Which of the following games in the The Legend of Zelda franchise was released in Japan before North America?

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap was released in Japan before North America because it was developed by Capcom, a Japanese company, in collaboration with Nintendo. As a result, the game was first launched in its home country before reaching international markets. This is not uncommon for games that are developed by Japanese companies, as they often release in Japan first to test the market and make any necessary adjustments or improvements before reaching a wider audience.