ColonelT says...
Andrew pretty much nails it. In a way, the overworld feels like Golden Sun, in that the player is forced to sludge through mindless environment puzzles, backtracking constantly, switching items to the point of annoyance, just to get to the game's "good parts," the dungeons. The dungeons are classic Zelda - very clever, very fun. Still, there are only six of them, and they're over all too quickly.

The Zelda GBA games really need a way to switch items without having to go the menu screen. Since items are generally only useful for solving really obvious puzzles, it's easy to become resentful of the constant switching. The standard sword is so powerful that even the classic boomerang, arrows, and shield are barely needed.

Indeed, the overworld enemies might as well not even be there; they offer no challenge and only serve to get in the way of the endless backtracking. Apart from a couple tough bosses, Minish Cap provides very little engaging combat.

"Kinstone Fusion" is a mildly entertaining diversion, although unlocking yet another chest of shells or rupees grows tiresome after a while. I still had four pieces to find when I finished the game, and I really don't care enough to go back and find them.

I leave you with a question: How can this game, an original entry in the Zelda series, feel so stale, yet Metroid Zero Mission, a "re-imagining" of a game I've played through 10 times, feels so fresh?

RATING: 6.5
Published: April 13, 2005

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