Since the Switch 1 was released,The Legend of Zeldaseries has been going strong, with both of the WildsEragames finding a mighty audience on the console, along with theHyrule Warriorstitles andEchoes of Wisdom. While many of these games have upgrade packs for the Switch 2, the console has a lot to live up to as far as theZeldaseries is concerned. It’s hitting the ground running withHyrule Warriors:Age of Imprisonment, but there’s still a lot more that the new console can do with a series as storied asZelda.
Remasters and remakes are all the rage right now, withOblivion Remasteredbeing one of the largest gaming talking points in 2025, and theZeldaseries is known for dipping into this market occasionally. The 3DS sawOcarina of TimeandMajora’s Maskremasters, while the Wii U gotTwilight PrincessandWind Wakerremasters. AfterEchoes of Wisdomdemonstrated an appetite for the more classic, top-downZeldaformula, Nintendo should look to one of its most underrated titles to help carry the IP forward onto the Switch 2:The Minish Cap.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap Deserves A Switch 2 Remake
It Would Be Perfect For A Hybrid Console
Despite being commonly considered one of the best top-downZeldatitles,The Minish Capis still frequently underrated.As a handheld game smaller in scale than the 3D titles of its day,likeWind Waker,Minish Capwas always positioned as a relatively minor entry. Like theOraclegames, it was developed by Capcom rather than Nintendo, but this didn’t stop the game from delivering the classicZeldaexperience, with a few interesting twists and turns. While quite a lightweightZeldatitle, only around fifteen hours for non-completionists,The Minish Capprovides a unique experience inZelda’s modern scene.
The Minish Capwas released in 2004 on the Game Boy Advance.
Players have gotten used to the idea of fighting variations of Ganon, with the twoWildsera titles pitting Link up against Calamity Ganon and Ganondorf, butThe Minish Capoffers an alternative. Instead ofGanon, who is absent throughoutThe Minish Cap, Link faces off against Vaati, a villain who makes recurring appearances in theFour Swordsgames. While Vaati gets involved with Ganon in theotherFour Swordsgames, it’s all about him inThe Minish Cap, with the game serving as his origin story.
After seeing Ganon everywhere for some years now, a change of pace would be ideal, andThe Minish Capis the perfect title to deliver this reprieve. As a massively underrated top-downZeldatitle, it is far from the direction the Wilds era has been going in, and Vaati as the villain is just one way that it would provide variety. It’s a similar kind ofZeldagame toEchoes of Wisdom, and aMinish Capremake would follow in the tradition of theLink’s Awakeningremake to continue consistent top-down formula releases in between the massive main titles.
The Minish Cap Could Use Echoes Of Wisdom’s Artstyle
The Perfect, Modern Artstyle For The Whimsical, Classic Zelda Titles
Echoes of Wisdomwas simultaneously a returnto the classic formula and a grand departure for the series. The departure element lies with making Princess Zelda the protagonist and finally letting the limelight shine squarely on her, butthe top-down nature of the game made it reminiscent of the classic, pixel-artZeldagames of old. With 3D assets and a very vibrant world,Echoes of Wisdomexpands on the groundwork ofLink’s Awakeningremake to give classicZeldagames an aesthetic that befits modern consoles, andThe Minish Capcould further build on this base.
According to theZeldaTimeline,The Minish Capis the second game chronologically, taking place afterSkyward Sword.
WhileThe Minish Caphas some stunning pixel graphics,the vibrancy of its world and the whimsy of its shrinking mechanic make it perfect for an aesthetic similar toEchoes of Wisdom. The Link andZelda seen inEchoes of Wisdomaren’t a world away from the one seen inThe Minish Capeither, and with some changes to their eyes to give the characters theWind Waker, Phantom Hourglass,andSpirit Trackslook, Nintendo would practically be there already. Embracing old-schoolZeldaafterEchoes of Wisdomseems like the logical move.
The game should also be relatively inexpensive to remake, as it’s shorter thanEchoes of Wisdom,and most of the R&D in its art style has already been done.Echoes of Wisdom’s aesthetic suits a game with a lot of charm, which is exactly whatThe Minish Caphas in spades. While it is a mainline title as far as theconvolutedZeldatimeline is concerned,The Minish Capdoes feel like a spin-off in many ways due to Ganon’s absence and its handheld nature, making it a great game for bolstering theZeldacatalog without distracting from the main attraction.
The Minish Cap Remake Could Give Modern Gamers A Taste Of Retro Zelda
Zelda Is One Of Nintendo’s Hottest Properties Right Now
After theWildsEra games,Zeldamay be the most popular it’s ever been, with Princess Zelda’s haircut almost breaking the internet when the first trailer forTears of the Kingdomwas shown. WhiletheHyrule Warriorsgamesare a decent enough buffer, it will be a long time before another mainZeldatitle, given thatTears of the Kingdomwas released six years afterBreath of the Wild(although Covid likely lengthened development somewhat). In the meantime, remakes of classics could be a way to tide people over.
Some modernZeldafans might be more familiar withWildsEra Link and his blue tunic, or partially bare chest, rather than the green hat icon older fans grew up with.A remake ofThe Minish Capcould be the perfect way to introduce newcomers to the classic Linkand the whimsy of earlierZelda, especially because it would feel so different without Ganon and with its shrinking mechanics. With it originally being a handheld title, it would be perfect to play on the goon the Switch 2.
The Minish Capis one of the most underrated games inThe Legend of Zeldaseries, and while Capcom’s involvement might make for some complications with a remake, it’s a game that deserves more love. Remaking it could even lead to remaking the wholeFour Swordstrilogy, setting up the remakes for close to a decade while the main team continues work on WildsEra titles or whatever other direction the mainZeldagames will go in. It’s the era of remakes, andThe Minish Capfeels like the right way for theZeldaseries to stay involved.
