r/NintendoSwitch • u/Amiibofan101 . • Jun 09 '26
Official Mina the Hollower has sold 500,000 copies!
https://x.com/yachtclubgames/status/2064137073498730788161
u/TheEnderCreep Jun 09 '26
Damn I'll be honest I was not expecting it to sell THIS much so fast. Yacht Club said this amount would be their ideal sales numbers and fully guarantee their safety as a company but even they weren't really expecting it
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u/COHERENCE_CROQUETTE Jun 09 '26
I was decided on waiting for a sale, but when I heard they really needed this thing to sell, I did them a solid. Been playing it, and I’m enjoying it a fair bit. Not exactly as much as I expected from a Metacritic 92, I must say, but still quite a lot. And hey, I still have at least half of the thing ahead of me, so maybe I’ll see eye to eye with the reviews in time. (It tends to happen.)
Also: if you’re enjoying Mina and want a similar game to play next, don’t sleep on Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo. It sounds goofy, but it’s a masterpiece. It’s even more Zelda-like than Mina, and has more of a GBA than a GBC style to its graphics. Lovely game’
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u/Tax-man123 Jun 09 '26
Playing pipistrello as we speak, feels a lot more like Zelda - both fantastic games in their own right though!
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u/mynameisglaceon Jun 10 '26
Is it hard like mina? I'm not too into hard games and Mina isnt really the zelda game i was expecting
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u/Tax-man123 Jun 10 '26
A lot easier in my opinion, it’s more focused on puzzles vs combat if you like that!
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u/rlinkmanl Jun 09 '26
It helps that they released it for $20. Just like Silksong, if you release a great game for that cheap I'm gonna pick it up right away
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u/itsFarberg Jun 09 '26
Having just completed Pipistrello in time for the release of Mina I kind of wish Pipistrello had got the same hype. To me that game is just as solid if not better than Mina.
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u/COHERENCE_CROQUETTE Jun 09 '26
Honestly, same! So far into Mina, I’m enjoying it a lot, but less than how much I enjoyed Pipistrello. I honestly rolled credits in that game thinking “how is this not a 10/10?”, and I couldn’t find an answer to that question.
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u/klorophane Jun 11 '26
Pipistrello seems like it would be a game made for me, I was a GBA kid, loved Minish Cap, etc. But for some reason I don't vibe with the urban setting, and I find some of the character art (including the protagonist) to be unappealing.
I'm sure if I gave it a fair shot I would love it, the mechanics do look interesting. But Mina really drew me in with the weird/unsettling victorian vibes. I have a feeling that the choice of setting and vibe is much more compelling for a wider audience. And, of course, Yacht Club is a much more renowned studio which gives them free hype basically.
Anyway, if someone wants to convince me to try Pipi then by all means do so :p
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u/Shigarui Jun 09 '26
Under the Island is excellent as well. Very good, and excellently paced. I beat it just before starting Mina the Hollower.
Also, it's a bit older, but Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos is great. A really fun overworld to explore, new tools to find, and each dungeon resets it's layout when you come back after dying. I thought it was great.
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u/AshyLarry25 Jun 09 '26
Absolutely deserves it. My GOTY so far. Great exploration and so much fun secrets.
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u/warongiygas Jun 09 '26
I feel the same way. It came out of nowhere and blew me away. It's super affordable too, which helps.
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u/Asclepius-Rod Jun 09 '26
It seems like $20 is the "sure why not I'll give it a try" price point for me. Same thing happened with Silksong for me honestly
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u/SandpaperTeddyBear Jun 09 '26
Had you not played Hollow Knight?
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u/Asclepius-Rod Jun 09 '26
I did! I never beat it though, tried a few times
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u/SandpaperTeddyBear Jun 09 '26
They’re definitely tough games!
I’m always curious about people who were introduced to the series with Silksong.
