How Kinstones Reimagined NPC Interactivity and a Flourishing Hyrule

An objectively unique component of The Minish Cap is the Kinstone mechanic. The Kinstones are creations of the Picori, who are determined to bring joy and good fortune to the people of Hyrule by hiding these symbols of happiness throughout the land. Players traverse Hyrule to find one-half of a Kinstone shard, discovering them by slashing tall grass, digging through dirt, and opening chests.

To find one is a good omen, and to engage in Fusion with another being should be treated as a momentous ceremony. A Business Scrub even states after a Fusion, “Look at that! A perfect fit! That means good luck for us.”

In celebration of The Minish Cap‘s 20th birthday, I wanted to do a deep-dive into how the Kinstones set this game apart from the rest and influenced later parts of the series. Ultimately, I believe its inclusion in the game makes Hyrule an incredibly rich and vibrant setting — possibly unlike any other game in the franchise. It forces the player to focus on connection with conventionally optional NPCs, establishing a connection between the player and the world-building few other installments achieve.

A Debrief on Kinstone Fusion and Reimagining Backtracking as a Mechanic

The Kinstones are an obvious departure from any mechanic in preceding Zelda titles. This makes sense, since Eiji Aonuma stated in a 2005 interview with Electronic Gaming Monthly that the idea came from Nintendo’s partnership with Capcom for this title. In a 2004 interview with Nintendo of Europe, when asked about what makes The Minish Cap stand out from other adventure games, Aonuma mentioned the Kinstones just after the shrinking mechanic. This shows how proud they were of the idea, stating:

Players collect Kinstones, which are similar to pieces of a puzzle, and by matching them with pieces from other characters in the game, something new happens. All these elements make this title a unique and a very interactive adventure game.

Interactive is the perfect way to describe the experience. Exploring the world for Kinstones happens organically as you play the game, but finding the rarer pieces and recipients demands gamers to backtrack. While this video game trend often has a negative connotation, insinuating developers bloated the game with mindless content for no reason, The Minish Cap excels at enhancing this collectathon trope common in other titles.

The Zelda formula typically relies on finding static items in the world or completing a task to earn a Heart Container or large Rupee. Many of these are fixed. Here, finding someone to Fuse with isn’t the end of the story. The side-questing magic continues after you solve the match puzzle. While each character is tied to a specific event, it isn’t enough to find the collectible and hold onto it forever. You need to use it and see its impact, then experience those changes.

Most of the step-retracing happens as you try and find who you can Fuse with, which forces you to have to develop an attention to detail some Zelda games don’t. You’ll need to identify when an NPC is not in their usual haunt or when dialogue has changed. Noticing these seemingly minute alterations to the setting not only reminds you how alive this version of Hyrule is, but it makes the hunt more surprising and engaging. The Zelda series is loaded with environmental cues carrying its storytelling and world-building, and the small shifts in this world while diving deep into Kinstone completion is one of the best ways to test your familiarity with a world you’re, unintentionally or otherwise, building a strong connection to.

There are 100 Kinstone Fusions over the course of the game to achieve 100% completion, with 18 of them being distributed between 50 characters to prevent Fusion inaccessibility as players progress through the story. Link must approach the characters to see if a bubble appears over their head. If so, you might be able to Fuse with them. Side quests in the franchise are typically inspired by clues dropped by NPCs instead of visual prompts or a core mechanic, so this is refreshing.

The Kinstone Fusions reveal themselves in several stages throughout the game, as some unlock after certain story beats. The way this is set up requires players to explore areas more frequently and make talking to NPCs a priority rather than a side project. The beauty in this backtracking is how much the land and its people change as you make more matches. Trees open up, Minish cracks appear, beanstalks rise, and tombstones shift. You never know what is going to happen behind this roulette-style gameplay, making it addictive, compelling, and rewarding.

