It took years, but all the content promised inShovel Knight’s Kickstarter campaign has been released as a five-game anthology.Yacht Club Games' efforts to make a modern day retro classic have been a wild success, and the company has moved on to funding and publishing more retro games and modern takes onShovel Knight. However, the core of Yacht Club is that of an oldschool development studio, and a lot of fans have been wondering what that part of the team has been working on sinceShovel Knight ShowdownandKing of Cards. In the recent Yacht Club Games Presents, fans were finally given an answer:Mina the Hollower, another Kickstarter title that seeks to emulate Classic Game Boy and Game Boy Color games.
Mina the Holloweris primarily a spiritual successor to both the 8-bit Castlevania games, and the three Game BoyLegend of Zeldagames. As withShovel Knight, this title is meant to emulate the experience of these old games as players remember it. That means a higher aspect ratio, and character portraits that do not adhere to the normal 8-bit limits of the system. The game otherwise adheres closely to its inspirations, while mixing in the charm and ingenuity Yacht Club is known for. Fans of old action-adventure games will definitely want to give this project a look. That goes double for those waiting on Nintendo to do something with theold “Oracle”Legend of Zeldatitles.
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Mina the Hollower Owes Much to the Game Boy Zelda’s
At first glance,Mina the Hollowerlooks like a Game BoyLegend of Zeldagame that never was. This title’s resemblance toThe Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons,Oracle of Ages, andLink’s Awakeningcannot be understated.Minauses a chibi 8-bit art style just like these games, and also adheres to the same limitations of having four colors per 8-by-8 pixel tile. Viewed in a vacuum, a lot of these sprites look ripped straight out of theGame Boy Color games, though the environmental assets tend to use more diverse color schemes. The only major cheat is thatMina the Hollowerdisplays at 16-by-9 widescreen resolution, whereas a Game Boy has a 4-by-3 screen.
The similarities toZeldago more than skin deep. One of the primary items associated with all three Game BoyZeldagames is the Roc’s Feather, which allows Link to jump on command. This is a vital item that players will often find themselves favoring. The simple presence of a one-tile jump bringsMinaa lot closer to its Game Boy inspirations than most would realize, and the act of diving into the ground afterward puts a creative spin on it. The ability to pick up and throw small objects and use a wide variety of tools are also present inMina the Hollower, though these tools work a little differently then they would inZelda.
Mina the Hollower is a Send-Up to Many Action-Adventure Classics
The sidearms, trinkets, and leveling system inMina the Hollowerall resemble other perennial action classics. Some sidearms and trinkets resemble classicZeldaitems like the boomerang-like Gyro Dagger or the spider pet that can serve asZelda 1’s Stepladder. However, on a whole, sidearms tend to have more of aCastlevaniaflavor, and the trinkets appear to functionlikeHollow Knight’s charms.Mina the Hollowerowes a lot toCastlevania, as the sidearms also have limited energy and Mina herself uses a whip.
In general,Mina the Hollower’s light gothic horror aesthetic is inspired by a number of franchises that already inspire each other, including the aforementionedCastlevania,Hollow Knight, andBloodborne. Mina’s level-up system bears some resemblance toBloodborneas well, as its resource, Bones, are the game’s currency. This is a bit like howShovel Knighttreated its gems, but here it’s funneled directly into different stats in each level.Mina the Holloweralso sharesShovel Knight’s chiptune composer Jake Kaufman, and should benefit greatly from it.
The game looks to be a well-crafted mash-up of many games’ strong points with plenty of its own charm sprinkled in, and fans nostalgic for Game Boy games andShovel Knightalike should watch its Kickstarter closely as it progresses.
Mina the Holloweris currently running a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, and will release on PC.
