Every franchise has its share of quirky scenarios that run through almost all of its installments. In Zelda, there are the classic cuckoo hunt, the Deku Scrubs whose nuts can be deflected with your shield, and the fact that performing barrel rolls makes you go just that little bit faster than running. These traits – as well as countless others - are what separate Zelda from other adventure series, and any installment needs to include a great number of these, if it wants to belong in the series. Capcom subsidiary Flagship obviously know this, as is evidenced in their two Oracle games for Game Boy Color and, now, The Minish Cap. The game is filled with enough Zelda-specific elements to bring a nostalgic smile to any Zelda veteran, while still making sure not to simply walk in the footsteps of its predecessors. However, due to its relatively short length combined with quite a few places that disrupt the progression of the game (because you unavoidably get stuck) it doesn’t quite reach the brilliance of the best efforts from Nintendo. It still stands as a worthy bearer of the Zelda name, but it hardly represents a highlight for the series. This raises the question: Would the game have turned out better had Nintendo developed it themselves?

I doubt they would be able to come up with a better story, though. It’s interesting from the start and keeps you engrossed throughout by means of a few well-timed plot surprises. The setup is explained by the game’s opening cut-scenes in which a young and boyish version of Link wakes up in his house. He is getting ready to escort his friend Princess Zelda to a festival in Hyrule, which marks the hundredth anniversary of the last time the so-called “Picori" were seen by the Hyrulians. Unfortunately, the celebrations stop abruptly when the victor of the local sword-wielding tournament, the mysterious Vaati, decides to break the magical Picori Blade, which only he was allowed to touch. Evil is then released, the princess turns to stone, and Vaati disappears in a puff of smoke. Thus begins another epic adventure involving saving Zelda and ridding the world of evil.

From the moment you gain control of Link, you’re faced with classic Zelda gameplay all the way through to the end. This of course includes talking to the right characters for clues, searching for heart pieces, hitting switches, pushing blocks, killing Octoroks, and making a note of the whereabouts of every locked door and distinctly crumbly wall for later, when you might possess the appropriate tool to deal with them.

Not every action will feel familiar, though. With the help of a magical hat called Ezlo, Link can shrink in size. This is a central aspect of the game, and the game exploits its potential cunningly, so the mechanic, by no means, feels gimmicky. Only when shrunk can Link interact with the Picori, who prove to be powerful and helpful allies in his quest. Changing size is not only integral to the story, though. Many puzzles revolve around this shift in dimensions as well. You can only change size at specific points, though. Typically, you will need to stand on a magical tree stump. After the transformation, Link is a mere few pixels tall, so if it weren’t for a convenient marker, constantly pointing at him, it would prove difficult just locating him on the screen. When traversing in dungeons and towns the camera might zoom in. Thus, the scale of the world changes drastically. Rain drops come tumbling down like giant bombs, a small pond becomes an impassable ocean, and enemies that you would normally swipe away with ease become terrifying bosses that take up half of the GBA’s screen. What’s more, huge leaves, blades of grass, and beautifully colored flowers typically hang in the foreground, giving a real sense of depth. It’s a fantastic visual effect that really makes the whole grow/shrink idea come to life.

Sadly, this level of graphical detail doesn’t exist in all the environments. Many of the dungeons, with their basic green and brown colors, look a little uninspired in comparison. Apart from the enemies, there is little movement here, and few environmental effects are used. As a result, some of these areas feel somewhat lifeless. They lack the special atmosphere of the Minish Woods to the east, where a beautiful fog casts a gloomy, enchanting mood, or the barren Mountain of Crenel to the west, where colossal rocks come crashing down, shattering into a thousand pieces as they hit the ground.

Hyrule Town is anything but lifeless, though. Dozens of characters roam the town square, some of whom lead busy lives and don’t have time to talk, while others embrace you in their activities, asking for help or wanting to trade items. Furthermore, there is a dojo for learning new sword techniques, a shop, a school, and a library, as well as a wealth of mini-games to try out.