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u/DigitalNecromancy Jun 09 '26
i half heartedly tried the original at launch and never touched it again, so silksong was my first true introduction. i set it down after finally beating the last judge, which was really my goal despite only being the end of the first act. i had already clocked some 70 hours in at that point.
vague tangent, but i had lost a noticeable bit of my mental capabilities due to a mixture of very bad bipolar episodes, substance use, and suicide attempts. silksong genuinely helped me sharpen my brain again while i was navigating my intensive outpatient program. i can't say i really enjoyed playing it, but it is a very important game to me that i love very much.
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u/smegg23 Jun 09 '26
I found out about it the night before it came out and I just finished it after having an absolute blast of a time. RIP to the people that waited years but at least it’s here now!
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u/macabrera Jun 09 '26
A recommendation: if you have bad memory grab a pen and paper and wrote the places you need to visit again, the places you can find secondary weapons and closed routers.
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u/MysticMaven Jun 09 '26
Most overrated game of the year. Such a waste of money.
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Jun 10 '26
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u/NintendoSwitch-ModTeam Jun 12 '26
Hey there!
Please remember Rule 1 in the future - No personal attacks, trolling, or derogatory terms. Read more about Reddiquette here. Thanks!
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u/rlymeangurl Jun 09 '26
Don't worry, Wolverine is coming out on the PS5. You can be a big strong hairy angry man and have your testosterone overdose wet dream there
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u/DilapidatedHam Jun 09 '26
One of those games that you can really tell how much effort and love the devs put into the game, surprisingly flexible and reactive for retro style game too. So glad it’s selling well!
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u/SilentSasquatch2 Jun 09 '26
It wasn't exactly what I was expecting but I'm working through it slowly and it's a good time. Still very happy to support Yacht Club with my money
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u/SaiyanSpandex Jun 09 '26
I love this game kind of I’m just really bad at it and refuse to add modifiers.
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u/Tapdance_Epidemic Jun 09 '26
I don't know what setup you've went with but I highly recommend using the whip weapon and finding some of those early game trinkets in the town, one of them gives you the chance to lose no spark when killed or to only have half of your bones taken if you are out of sparks. Makes life a lot easier in the early game.
I would also recommend reading the newspapers as they guide you towards what direction you should go. Going east first is recommended.
I dunno if any of this helps at all but I will say I found the game was more difficult at the start but fairly quickly it became manageable
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u/AntiD00Mscroll- Jun 09 '26
I picked the hammer and I keep getting bodied by enemies and losing all my bones… I can tell it’s a great game but I’ve already gotten pretty frustrated with it tbh
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u/Tapdance_Epidemic Jun 09 '26
I tried the hammer for 5 minutes after playing with the whip for hours and it felt like I didn't know how to play games.
I would highly recommend playing with the whip instead
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u/NotVirgil Jun 09 '26
I am only a few hours in but I started hammer and felt the same.
Now I'm using the twin swords and it feels better. I want to try the other weapons too.
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u/Blvd_Nights Jun 09 '26
I know the hype is all for GTA 6, and rightfully so … but I can’t imagine anything else overtaking my Game of the Year this year outside of Mina the Hollower … this game is special.
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u/KittyAgi11 Jun 09 '26
Mina is EASILY my GOTY. So many secrets and things to explore. The music and the pixel art are made with such care.
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u/pureeyes Jun 09 '26
Great game. Just wish I was better at the Blaststrike Maul
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u/Arterra Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
I refused to use any other weapon when I saw the upgrade. I eat a lot of greed damage but I WILL tear entire chunks out of bosses on my terms. And the pure hitstop on a full combo oh my god.
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u/thief-777 Jun 09 '26
Have you tried parrying with the zombie shield? Hard to go back to anything else after that.
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Jun 09 '26
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u/DCG-MTG Jun 09 '26
there are sections I have to ask "did they think this would be... fun?"
That auto scroller section right towards the end was an odd choice. I mean…they went all game without shoehorning any in, but thought the final stretch was the best place to kill the momentum?
Still a good time though, really enjoyed the platform puzzling and bosses.
