Reviewing Monsters: The Legend of Zelda - Minish Cap, Part 1

The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap

"Minish" as in "mini", get it? Low-key another one of my favourite Zelda games in terms of aesthetic, Minish Cap was released for the Game Boy Advanced, and the twelfth entry in the series. In this version of Hyrule, Link has to save Hyrule from the clutches of the evil lord Vaati who released monsters into Hyrule and turned Princess Zelda into a statue. Link finds allies in a talking hat called Ezlo, who can shrink Link down into the size of the legendary Picori people -- a fairy-like lilliputian race that can only be seen by children. 

So yeah, that's the gimmick of this game -- some parts of the game feature Link as he's 'shrunk down', so you go full Ant-Man against enemies like spiders and rats and whatnot. More interestingly for me, though, Minish Cap is a 2D Zelda game that doesn't just take inspiration from the previous 2D games, but also the 3D games.

I swore I did a review of this game's monsters years ago, but apparently I haven't! And since Skyward Sword is taking much longer than I expected to complete, I'll do this first. 

Business Scrub: The first 'enemy' we meet is the Business Scrub, basically a 2D-ized version of the Deku Scrubs from Ocarina/Majora. It's not the first time the races that originated in Ocarina of Time was represented in 2D form; I'm pretty sure the Oracle games I've never played had Gorons and whatnot, but it's the 2D GBA-era art-style that really makes me adore this game. I don't think I have too much to say about the Business Scrub that I haven't said before. They only really shoot their Deku Nut projectiles at you in your very first encounter, as a tutorial for shield-blocking. 

Octorok: A lot of the classic 2D enemies return and, as far as these basic enemies go, there's not a whole ton that changed. Octoroks are still land-dwelling octopi that crawl around and shoot rocks at you. The blue ones are a bit more powerful and show up later on in the game. 

Crow & Takkuri: The Crows (blue) are another returning enemy from 2D games. But the Takkuri (red ones) come from Majora's Mask, but are not deformed here and are just red-coloured crows. Again, they behave mostly similarly to their previous 2D counterparts, hiding around in trees and divebombing Link. The Takkuri, like their Majora's Mask counterpart, will knock rupees off of Link, and at one point steal a plot-relevant item. 

Chuchu: Easily the most memorable design from Minish Cap to me are their adorable Chuchus. I think these are taken from Wind Waker's design specifically? I never played Wind Waker. Cylindrical, oblong slime buddies with two googly eyes and a slit mouth, this design of the Chuchu is easily the cutest and the most 'original' in my opinion.

Since I'm showing the collectible 'figurines' in-game, I'll talk about the three variants all at once. The Green Chuchu are the cutest and the ones that show up the earliest in the game. Red Chuchu show up a bit later, and are able to burrow underground and attack Link from there. Blue Chuchu are able to surround themselves with electricity, making them immune to physical attacks and forcing you to shoot them with arrows or boomerangs. In typical RPG-slime enemy fashion, we get a bunch of 'elite' Chuchus. 

Acro-Bandit: A new enemy now! This was years before 'Despicable Me' and their highly-profitable Minions came out, so the resemblance is actually a bit of a hilarious coincidence. The Acro-bandits are... moles, I guess? Stylized moles that pop up and climb up on each other. Link needs to shield-bash them to topple the tall formation, and must kill all five in one go -- otherwise the survivors will burrow down and pop up as a quintet once more. Do they just have a store of Acro-Bandits deep underground, or do they just regenerate their buddies like some sort of twisted symbiote? Kind of reminds me of the Hokkubokku from previous games, although the Acro-Bandits are a bit cuter. 

Sluggula: I think this is our first 'mini' enemy? The Sluggula in this game, therefore, are just literal regular slugs that Link meets when shrunken. This means that TMC Sluggulas look a lot more mundane than the more mutated vibe of ALTTP's Sluggulas. They're simple enemies, but sometimes they hide on the ceilings of rooms to drop down and try to ambush Link. Despite being snails, the animation with a Sluggula's death involves Link flipping them over and only a second strike to their unprotected underbelly will kill them. It's a slug boy! 

