main items to collect (similar to the Tri-Force), and then about two final dungeons to round off your journey. The boss fights, while very memorable, don't offer the amount of challenge that you may be used to, either.

Nintendo seemed to know that the main adventure wasn't very long when developing this game, because they've thrown in a plethora of extra things to do in Minish Cap. Throughout the lands and dungeons are small pieces of stones called Kinstones. Almost everyone in Hyrule has half a Kinstone and you can approach people and attempt to combine your pieces with theirs. If you make a successful connection, and chances are that you will almost all of the time, something happens in Hyrule for you to go check out (a mark is made on your map for each new event). The Kinstones play a very important role for collecting rare items and for advancing the main story of the game. Link can also collect Seashells now, which in turn can be traded in for collectable figurines. Collecting things seems to be a new theme with this game and you'll be doing a lot of it to earn powerful new items.

Speaking of items, you may be surprised at the lineup of equipment Link gets in Minish Cap. Some of them are familiar, like Roc's Cape or Pegasus Boots and some are a mystery, like the Gust Jar, Cane of Pacci and Mole Mitts. All the items do interesting things and like all Zelda games, once obtained, allow you to access new areas all across Hyrule. Some people may be surprised to find out that the Hookshot is not included in this title; instead, small mushrooms are scattered throughout the dungeons that can be pulled back to slingshot Link over pits. Also removed from this instalment completely is the inclusion of magic power; there simply is none anymore.

Also scattered around Hyrule are trainers who can teach you new abilities, eight moves in all and a couple of ability enhancements. They may be a bit of trouble to hunt down, but they're almost essential to beating your quest without too much hassle. It is odd that Zelda is as popular and loved as it is, especially by me, when you consider how frustrating and strange the gameplay can be. If you fail a puzzle, leave the room and come back, everything still resets back to how it was (this is a Zelda staple, it would actually be very weird if they removed it). Certain events can only be triggered by precise requirements, forcing you to talk to everybody and go everywhere you can multiple times just to figure out where to go next. It can be very frustrating trying to figure out what to do next or where to go at times, especially when it comes to the game's many side quests. I suppose that is what people love about Zelda though; it just drops you into different situations and forces you to figure out what to do, even if it does take a while and you feel incredibly dense when you finally figure out the solution. Even though these things often bug me, the characters and towns are just too charming and memorable not to love, while the dungeons and puzzles are too challenging and ingenious not to enjoy.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Minish Cap is how good the game looks. The animations are fluid, effects impressive and colours vibrant and, well, colourful! The dungeons have also been given an upgrade and all have a completely different feel to them now. For instance, the first dungeon most obviously is deep within a forest, while another one is actually in the sky high above the clouds! The change of scenery from dungeon to dungeon really helps the game when it comes to challenging the players in fresh, new areas. Equally as impressive is what the world looks like when Link shrinks down and enters certain areas, however. You'll walk over giant pieces of branches or float along a creek on a little leaf while ducking under giant bugs. Other situations may place you on a bookcase within a library or even inside the top of a building walking along wooden planks while looking down on the main room below.

Minish Cap also makes great use of sound, giving all of the main characters and many supporting character their own sound effects and vocal noises. Some of the grunts and noises they make actually had me chuckling and even though it isn't technically part of the sound, Ezlo's sly remarks should have you smiling the whole journey, due to some very witty writing. Sound effects have never been better for a handheld Zelda adventure and the music is even more memorable than ever, offering a good amount of memorable tunes for each location you visit.

If you've never liked the handheld Zelda games before, then you aren't going to start to like them with The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. Many things that bugged you before are almost certainly still present here, so if you aren't a fan of the Zelda games already you really shouldn't bother with this one. For those of you who see the charm and fun to be had from a Zelda game, though, you will almost certainly welcome The Minish Cap into your collection with welcome arms. Though the main quest is short and moderately easy compared to other titles in the series, hundreds of collectable items and side-quests await the die-hard players who strive to exhaust the game completely. Like most Zelda games though, once you complete it, the last thing you'll want to do for a while is go through it all again. In a few years though, when many details of the game slip your mind, The Minish Cap will certainly be worth revisiting again, along with every other game in the huge library of Zelda titles. Nintendo has once again shown us why The Legend of Zelda is one of the greatest gaming legends of all time.

Reviewed by Christopher Martin for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).