This Month In Nintendo History: January 2005 Page 1

This Month In Nintendo History: January 2005

02.01.2012

This Month in Nintendo History: January 2005

A very happy new year to all Cubed3 readers! As 2012 gets off its drunken backside and stumbles into motion, we take a quick look back at a notable January moment in a month that rarely sees any gaming standouts at all. Debuting at retail with a shiny golden Game Boy Advance SP in tow, and gracing the portable screens of 3DS Ambassadors the world over just in time for Christmas 2011, The Legend of Zelda took a miniature venture into Hyrule and beyond with The Minish Cap.

Zelda fans were well catered for with Nintendo’s original Game Boy, what with Link’s Awakening that saw the hero in green seek out the method of waking the Wind Fish, and the two Capcom collaboration games Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, which required Link to save Din and Nayru respectively. With the release of the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo fans were no doubt looking forward to more sword thrusting and shield bashing from the acclaimed series.

Much like Mario’s first game for the Game Boy Advance however, Nintendo started off with a port. This port in question was A Link to the Past from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Although this wasn’t the new game the fans wanted, many were content with it regardless, primarily because of the overall quality of the original that was maintained in the porting process, and the included Four Swords sidegame, though due to each linked Game Boy needing its own cartridge that wasn’t fully appreciated until the updated DSiWare download version in the past few months. With relatively good sales success for the game, fans kept a watchful eye on the horizon for the GBA’s first true Zelda game.

Nintendo sure do love their shiny handhelds. Gold 3DS next please!
And in January 2005 lucky US gamers got it, with a touch of Capcom mixed in once more. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap took the cartoonish art style of The Wind Waker and made it its own. Taking the mechanics behind the shrinking Gnat Hat item from the Four Swords extra in the previous GBA Zelda, and expanding its usability to the entirety of Hyrule, this new game caused ripples in the logic pools of timeline theorists by claiming it to be set before Ocarina of Time. Much like Skyward Sword’s origin story for the Master Sword, Minish Cap wove the tale behind Vaati the evil wind sorcerer and the Four Sword blade that would be his prison for two more games set later on. Link’s companion this time around would be the wizened sage Ezlo, cursed into cap-with-a-beak form by Vaati. With Ezlo’s aid your blond-haired young elf could alter his size to explore areas, conquer dungeons, and outwit foes.

The Minish Cap further refined the already polished 2D Zelda gameplay, and introduced a more community-derived aspect with the Kinstone collectables; fragments of stone obtained from patches of grass, chests, enemies, and character interaction that, when combined with the rest of the original crest in someone else’s possession, would unlock a secret in the game world. Skyward Sword’s Goddess Cubes are similar in this regard, which isn't too much of a surprise given that the director for both games is the same. The focus on overworld content and exploration in The Minish Cap was undoubtedly expanded to a whole new level in the MotionPlus-equipped Wii title too.

Did anyone actually finish that sidequest? Talk about a monumental undertaking!
To date, The Minish Cap stands as the last true 2D single player Zelda experience, with Nintendo utilizing an isometric three-dimensional perspective and excessive touch-screen input for the two DS games that followed later years, and of course a full world perspective within the 3DS-enchanced Ocarina of Time up-port. Committed fans who bought 3DS early before its unprecedented price slash may have rightly felt ripped off, but few could deny with a straight face that The Minish Cap, together with the other nine Game Boy Advance games, is worthy compensation.

Unfortunately for newer 3DS owners, Nintendo have stated they have no intention to put any GBA games up for proper purchase, though this being Nintendo you can never be sure. One thing is for certain however; this is one Zelda title that is worth your while in tracking down in cartridge form, whether it's to be played on any of the Game Boy Advance line, or the first two DS models.

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SirLink 02.01.2012#1

Awesome article, Phoe! See? All it takes is some Zelda and I'm there. Smilie

Hard to believe that the golden GBA SP was my first handheld since it came out in 2005 and that's admittedly fairly late for a first handheld. Could have sworn I've had it for much longer but that's probably just my memory playing tricks on me yet again. Aside from Zelda, I almost exclusively used it to play Pokémon games. Many hours of my childhood were lost to that series. Smilie

Back to Minish Cap, it's probably my favourite of the 2D Zelda games and I generally don't like them as much as the 3D ones. Despite that, I really wish they would develop another main entry in the series in a style like Minish Cap again but it's likely that most if not all future handheld Zelda instalments are going to be like the console games.

Did anyone actually finish that sidequest?

Yes, I did...twice. The golden Tingle statue was totally ~~not~~ worth it. I was even mad enough to collect all figurines twice just to get that Piece of Heart for 100%. Many hours were lost looking for people to combine Kinstones with and farming Mysterious Shells, that's for sure. Smilie

( Edited 02.01.2012 13:29 by SirLink )

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Cheesing It Up 02.01.2012#2

Unfortunately for newer 3DS owners, Nintendo have stated they have no intention to put any GBA games up for proper purchase

Wait...what!? One more reason not to get a 3DS!