Puffstool: Another enemy that Link encounters while minish-sized is the Puffstool, which... it's just a Super Mario Bros Goomba! With the walnut anatomy changed into mushroom anatomy! They waddle around, jump up and down to spread mushroom spores around, and initially they're just utterly invulnerable until Link gets the 'Gust Jar' item to blow away their spores. Again, just like the Sluggulas, these are just regular mushroom-sized monsters that just happen to be sentient. 

Mulldozer: Yet another Minish-sized enemy, these guys kind of resemble Bombchus? Bombchus crossed with ladybugs? Whatever they are, they are simple bugs that charge around a lot, trying to ram onto Link. Pretty simple enemy -- the blue variant shows up later and is stronger. They're new, but I really don't have too much to say about this one. 

Pesto: These ones are a bit cooler!  They're weird fly-looking bugs that only have a single eyeball, but have markings behind them that give the impression of a housefly's two characteristically large compound eyes. It's a bit hard to realize, but the Pestos actually have a vaguely bipedal body, looking like a cartoon insect. The blue ones, as usual, are the stronger variant, and they will lift up rocks and toss them at you. I like them, but I also vaguely remember them to be very, very irritating. 

Spiny Beetle: Back to the 'regular size' enemies are the Spiny Beetles (not actually beetles in the original Japanese). As usual, they hide under grass bushes (stronger ones hide under rocks), and are vulnerable only after you remove their camouflage. There's an actual face with lips underneath, which makes it look a lot less beetle-esque compared to its previous counterparts. 

Keese: Another classic 2D Zelda enemy are the Keese. They're bats, they behave like bats, and they still look as simplified as their counterparts in the GBC games. Not much to say here, it sure is a classic. 

Peahat: I'm doing this in the order that we roughly encounter in the game, if you guys are wondering. And the Peahats are... they're kind of interesting! They're still plants that helicopter all around the screen with their flower-petals, but in addition to sharing the Ocarina/Majora Peahat's lower spike-blades, the Peahats in Minish Cap actually have a 'face' similar to the Deku Scrubs! They don't actually shoot anything out of the projetile-looking mouths, but it's so interesting considering how Peahats have almost always been portrayed as just faceless flying plants. 

In combat, the Peahats have a bunch of vulnerabilities. The weaker and more predictable red Peahats can be taken out with the Gust Jar (you blow the poor flying plants around) or by slicing their helicopter-petals with the Boomerang. The stronger blue Peahats are heavier and immune to the Gust Jar, and you need to use arrows.

Tektite: An interesting one, though, is the Tektite. They certainly look more angular and insectoid compared to the 'fleshy eyeball with bug legs' look from most other 2D games, but they're not quite the very buggy monster from Ocarina either. I know a lot of this does seem like me just comparing the monsters to their appearances from other games, but that's what happens when the bestiary is comprised of almost 70% returning monsters. Not that I'm complaining, though -- the opposite is exactly my biggest complaint about Breath of the Wild, which exorcised so much of the 'classic' bestiary that it didn't really feel like Hyrule anymore. Anyway, Tektites still jump around; blue ones are more powerful, as usual. 

Keaton: Now this is interesting! I don't remember any other monster called 'Keatons' other than the helpful kitsune-inspired fox spirits from Majora's Mask. But here, Keatons take the place of enemies like the Goriya or Zazak as a beast-man that runs around and poke you with their swords. Other than the ability shared with the Takkuri of knocking rupees off of you, though, I don't think there's anything special to them other than the fact that they're fox-men bandits. Which, by the way, is cool! We've never really had fox-men before, and new variations of monsters most certainly bring

Helmasaur: Another one that resembles their previous 2D appearances, I do really like that the added pixels allow them to really hammer home that the Helmasaurs have a lance-shaped helmet to pierce you with. Also makes it a bit more obvious that it's an ambiguous-looking blob-creature, because the original Japanese name had nothing to do with dinosaurs at all. As usual, you need a specific item to knock off the mask -- the Gust Jar again, in this case, since this game lacks the traditional Hookshot. 

Spiny Chuchu: Our first Chuchu variant, the Spiny Chuchu (and a lot of the recent monsters above him) first appear in Mt. Crenel. The Spiny Chuchu is... well, he's got the regular Chuchu body shape, but he's spiky! Like a barbed metal ball! The Spiny Chuchu needs to be stunned with a bomb to stop it from transforming into a spiky ball, exposing his vulnerability. A lot of these variants on a regular monster archetype don't really ever reoccur, which, I feel, makes games that take the time to focus on a certain archetype and explore them something I appreciate a fair bit. 

