Crossovers of genres are not uncommon in video games, but every now and then, a mishmash of two gameplay types is pulled off to such a high degree that it makes you wonder why it hasn’t been done so successfully before. Minishoot Adventures takes the top-down open-world formula of The Legend of Zelda, but rather than a boy with a sword exploring fields, caves and dungeons, it is a little spaceship that hovers its way across a mysterious landscape, blasting enemies and dodging attacks in bullet hell fashion.
Tasked with saving a corrupted world and searching for fellow missing crafts, the chosen hero is plonked into an overworld very reminiscent of the original Legend of Zelda. Starting out with nothing more than a single-shot laser, the ship can be moved over the map in traditional twin-stick style, aiming and firing with the right analogue stick. It isn’t moblins, lizalfos, or octoroks that must be blasted, though; it is unfriendly spaceships of all kinds that roam the plains, firing on sight with energy balls of varying sizes.
It is quickly learned that although the exploratory theme is like that of a classic Zelda game, the combat is an entirely different beast, requiring quick reflexes and crafty manoeuvring skills to dodge and shoot foes that come in all sorts of shapes and proportions. Over the course of the adventure players will have to deal with foes that sharply dash towards them, hop in and out of water, or are simply fixed in place with protective barriers that require getting a good position to hit their vulnerable parts.
Staying true to the shoot ‘em up inspiration, every enemy has its own attack patterns, unleashing bullets in a variety of ways. Boss battles deliver the true tests of skill, where success is only guaranteed if enemy patterns are learned and sharp movement is applied to make it through the barrage of bullets being sprayed in a near constant stream of firepower.
If you ever fancied a bit more adventure in your twin-stick shooter, Minishoot Adventures is the game you’ve been waiting for. The hero spaceship functions essentially as Link would when he is questing over any top-down Hyrule. Caves etched into rocky mountainsides contain fiends that must be defeated, switches that unlock other areas, and optional treasure like heart pieces. Although dungeons are tackled in a linear format, Minishoot’s world is masterfully crafted when it comes to making progress organically.
The tools required to access locked areas are granted at a pace that might seem a little hasty to begin with, but this serves to excite as the urge to eagerly explore rises. Gaining abilities to boost, blast down boulders, and glide over water replicate feelings that Nintendo’s adventure series has always done so well, with each new upgrade opening new areas to investigate.
Puzzle mechanics are limited, often simply being a case of locating switches in maze-like tunnels or shooting torches to open a door. The biggest challenges exist in carefully and quickly hovering over thin paths while simultaneously swerving from incoming fire, while shooting back in return.
In this regard, Minishoot Adventures falters as the twin-stick shmup gameplay limits the type of Zelda-like elements that are present. There are ideas that work well together, but the thought often needed to solve rooms in Link’s quests don’t transition here, reducing the scope. It is only really when figuring out the way to the next unexplored region that players might find themselves pondering.
Minishoot Adventures plays to its strengths, though, and this more casual take on the 2D Legend of Zelda setup makes for a very rewarding experience that moves players around the world briskly, is full of collectibles, and has plenty of endgame content including an arena that will push your twin-stick shooting expertise to the extreme. Generous options allow players to customise the challenge, but while it is highly recommended to persevere through higher difficulties, anyone looking for a relaxed Zelda-like will love what Minishoot offers.