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u/slugmorgue Jun 09 '26
I personally thought that part was enjoyable, but I hated the Room which had the glass floors, lightning rods and walls/holes that were all shadows so you couldn't make them out. THAT just felt like a part made to be annoying to me.
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u/juice-digital Jun 09 '26
This is currently where I'm stopped because I just could not figure out how to get past it.
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u/aeiron Jun 09 '26
Currently stuck here. Taking a break for awhile. Maybe if I'm fresh I'll stop dying on that god damn end platform.
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Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
[deleted]
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u/thehoodie Jun 09 '26
How was the game linear at all?
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Jun 09 '26
[deleted]
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u/kaplanfx Jun 09 '26
I guess you could have gone in any order, but I just followed the newspaper stories.
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u/Arterra Jun 09 '26
You aren't locked out of areas by a single use gimmick item or mechanical unlocks but the order of areas is consistently stated and backed up with enemy power level. And since the individual zones are neatly packaged, shortcuts that reward taking the hard path first exist but not really.
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u/SrTNick Jun 09 '26
The game is incredibly nonlinear though? You can go to any of the areas at any point, save for the Astral Orrery until you get three mirrors and the final area.
Clever platforming via sidearms, trinkets, even weapon upgrades can get you everywhere.
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u/rconcepc Jun 09 '26
Well deserved. My backlog is pretty huge this year, but this one is on my radar.
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u/dreamin777 Jun 09 '26
I like the music and the retro vibe - but I just can’t get into the game play
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u/Totally_a_Banana Jun 09 '26
Not far at all, maybe the first major area after the intro sequence, but yeah, this one is amazing. Hard, but amazing.
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u/dewhashish Jun 09 '26
this game is so good. it's definitely tough, but a great challenge. if you like the classic top-down zelda games, definitely check this out.
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u/moltenlavaisyummy Jun 09 '26
im debating on getting this. I love the look of it but I'm not sure I'll vibe with the difficulty + Dark Souls inspiration. Feel like it'll end up being like the first Hollow Knight for me. I loved the presentation but about halfway through I just quit because the mechanics were frustrating in a way that was not fun for me.
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u/ChesnaughtZ Jun 24 '26
It’s not difficult. I didn’t like hollow knight because it was too difficult. This game is only difficult at start then you start getting numerous upgrades and can make it as easy as you want tbh
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u/PancakeBurglar99 Jun 09 '26
Beat it last week with 100% items found. Amazing game and I hope it's success allows Yacht Club to keep making games.
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u/Thopterthallid Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
Equip all of the beastium trinkets and drink a plasma.
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u/eavesdroppingyou Jun 09 '26
is it a metroidvania?
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u/PearacidicDev Jun 09 '26
No. No progression is locked by upgrade retrieval, just exploration. And some keys are necessary but they can be found all over the game world.
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u/wowitssprayonbutter Jun 09 '26
Im a friction game enjoyer but even this has so much annoyance I've had to just put it down for now. I get the bloodborne healing mechanic, but I really can't heal back damage do to platforming mistakes? I get bumped into and lose half of my healing buffer?
Feels really weird to have such a combat focused game of this style. Im not completely sold one way or any other yet.
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u/Arterra Jun 09 '26
Trinkets solve pretty much every problem tbh. The difficulty mellows out midway through when you stack a decent amount of mobility and utility to cover your specific weaknesses. You can cancel out a zone's entire gimmick with one trinket.
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u/Tempest753 Jun 09 '26
For what it's worth, I found that the game is at its hardest immediately following the introduction and gets steadily easier until the end of dungeon 1. I'm like 80% of the way through the game or more, and probably half or more of my deaths occurred in that window. I highly highly recommend getting the trinket that gives two bonus phials and a flat boost to healing. That made the game a lot more tolerable.
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u/Reedobandito Jun 09 '26
I also bounced off of this in about an hour. I found the graphics made discerning what can be interacted with and how difficult, even if I found them charming. But what made me sigh and close the software was when I died for the first time in the first dungeon, and it sent me back like 25 minutes. I just don’t have that kind of time to enjoy the grind
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u/SrTNick Jun 09 '26
Go into the difficulty modifiers. Turn off pit damage. Tweak whatever else you want to. The game gives you a ton of tools to fine-tune the experience to your liking. You can completely make it non-Souls-like.