Bob-omb: This one is a Mario enemy or something, isn't it? I remember that it showed up in Link's Awakening. Not much to say, it sure is a bomb that walks and can blow up on you. 

Spiked Beetle: Yet another returning enemy that functions mostly the same, Spiked Beetles are, well, Mario mushrooms with spikes and chubby hands. They also have eyeballs encased in the darkness of their shell, which is a visual I like. The Spiked Beetle have never really been all that memorable among 2D Zelda enemies to me, but I definitely go 'oh yeah, these guys' whenever they show up. 

Rupee Like: The actual Like Likes don't actually show up until a fair bit later in the game! But they make their debut in Four Swords; and Minish Cap, being a quasi-prequel to that game, also features Rupee Likes. It's a very, very fun concept -- the Rupee Like hides its entire body underground, only exposing its anglerfish-esque lure, which, of course, is the most valuable thing any self-respecting RPG game player can find -- money! And then it pops up, strangles Link like the gross, ambiguous, fleshy creature that it is, and steals Link's money instead. I love this. It honestly feels like a believable adaptation in a made-up fantasy monster!

 

Rollobite: A cool if simple one! Rollobites are basically giant pillbug beetles, but with a single cyclopean eye because of Zelda logic. A fun thing about them is that they're actually necessary for you to progress through the game -- they curl up into indestructible balls and you need to pick them up and use them to plug up holes and stuff. 

Despite what you think, though, Rollobites are actually enemies fought by Link in regular human-sized form. (One of my biggest complaints about Minish Cap is that the 'shrinking' gimmick was never realized as well as any of the other games' respective gimmicks, basically amounting to a couple of dedicated maps but minimally incorporated elsewhere.)

Baby Cuccoo: Regular Cuccoos still do their basic Zelda 'beat it up and it will summon an Indestructible Cuccoo Revenge Swarm of Ultimate Doom' thing, but Baby Cuccoos actually end up as actual enemies in this game, menacing Link in his Minish form. You can't kill or even hurt them! This is actually what I was talking about in terms of making things interesting -- there are two bosses that are 'regular enemies, but even more dangerous because they're giants'. How cool would it be to have giant versions of like, Tektites or Spiny Beetles or Rollobites or Like Likes as bosses? Or even as stage hazards?  

Moblins: Coming in 'Spear' and 'Bow' variants, and each coming in red and blue variants, the Moblins show up here in their muscle-bound pig-men appearance from Wind Waker. The line between all the 'blins have really been kind of blurred to me, but while my mental image of them have always been fat, stocky pig-men, I do like just how much more threatening the broad-shouldered Wind Waker Moblins looked. Not a whole ton to say here, a fair amount of them show up -- particularly in areas related to the main villain Vaati. 

Beetle: A returning enemy from Link's Awakening! The Beetles have a bit of a gimmick -- they will sometimes pop up when Link uses his sword to cut grass and grapple Link, causing him to be unable to use any items. An annoyance while exploring the overworld, but could be deadly if you happen to be fighting Moblins or Peahats or whatever. 

Rope: It's actually kind of surprising how relatively late Ropes show up, considering they are one of the first enemies seen in the original game, or in ALTTP. Anyway, they're fast snakes! They look identical to the regular shape of 2D Ropes! Not much else to say. 

Eyegore: A bit more wider and pillar-like than the traditional ALTTP Eyegore, these versions are static and unable to move other than to rotate around, and scattered across the Castor Wilds. They actually function more like traps more than enemies (and we don't cover traps here), but Link needes to sometimes kill them to open pathways. Not a whole ton to say here, you need to shoot arrows multiple times into its giant eyeball. 

Leever: Another staple, and another one that's just a more-defined version of its previous 2D appearances. They pop up out of the ground and spin around trying to stab you. Not a whole ton to say; as usual the blue ones show up later as a more powerful variant. 

Armos: Yet another returning enemy, and looking almost identical to the very original The Legend of Zelda Armoses. They're hopping statutes with spears, shields and singular eyeballs... the twist here is that sometimes, to activate them, Link needs to turn into Minish size to push a button inside their head. Very happy to see all these classic enemies back, but I don't have a ton to say. 