I'm certain that Minish Cap came out in December (in Europe at least?) because I have vivid memories of getting it for Christmas. I remember it being pretty good, although I think I only played it through once. May be about time for another crack at it.

jesusraz 02.01.2012#3

I actually believe Nintendo was quite cute with its wording, saying something like 'We have no current plans to bring GBA games to the eShop.' Plans change Smilie

Minish Cap <3 <3 <3 Smilie

Adam Riley [ Director :: Cubed3 ]

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Azuardo 02.01.2012#4

Cheese: MC came out in November 2004 in Europe. I still remember the day I bought it :] Any particular reason you focused on the US release here, Phoe? I'm assuming you were looking for a big January release since, as you mentioned, big games don't normally come out in that month?

The Capcom Zelda games are my absolute faves. Oracles rank higher in my opinion, but MC was just as wonderful. Why oh why Nintendo haven't got them back again is beyond me. I'm certain we'll see another 2D Zelda again, since there has been a bit of talk from Nintendo of late suggesting they'd love to do a LttP-style game using stereoscopic 3D. If the game is a full-blown adventure with content that matches LttP, Oracles and MC, that would be a dream.

Another option is a smaller game in the same vain as Four Swords, but on the eShop with downloadable levels. Perhaps each month Nintendo can release a new set of levels that are tougher with new puzzles. Unlikely, but an option for something different.

I really don't want to see the full 2D adventures disappear. It's where Zelda started for me, just like most other Nintendo franchises. The 2D games always carry that nostalgia factor and fond memories. But really, when was the last true 2D Zelda? Four Swords Adventures came out in Jan 2005 in Europe. SEVEN years ago. You could say the DS games are in a similar vain as the oldies, but not really. I hope the 3DS sees a true 2D game and actually delivers. Hell, just get Capcom back for it.

jesusraz 02.01.2012#5

Sadly Flagship was disbanded and reabsorbed into Capcom. However, one of the key staff from Minish Cap was involved in Skyward Sword, I believe.

Grezzo did a good job with the new dungeons in Four Swords DSi, right? I wonder if the ex-Mana head, Koichi Ishii, will be given the chance to do a proper Minish Cap-esque game next instead of jumping straight onto the inevitable Majora's Mask update...

Adam Riley [ Director :: Cubed3 ]

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Phoenom 02.01.2012#6

Yup, pretty much, the biggest events I could find otherwise over the years were some no-name studios being shut down or some boring lawsuits. I though that with Minish Cap's Ambassador re-release so fresh in the mind and most fans seeing the similarities between it and Skyward Sword that it would be a good time to mention it. Plus judging from one of the comments of the last Nintendo History, C3 does have some US readers about. ^^

Wait...what!? One more reason not to get a 3DS!

Nintendo are most likely holding back on GBA stuff as not of overshadow the releases of the comparatively primitive GB/GBC stuff, we'll see the games up in a couple years I bet. Smilie

Azuardo 02.01.2012#7

Adam: Aww is that so? Still, if Nintendo were keen enough, they could simply ask Capcom for any staff involved in the previous projects, and indeed any teams at Capcom, to help out in a future Zelda? It's not going to happen, which irks me, but no reason why they can't question it, surely.

That's a great point on Grezzo. You reminded me once again that they did indeed do the extra levels for FS Anniversary. In which case, working with them would be brilliant for level design. However, it's not just the level design that made the Oracles/MC so engaging - it was the side-quests, the NPCs, the towns, the dialogue. So it'd be interesting to see if they could match up to that, since those are key things that I love about any Zelda nowadays.

( Edited 02.01.2012 15:37 by Azuardo )

jesusraz 02.01.2012#8

Shane - it was the perfect choice. Good call! Smilie

Az - well, just think, Ishii-san co-created the Mana series, which was probably the second-best action RPG after A Link to the Past. Seems perfect for either Grezzo or the other Mana guys, Brownie Brown, to do something. Grezzo and Brownie Brown teaming up would be a proper reuniting of the old Mana crew Smilie

Adam Riley [ Director :: Cubed3 ]

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Azuardo 02.01.2012#9

It sounds really tempting. I certainly would love to see more teams working on Zelda. Anything's possible. And Nintendo did even mention recently they could let Retro do something too! After their sublime reinvention of Metroid and DK Country, it makes you wonder what's in store...

By the way, am I right in believing that originally in MC, the plan was for you to be able to trade kinstones with other players via link cable? I swear I saw this as being one of the key features very early on.

And again on 2D Zelda, does anyone miss playing them on the TV? 2D Zelda, and indeed any 2D game like Metroid or Mario, fits handhelds really well. But I miss the old days of playing these badboys on a big screen with a proper comfy controller in your hand. I had an absolute blast with FSA, but obviously it wasn't a true adventure like LttP. Have we seen the last of 2D Zelda on consoles..?

( Edited 02.01.2012 16:15 by Azuardo )