The Legend of Zeldais one of Nintendo’s biggest franchises going back to the original NES game in 1986. It’s also a rare Nintendo property with major titles handled by third-party developers. While the expansiveSuper Mariofranchsie has spin-offs likeMario Partyby Hudson Soft or theMario & LuigiRPG series by AlphaDream,The Legend of Zeldahas a history of outsourcing traditional games to developers like Capcom. One of the best of the bunch isThe Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap.
The Nintendo Switch has been a bastion forZeldagames since 2017, launching alongside agenre-defining open-world game inBreath of the Wild. Since then, fans have been graced withSkyward Sword HD,Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity,Cadence of Hyrule, andLink’s Awakening- Grezzo’s HD remake of the beloved Game Boy game. Even among the third-party devs working on most of these titles, such as Brace Yourself Games and Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force, Grezzo stands out for a long history of working withThe Legend of Zelda, and a remake ofThe Minish Capcould be perfect for the studio.
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Grezzo’s History With The Legend of Zelda
Grezzo was founded in 2006 and headed by Koichi Ichii, known for work on theFinal FantasyandManafranchises at Square. Its first big project wasLine Attack Heroes, a WiiWare action beat-em-up released in 2010. Soon after that the studio would really make itself known withOcarina of Time 3D; a remake of the acclaimed N64 gamereleased for 3DS in 2011. That remake is well-regarded for improving the original’s controls and flow thanks to additions like swapping items on the touch screen - a particular boon for activating Iron Boots inOcarina’s infamous Water Temple.
That was only the beginning of Grezzo’s partnership with Nintendo forLegend of Zeldagames and beyond. The same year asOcarina of Time 3D,Grezzo would also put outFour Swords Anniversary Editionvia DSiWare, and then four years later it completed the N64 duology withMajora’s Mask 3D. A multiplayer-focused game in the style ofA Link Between WorldscalledTri Force Heroesalso launched in 2015, which was a wholly original adventure. Then Grezzo went back to remakes, including a 3DS port ofLuigi’s Mansionin 2018,Link’s Awakeningon Switch in 2019, andMiitopiaon Switch in 2021.
The Minish Cap’s Prominance as a 2D Zelda Game
Long before Grezzo hit the scene, Nintendo did work on its major franchises with Capcom through a now-defunct developer named Flagship. Also known for games likeKirby and the Amazing MirrorandKirby: Squeak Squad, Flagship developedOracle of AgesandOracle of Seasonsfor Game Boy; both releasing in 2001 with stories that fed into one another. Capcom then released a Game Boy Advance (GBA) port ofA Link to the Pastin 2002, featuring a new multiplayer spin-off game calledFour Swords. This was the firstZeldagame to have multiplayer and cooperative puzzles as a component, but it also introduced a new wing of the series' lore.
The wind mage Vaati is Link’s primary antagonist inFour Swords, kidnapping Princess Zelda after being freed from his imprisonment in the Four Sword blade. Though he is resealed at the end of this adventure, he returns in the2004 GameCube sequelFour Swords Adventures- which leans harder into a cartoonish art style clearly inspired byThe Wind Waker. Vaati is a striking enough alternative to Ganon that his backstory is examined further inThe Minish Cap.
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A hallmark ofThe Minish Capis its introduction of the Minish, also called the Picori. This miniscule race lives in the Minish Realm, occassionally crossing over to help save mankind from monsters. The Picori Blade is an enchanted weapon provided by the Minish that later becomes the Four Sword. It’s upgraded with the power of the four elements collected by Link throughout his quest to stop Vaati, who is revealed to be a Minish boy swayed by dark magic. In his quest to obtain great power, Vaati turns his old master Ezlo into the titular Minish Cap that helps Link change sizes, and lays siege to Hyrule Castle - turning Zelda to stone in the process.
What a Link’s Awakening-Style Remake Could Do for The Minish Cap
While it dropped the multiplayer facets that madeFour SwordsandFour Swords Adventuresstand out,The Minish Capwas special because it was a seeming amalgam of the games that came before. Its style continues to pull fromThe Wind Waker’s aesthetics, but mechanically it was likeLink’s Awakeningwith an original story as grand asA Link to the Past. Comparisons toLink’s Awakeningare pertinent, withThe Minish Cap’s top-down 2D adventure featuring returning items like Roc’s Cape (originally Roc’s Feather) or the Pegasus Boots, as well as an underlying seashell-collecting quest.
Given its experience withFour Swords Anniversary Editionand the Switch remake ofLink’s Awakening, Grezzo seems the perfect developer to tackle a modern version ofThe Minish Cap. IfNintendo Switch Online does not receive a GBA libraryas rumors are suggesting, an HD remake may be the only way for this adventure to return for modern audiences without a virtual console. This potential remake wouldn’t necessarily need the toy-like aesthetic ofLink’s Awakening, but the similar chibi style of each original game means it could work just as well - likely better than the laggy, unoptimized first attempt.
The possibility for aMinish Capremake would have benefits beyond bringing a solid, undersungLegend of Zeldastory into the modern age. Its synthesis of mechanics includes Link gaining new abilities akin toTwilight Princessand working to solve puzzles with Tingle. It also has plenty of original ideas such as Kinstone Fusion, allowing Link to interact with his countrymen and surroundings in a deeper way. Its more diverse dungeons (even if there are less than usual) and unique scaling environments could also make for stunning visuals in HD, and giveLink’s Awakening’s dungeon maker another chance to shine. Grezzo doesn’t necessarily have to be behind this venture; it would be worth trying regardless of who mans the helm.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Capis available now for Game Boy Advance, Wii U virtual console, and the 3DS Ambassador Program.
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