The Minish Cap was one of my favorite Zelda games, and I still have such fond memories of it. The bright, vivid world of Hyrule it portrayed, the colorful cast of characters it introduced, and the enjoyable new mechanic of shrinking to explore new areas all had me captivated! It’s unfortunate that I was never able to finish the game — well, at least in the traditional sense.
I’ve always struggled with the older 2D Zelda titles. Something about the dark, pixelated graphics never sat right with me. I know they’re not bad games. In fact, they’re some of the best well-remembered by fans, but I just can’t help but see the visuals as an eyesore. The Minish Cap was different. It’s bright colors and well-rounded sprites caught my attention and kept it throughout the game. I was soon entranced by the story going on, and before I knew it I was hooked.
I had that game sticking out of my old, clunky DS all the time. I’d always take some time after school to explore a new region or trade some Kinstones. I always looked forward to what adventures awaited Link next, but one day my game vanished.
I never took it out of the DS, so where could it have possibly gone? There was one potential thief who I suspected might have taken it, but why not just take the whole DS in that case? It was very well possible it might have fallen out when I brought it to school or on the bus. All I knew was that it was gone and that I’d never be able to finish my game.
Sure, they were still selling it at the store at this point, but the DS was starting to take over and it was not as common as it once was to find. That and I was a broke kid; how was I supposed to pay for a game with no money? I told my mom, who could find anything I lost, and she assisted me in my quest to find the game. However, even she could not find it.
I missed the game so much. It was hard to fill the void of an incomplete story, but I did what I could. I googled a lot of The Minish Cap images, trying to find glimpses of things that would have occurred if I still had the cartridge. Then I stumbled upon a peculiar image. It was a black and white comic of sorts. I clicked to get a closer look and saw that it was a manga page.
I was just starting to get into anime at this age, so seeing that my favorite video game series had a manga had me thrilled (and I eventually read the many others that were available at the time as well!) I searched and searched to see if I could find the full book, and luckily I did. I skipped the first few chapters since I already knew what happened, and I continued right from where I left off.
It was a little strange for me to jump into the story as there were a few creative changes made for the manga adaptation. For starters, Link could talk. This would take some getting used to, but eventually I did, and it helped me see Link in a new way. Since I didn’t have the gameplay aspect and no longer controlled Link’s movements, giving him a bit more personality and a voice filled in that gap.
I was obsessed. I probably read the whole thing in about a day, which was a lot shorter than what it was taking me to complete the actual game. Was I upset that I couldn’t finish the game for myself? Of course. I worked really hard in my file; to lose all that progress would upset anyone. However, the manga still allowed me to finish, in a sense. I got to see the rest of Link and Ezlo’s story unfold, and to tell the truth, this is the ending I remember and love.
Later on, I eventually found cutscenes from The Minish Cap so I could see the in-game story as intended, but it felt lack-luster compared to the manga. It was good, of course, no denying the satisfaction of seeing a final boss go down and the princess be saved. Maybe I couldn’t enjoy it as much since it wasn’t my own accomplishment, but I really loved the conclusion of the manga. I know it’s an older game, but I still will try to withhold spoiling it for those who wish to see it for themselves. All I can say is that a bittersweet moment that happened in-game is amplified by one particular detail involving Vaati, who was portrayed in a much more sympathetic light in the manga adaptation.
For weeks I was on a Minish Cap kick. I even went back and read the first few chapters that I had already experienced during my short time with the game. I printed out pictures, made a poster with quotes from the manga, and doodled Link, Zelda, Vaati, and all the other quirky characters from this game. I even continued to look for my lost cartridge.
To this day I never found it. I still want to finish it for myself. It’s hard to come by, but if I’m ever lucky enough to come across this game again (for a reasonable price, of course), I will be sure to never let go. I at least have these memories to think back on whenever I remember this wonderful game.
