The Legend of Zelda : The Minish Cap
So, I heard about this game AAAAAAAGGES ago, and I've been really looking forward to it, I mean, a new zelda game? Made by capcom? Definitely something to look forward to, though I had no idea when it was coming out, I just happened to browse by the GameFAQs page and saw that it was already out, and I was like, wtf? Came out last friday here in Europe, and due for release in the US in early January.
Finally, for once, we Europeans get something before Americans (though apparently the American version comes with a few extras, like, one whole extra cave to find, woo)
But anyway, I went out and bought it today, and started playing straight away and I can say it's insanely fun.
The game plays like a combination of LTTP, Four Swords and Link's Awakening, with very similar graphics to Four Swords, the R button is the universal action button, allowing you to grab, push or pull, and even roll (yes, that's right, you can roll just like the 3d games). A and B hold your items for use (and boy is there a plethora of them), so far all I have is the sword, shield, bombs and the wonderful, wonderful gust jar. That baby sucks in air, the longer you hold the key, the more air it sucks in, and that doesn't just mean air. It sucks up enemies, allowing you to blast them into each other, sucks up sand off the floor, bushes away from the ground, it's just crazy fun, and to think I just got that from the first dungeon.
There's also a system called kinstone fusion, which allows you to collect and find certain items called kinstones, and when you find a person whom they match to, it unlocks something, be it a new path, a hidden cave or just a chest full of rupees, though I've had little experience of it so far so it's left me a little...kinfused.
The game's story seems to be shaping up pretty well, and the wise-cracking Minish Cap of the game's name is pretty cool, he pops up and gives you hints just like the fairies from OOT and MM, or the Boat in WW. Or you can just hit select and he'll make some comment about the quest at hand, though oddly never repeats hints he's given you about puzzles.
Speaking of the puzzle, they're also very good, not too complicated (yet anyway), there's the usual amount of pot-pushing and switch finding and so on, but it's certainly not boring.
One of the things that interests me the most is the fact that you can learn new sword techniques, meaning there'll be more than just the charged attack and sword swinging of previous games. The only one I know about so far (because it was listed in the manual), is the 'Downward Thrust' technique, where while jumping with the Roc's Cape (remember that from OA/OS? Lv2 Roc's Feather?) you can jump down on an enemy and smack them with your sword in a fancy way, or something.
But whatever, it's a damn fun game, and a good continuation in the Zelda line, and while there's no appearance of Ganon or Ganondorf yet, or even of the Tri-force (or Master Sword for that matter >_>), I'm sure something classic will spring up from somewhere.
I'd say it's a must buy for any Zelda fan, and certainly the best 2d Zelda I've played in a long time, and at least it'll tide me over until the new GC Zelda comes out.
EDIT : I just got back to Hyrule town after finishing the first dungeon, and I can see...all our favourite characters are back, the postman, Anju, everyone you might remember from OOT or MM, there's even a Lon Lon Ranch, seems like the game is trying to keep to a world similar to OOT, but perhaps even prior to it.
