Nintendo Switch free game is one of the best-looking titles we've ever seen

Gaming is not a cheap hobby. There’s the cost of consoles and games to consider, both of which keep rising with the release of each subsequent console generation, and now, of course, many of us would be lost without our gaming subscriptions.

I’m talking about the likes of PlayStation Plus, Xbox Game Pass, and Nintendo Switch Online, all of which offer access to online functionalities and vast libraries of games.

Nintendo Switch Online is the cheapest of the three offerings, setting you back just £17.99 a year, or £34.99 for the pricier +Expansion Pack version.

We’re talking triple figures for a year of PlayStation or Xbox’s flagship subscription services. Yes, Nintendo Switch Online doesn’t deliver the same kind of ‘recent’ releases but it does grant access to a library of nostalgic gems.

If you have the +Expansion Pack subscription, you can enjoy classic Game Boy Advance games at no extra cost including the delightful The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap which is honestly one of the most charming games we’ve ever laid our eyes on.

It’s been a long road from The Minish Cap to Tears of the Kingdom.

A game doesn’t have to be photorealistic to be visually impressive. Yes, photorealism certainly has a place in the industry and can really elevate the right kind of game and narrative, but we shouldn’t belittle the aesthetics of days gone by.

In fact, we’re seeing so-called pixel art games make a rather grand return. My mind drifts to Sea of Stars as a contemporary take on this classic look.

If you ask me, The Minish Cap is one of the finest examples of its era. Released in 2004, I have such fond memories of loading up this gem and I know I’m certainly not alone in holding it close to my heart.

“Maybe the most underrated Zelda game ever,” wrote one Twitter user.

“And the music is so nostalgic,” added another. You can say that again.

It was around a year ago that this gem was added to the NSO+Expansion Pack catalogue and if you’re yet to check it out, I highly urge you to.

You cannot go wrong with this classic, and essential if I may say so, Nintendo experience.