Stalfos: The two variants of good ol' Stalfos actually behave somewhat differently. The Blue Stalfos are the weaker ones, and they jump into the air and try to catch Link similar to a Tektite. Because this game really likes the Gust Jar gimmick, Link can suck their skulls in, and then launch them back to shatter the rest of the Stalfos's body. The red version doesn't do the jumping thing, but instead spins around like a goddamn Beyblade and launch spare bones at Link. Neat!

Spark: These bastards! The only 'trap' that seems to have any sort of personality are the Sparks, previously called 'Anti-Fairies' in the localizations of Link's Awakening. I like the smarmy faces that these floating, glowing traps have. 

Wallmaster & Floormaster: Based on their Wind Waker appearance, I really do like how the Wallmasters and Floormasters look in this game. Giant shadowy hands that are bordered by a glowing, eldritch energy? It looks so much more... wrong compared to just a giant disembodied fleshy hand. The Wallmasters fall down from the ceiling and grab Link and deposit them in the beginning of dungeons; whereas the Floormasters bob around on the floor. The Floormasters will still deposit Link in the beginning of the dungeons, but you can murder them with arrows first. 

Moldorm: Okay, the Moldorms have gotten a bit of a revamp. Normally they have two giant googly eyes on their head, but I guess they're trying to make the Moldorms in Minish Cap look a bit more biologically weird? Which is why instead of having a head that's just a hamburger with googly eyes, Minish Cap Moldorm has a sunken-in groove with a singular eyeball in the middle of it. I guess those yellow tips are supposed to be mandibles as well? Significantly less cute than the ALTTP/LA Moldorm! But still very recognizably a Moldorm. 

Also, this specific creature is called 'Tail' in the original Japanese. Keep that in mind in a bit. 

Wizzrobe: They're green, and interestingly, look a lot more lankier compared to traditional 2D Wizzrobes, which are either fat wizard-men or have really poofy robes. Minish Cap Wizzrobes are green and look more like evil versions of Gandalf. They still maintain the great visual of the two glowing eyes under the shadow of their hat, which I really do like. Functioning as a bit of a pseudo-mini-boss in these games, the Wizzrobes appear in groups, and they can teleport around the room. 

Like Like: Here's good ol' Like Like! It looks like how it usually looks, but like the Rupee Like, this incarnation of the gross undulating monster can hide underground and jump up to ambush Link. As usual, they eat shields!

Golden Tektite, Golden Octorok & Golden Rope: Special golden enemies that drop a ton of rupees after you kill them, they are stronger versions of their 'basic' counterparts, but are encountered only after certain collectible Kinstones are triggered by you. Not a whole ton to say, other than that. Neat little inclusion, though!

Moldworm: And here we go with 'Moldworm'! Or, well, the original Moldorm from The Legend of Zelda! The original Moldworm/Moldworm is just a giant earthworm with no other features, and later on most of the enemies in the franchise called 'Tail' ends up borrowing the English name 'Moldorm' to connect the bestiaries with the previous games. Which raises a problem when both of them show up in the same game!

Anyway, Moldworm here are just literally earthworms that Link encounters as a Minish. They're not quite your regular earthworms, though, since they have giant, gaping mouths with surprisingly supple lips. They will actually eat Link, shit Link out from their backsides, and the worm-poop would cause all those Pesto enemies to get more attracted to Link and attack him more. I mean, yes, that's how earthworms move through the ground, but I like the sheer hilarity that this enemy essentially eats and shits you out and that's somehow one of the more deadly things. 

Scissors Beetle: Another Minish-sized enemy, the Scissors Beetle look pretty cool mostly because they look colourful. Golden body, red legs, blue pincers... pretty cool! They also act as kinda pseudo-minibosses in some locations. Despite their name, they can detach their pincers and launch them like a boomerang! Real beetles can't do that! The pincers also function like shields when they're attached to the beetle itself, so Link has to wait for the detachable boomerang horns to be launched at him before he beats up the beetle. Weird!

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I think that's a nice place to cut it short, right? I'll have part two out soon, where we cover the rest of the bestiary and all the bosses!