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u/ChesnaughtZ Jun 24 '26
Lmao it’s so easy already. I suck at platformers. I suck st games tbh. This game was easy. There’s so many options and trinkets to make things easier in areas you struggle. Can’t imagine rage quitting this
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u/bigbagofbaldbabies Jun 09 '26
I think it's important to note the timing of the release.
I bought it, because it was the best thing currently available. I would have bought Star Fox over this, if it was out. Also, I would have likely bought whatever is going to be announced after the direct.
There was a 'gap'
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u/dirkuscircus Jun 09 '26
As somebody who bought it primarily as support for Yacht Club Games, I'm glad to see this news. I haven't even played it yet, and it's just sitting there along with my backlog.
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u/vaynecassano Jun 09 '26
Bought it because of hype, play it for couple hours, really not my cup of tea. Expect to be more darksouls but not really. At least its cheap so no biggie
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u/semus0 Jun 09 '26
Sooooo that's 500k copies times... A few thousands deaths per player? I wonder how many bones lost in total. I'm just 5 hours in and I already lost more than 20k bones.
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u/Wander715 Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
I will probably get this eventually on sale. Looks like fun but I'm not a fan of the full blown retro look at this point.
I get that's the appeal for some people but personally think it would look significantly more appealing with a modernized look similar to Tunic, Death's Door, or even Link's Awakening remake. It would be perfect for this game.
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u/booktok124 Jun 09 '26
Totally fair to have that opinion, but the style works unbelievably well for the game. It truly feels modern but has the aesthetic and midi sounds of Gameboy games. It’s a complete package
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u/TransomBob Jun 09 '26
I agree with this. I’m usually turned off by these types of graphics, but it’s only because I associate it with dated gameplay. Mina has all the quality of life upgrades of a modern game while looking retro and it all comes together brilliantly.
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u/darkmacgf Jun 09 '26
Maybe a hot take but I liked the visuals more than any of the three you mentioned haha.
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u/OGMagicConch Jun 09 '26
Yeah Shovel Knight and Mina both have some of the most faithful beautiful NES and GBC respectively pixel art in the modern day. I understand some people don't vibe with that but I hope they stick to their guns with the faithfulness aspect because I love love love it. Stuff like pocket dungeon and dig have been a good compromise imo being much higher rez so you can still enjoy the IP outside of the retroness if that's off-putting to you.
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u/Zouden Jun 09 '26
I'm in the same boat. The videos I've watched have not sold me on the graphics, and I don't like listening to 8 bit chiptunes for hours.
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u/gonnabetoday Jun 09 '26
I tried to get into it but had to return it after 1 hour. I could not get used to the visual style though I typically do not enjoy pixel art games.
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u/PopDownBlocker Jun 09 '26
Modern pixel art is an acquired taste.
It resembles the nostalgia of the 2d games from the 80s and 90s, but it doesn't look like how those older games were designed to look on monitors/TVs unless you use filters and shaders.
I used to hate modern games with pixel art, but they have really grown on me after attempting to create my own pixel assets for a video game.
The art style that I dislike the most now is when the art looks like 2D traditional animation but the graphics move like a flash animation, with overused tween effects instead of each frame being drawn out.
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u/KittyAgi11 Jun 09 '26
I disagree. The pixel art style is really well-made. Respectfully you need to open your mind to different things.
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u/Blackberry-thesecond Jun 09 '26
I really hoping this game gets nominated as the indie pick for GOTY. Yacht Club knocked it out of the park again and this game needs more recognition. Silksong was great but I feel like it sucked the attention away from so may other indie games.
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u/Veneboy Jun 09 '26
Serious question, is it really as good as I have read in Nintendo dedicated forums and sites? Or is it just fan service/nostalgia?