The Kindness Connection

I think the most similar side quest in a later Zelda game would be the Gratitude Crystals in Skyward Sword, though it excludes a light puzzle component. These collectibles are described in the game as “form[ing] when a person is so completely overwhelmed with feelings of thankfulness that crystallized gratitude is created.”

Everything said about the Kinstones is transferrable to Gratitude Crystals, as Link’s good deeds change the lives of Skyloft’s citizens. He finds lost children, helps clean homes, and even helps people find love. The intentional desire to be a part of Skyloft’s culture and community flourishes the same good luck, fortune and happiness the Minish strive to do with the Kinstones.

In the Electronic Gaming Monthly interview, when talking about an aspect he enjoyed from The Minish Cap, he said this about Kinstones:

Even though you’ve passed through the world before, [by matching Kinstones] you find there are still unsolved mysteries here and there, so you explore the same areas once again. Even though we aren’t going to reproduce the same thing in the next Zelda game, I’m thinking about incorporating something like it.

This quote is not enough to assert Kinstones influenced Skyward Sword as it came many years later, but the DNA is present. You could definitely make other connections and theories to these two games and their skyborne residents. According to The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, the Picori are “descended from the sky.” While it is a reach, I enjoy thinking about how this energy originated in these heavenly skies, and the Minish manifested their joy as Kinstones and those from Skyloft do the same thing but as these energetic crystals.

These recurring themes have made it clear Nintendo wants to incentivize players to integrate themselves into the worlds it builds through their people and their stories. The Legend of Zelda has the storied legacy it has for a reason — because people care about its characters. Whether conscious or not, gimmicks like Kinstones solidify these attachments and last a lifetime.

The Resonant Metaphor of Establishing Community

These reasons are why the intent behind Kinstones, whether intentional or not by Nintendo, is the most captivating aspect about them. To experience the world’s secrets and treasures to their fullest, players must have Link learn about this setting’s people and creatures more intimately than ever before. In The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, it is mentioned how Fujibayashi’s intent was to make “the central hub of the game feel lived in, packing the town with details and people going about their lives. … When the game was finished, Aonuma had high praise for the depth his team gave Hyrule Town, saying it exceeded even Clock Town in Majora’s Mask.”

If players choose to isolate themselves from Hyrule’s people, then the world’s mystery and majesty will remain locked behind environmental barriers and invisible magic. If Link makes an effort to extend a helping hand and desire to connect, more good happens in the world. While it may seem grandiose, the big-picture perspective and impact of this deceptively simple side quest framework is more relevant today than ever.

The planet is plagued by a loneliness pandemic, and the inclusion of Kinstones reminds players how important it is to make bonds, no matter how small. It may not reveal actual magic, but it could make places and people around you feel more significant. The metaphorical and literal butterfly effect of these good intentions permeates the rest of the world, as players experience alongside Link as caves open up, NPCs have realizations, and unforeseen riches appear in remote places. Link changes and so do the world’s denizens as you familiarize yourself with them.

Fusing with Bremor inspires Mutoh to build another home in Hyrule Town, allowing Link the chance to see others pursue their aspirations and expand the community. Syrup is inspired to expand her business and make a new potion. Strata introduces you to the Wind Tribe and its home, accenting the amount of trust he has with Link to invite him to this place of such importance. In addition to the friendships Link makes, the player’s efforts reveal magical butterflies, enhancing your abilities. Lilypads will manifest or waterfalls will open up as the world begs you to comb through it more.

To me, these invitations are badges of honor for the player’s commitment to becoming a meaningful part of this game’s universe. Applying these thoughts outside of the game’s scope is just a bonus.

Thank you for reminiscing about Kinstones with us! Was this a mechanic you really enjoyed and found value in, or was it merely a tedious grind? Start the conversation in comments below!

Nicole Scott

Nicole Scott is writer for Zelda Dungeon from suburban Appalachia. She loves drinking espresso, seeing live music, building LEGO sets, being a completionist, and snuggling her two probably-alien cats, Tizo and Alarielle.