I’ve seen lots of games try to emulate top-down Zelda over the years; some to great success and others, well… not so much. Minishoot’ Adventures – NIntendo Switch 2 Edition falls into the first camp, and although it’s not as grand in scale as your average Hyrulian quest these days, it nevertheless nails the feel of a great Zelda.
The twist here is that Minishoot’ Adventures combines twin-stick shooting mechanics with more traditional Zelda tropes. You’ve got a wide open space in which to explore various areas, plus a load of interesting dungeons to pillage, keys to uncover, hearts pieces to boost your health, and enemies to vanquish. When you do run into some bad guys, you’re treated to short bursts of bullet-hell mayhem, either via organic encounters or specific combat segments in which you fend off waves of enemies.
As you work your way through the world, you’ll gain red crystals that act as experience, filling up a little diamond-shaped vial in the top corner of the screen. Each full vial grants you an additional point to use against upgrades for your ship. This includes a faster boost, increased damage, a more potent rate of fire, and more. In a world of almost overwhelming choice when it comes to character customisation, it’s refreshingly straightforward, and each upgrade makes a real difference to your chances of survival.
That said, Minishoot’ Adventures can be pretty tough at times. I ran into a roadblock when I came up against a huge boss flanked by standard enemies, all of which jump long distances and shoot out waves of bullets upon landing.
The good news is that if you’re not familiar with twin-stick mechanics, there are three difficulty options on offer. ‘Explorer’ is a good option for newcomers that slows down enemies and bullets, while ‘Advanced’ is geared toward those who want a challenge. ‘Original’, of course, sits somewhere in between, and this is the option I went with. Various aiming modes can also help make the experience more approachable, ranging from full manual control of your ship and weapons to automatic aiming and shooting.
Visually, Minishoot’ Adventures maintains a strong and consistent art style throughout. Its environmental design is basic with minimal textures, helping to ensure rock-solid performance with seamless navigation and practically zero frame drops. Any potential drawbacks in terms of detail (or lack thereof) are balanced out by the wonderful use of colour, giving each major biome a wonderful sense of place. Add in some gorgeous overworld and combat music, and the overall presentation is basically faultless.
Coming in at under 10 hours, I felt satisfied with what I’d played, yet I still wanted more. Despite how good I think the core experience is, there’s a lot of untapped potential waiting to be unleashed. More NPCs, more quests, a more engaging narrative… all of this would go a long way, and I sincerely hope to see a sequel in the future. This, however, is a bloomin’ great start.
