Issue 4
Happy 2025!
This past week marked the 20th anniversary of the release of The Minish Cap in North America (originally released January 10, 2005). So, this week we’re taking a moment to remember the last sprite-based top-down Zelda game (seriously, it’s been 20 years since a Zelda game was actually two dimensional).
I remember having the game pre-ordered but being upset that we were on a family vacation the day of release. Even when we got back from our trip, I had to wait a couple of days before we could get to the store to pick up my copy. But once I had it, I didn’t put it down.
I also remember struggling to enjoy replaying The Minish Cap for many years. It’s hard for me to believe that I once considered it among my least favorite Zelda games. When I finally replayed it, I thought I could share how terrible it was on social media or write a negative retrospective, but instead I fell in love with the game and it revitalized my love for the series as a whole. Now, it’s one of my favorites.
I already have my gaming time occupied with multiple other Zelda games (this week’s newsletter almost focused on Tears of the Kingdom), but I’ll have to make time for a replay of The Minish Cap soon.
~An Adventurer
The Minish Cap Retrospective
Liam Triforce publishes incredible retrospectives for many Zelda games, and I enjoyed revisiting this video to mark the occasion.
Fan art spotlight: Ezlo and the Chuchu
Flr shared this art about a month before the Japanese anniversary last year. I think it perfectly captures Ezlo’s frustration with the Chuchu early in the game.
The original social media posts also include a timelapse video.
The Hero of Men
One of the still unanswered questions in the story of The Minish Cap is the identity of the “Hero of Men” – a previous hero who defeated evil in the past.
The character is generally believed to not appear in any game, but some fans have speculated that the Hero of Men could be King Gustaf or Swiftblade the First.
Zelda Lore has a quick refresher video sharing the basic lore for the Hero of Men. It won’t offer any answers about their true identity, but it’s a good reminder about the backstory of The Minish Cap that fuels the theorizing.
Unused assets in The Minish Cap
Last year, Zelda Universe published an article focusing on the unused assets in The Minish Cap game files and how they suggest a connection to The Wind Waker. One fun tidbit is that one of those assets was used on the official website as part of a promotional online preview demo of the game.
Zelda’s Study: Unused assets in Minish Cap suggest a connection to The Wind Waker, Zelda Universe
Peace Returns
Let’s close out this issue with a beautiful cover of one of the end game musical themes from The Minish Cap. Aaron Grubb included this track in his Legend of Zelda Collection, Vol. 2 album in 2022.
We do not often mark the 20th anniversary of a Zelda game; mark the occasion with a song.