The art direction, heavily inspired by both Wind Waker and Four Swords Adventures, is definitely a long way from depicting the dark and unsettling doomsday atmosphere found in Majora’s Mask. Instead, the game plays out more like an interactive cartoon, with its excessive use of light, vibrant, primary colors. Link’s comical animations and expressions are emphasized to reflect his boyish nature. He looks sweet and endearing – far from a tough, hardened warrior off to save the world. His head even turns red as he struggles to move a small boulder. The fact that this “kiddie" style flows through the entire game might turn off older gamers looking for a more serious adventure, but, nonetheless, the expressions do a magnificent job of conveying emotions, which is quite an achievement considering the small screen of the GBA.

The looks of the enemies contribute to this lighthearted style as well. You’ll face smiling blobs, hot-tempered cats, as well as half a dozen raccoons stacked on top of each other. Few foes look truly awe-inspiring, and even fewer turn out to be that way. Most enemies are killed easily with a couple of sword strikes. Furthermore, some mini boss battles can be beaten in less than 5 seconds, making them feel more like a Wario Ware micro-game than an actual test of sword wielding abilities. It’s clear then that – with the exception of the boss battles, which are both tough and satisfying - the challenge in Minish Cap doesn’t come from fighting enemies.

Instead it comes from solving puzzles. Some of them, especially the ones in the dungeons, are truly inspired and intelligent. The best ones draw gently on a wide variety of skills and tools. At one point, you have to shrink yourself in order to get through a tiny hole in the wall, then grow tall again, so you’re able to press down a switch that makes a silver key drop down from the ceiling. In order to get it you’ll need to dig your way through a maze of sand dunes occupied by monsters. The puzzle-solving process gets even more complicated when you learn how to clone yourself. In pure Four Swords Adventures style, you get to control up to four Links at the same time, as they move synchronically. This makes for some highly complex puzzles that somehow never seem unfair or far-fetched. There is always a logical solution, and the satisfaction gained from finding it is magnificent.

After a puzzle is solved, you’re immediately rewarded. Sometimes you even get a kin-stone piece. Scattered all around Hyrule, these come in numerous shapes and colors and can be fused with other characters’ matching kin-stones. By fusing them, a secret doorway might magically open, or a tree will vanquish, revealing a hidden cave, or a giant beanstalk, begging to be climbed, will rise to the heavens. The imagination put into these scenarios is impressive, as are the rewards of discovering them. Bigger wallets, rare kin-stones, heart pieces, or even magical items await you, as well as countless Rupees.

The rewards can seem few and far between when you get stuck, though. You typically get stuck, not because a puzzle is too hard to figure out, but because no one has given you any hints as to where to go next or how to get there. Such irritating situations happen far too often in The Minish Cap and they somewhat disrupt the flow the game. As a result, you oftentimes have to rely on pure coincidence to find the solution. In one situation it turned out a wall had to be destroyed in order to progress. However, the wall had no cracks on it whatsoever. I was stuck here for so long that I began throwing bombs all over the place in frustration, and in an extreme case of luck, one of them landed beside the wall, blowing it up, and allowing me to continue. On other occasions, you have to talk to a specific person, although you’re given absolutely no clues as to who this person is (or where he is for that matter). Granted, you can ask Ezlo for help, but mostly he just repeats what your general objective is, or replies that he is tired and doesn’t feel like talking.

The short length constitutes another issue. The majority of the six dungeons in the game are far from immense, and their somewhat linear structures almost invite you to just run through them. Unfortunately, the land of Hyrule is on the small side too. As a result, you could theoretically rush through the game in less than 8 hours on your first try provided you don’t get stuck (which would indicate that you possess superhuman powers, in my book).

On the other hand, Hyrule is literally packed with secrets. In true Zelda tradition, you can spend hours just roaming the land, searching for treasures, participating in mini-games and side-quests, or just chatting with people. Every area is so dense that backtracking rarely comes off as chore. Furthermore, some areas go through various changes as the story progresses. Suffice to say, finding everything will substantially extend the game’s longevity.

In many ways, playing The Minish Cap is like trying out a broken roller-coaster ride - one that is highly enjoyable while it lasts, but is over too quickly and gets stuck often, so the excitement quickly gets replaced by frustration. However, when it does move, it gives you a thrilling, almost magical, experience that makes you want to remain seated all the way through to the end.