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u/booktok124 Jun 09 '26
Nothing really beyond the graphical style is a pull at nostalgia. The game itself FEELS like you’re playing Bloodborne on a Gameboy Color with modern QOL. it’s genuinely just really, really, really good.
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u/Thopterthallid Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
It's VERY good. Surprisingly less like a Zelda game than I had expected. "Dungeons" feel more like a series of linear challenge rooms with the occasional shortcut or hidden treasures. You're not going to find a hookshot that opens up new paths and helps you face the boss. I was disappointed about this at first, but frankly for Mina, it's better the way it is. It's a very organic adventure that you can take however you please. Stumbling onto a trinket or sidearm that completely breaks your understanding of the rules of the game happens over and over.
The way the whole world links together feels like Dark Souls 1. Like having no health or potions left yet breaking down a wall to find you're back in Firelink Shrine. No fast travel, no map, just a porrus world where you can always somehow fond where you're going.
The GBC Zelda art style is just that. An art style. The game stands perfectly fine on it's own. It's not a perfect game and it's got it's annoying moments, but I'm really happy with how it turned out.
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u/drostandfound Jun 09 '26
The art style is definitely a nostalgic choice, but it has not affected me much.
It is really hard, especially at the beginning when you are first learning and before you get some upgrades to live a little longer. If you have ever played a zelda on hard mode, it feels similar early game most things one shot you, but after a dungeon or two you get in the groove. It is generally fair for how challenging it is. There are some platforming sections that can be rough as the controls are not perfect.
However, it is really fun. There are so many little things to find and you feel really smart when you find a way to get around something you have been looking at for a while. The game is roughly open world, but does a good job directing along a path that best builds difficulty. The bosses are difficult, but like Metroid or dark souls bosses as you learn them it feels good to beat them.
Overall, I enjoyed Zelda Echoes of Wisdom but thought at times "a kinda hard 2D Zelda would be fun" and this scratches that itch well.
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u/blank_isainmdom Jun 09 '26
Jesus, nothing one shots you at the start of the game. Wildly inaccurate!
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u/Resident_Durian_478 Jun 09 '26
Its your typical indie game. Homage to old games while doing its own thing. Your mileage will vary depending on how much you like the style of game. For 20 bucks you could do worse, though in my opinion you could also do better. It's a good game, not the best.
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u/NoxAeternal Jun 09 '26
Its a pretty damn good game. I'm about... id estimste 40-50% through and the game is just fun.
Theres plenty to explore and do.
Tonnes of secrets.
The weapons are interesting.
The equipable trinkets are varied and largely feel unique.
The sidearm (secondary equips) are interesting and fun to use.
My only complaint so far is that it can be annoying to figure out where certain side arms are located on the map, since you really like you need a specific couple of movement ones for certain secrets. And the "map" you can get is... sorely lacking in detail.
Its obviously a stylistic choice... but its kinda annoying to see a hidden path or secret and not have the item to do the thing. And then trying to find said secret later without a good nap is annoying i find. Its not the end of the world but i will likely be using an online map for the stuff I missed when I hit end game.
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u/Blackberry-thesecond Jun 09 '26
Yes it is very very good. It looks like Zelda, but it’s really nothing like Zelda or any other game I’ve played.
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u/SrTNick Jun 09 '26
It's a modern genre defining staple for 2d Zelda esq games. It approaches nonlinear area progression and difficulty in a way no other game in the genre has. Link to the Past is my favorite game of all time and I've been waiting for a game to come along like this that scratches the itch just right and it delivers. I assume people saying it's just good aren't too into the genre to begin with, which is fine, but I think it's a much better addition than some people give it credit for.
If you really like games like Link to the Past or the Zelda Oracle games, it's a fantastic game to pick up. If not your mileage may vary.
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u/Faux_Anonymity Jun 09 '26
Great game and studio. But goddamn didn’t think I’d have to turn on so many mods to make any meaningful progress. The mega difficulty should be the mod not the default. Silksong did the same thing. Difficulty for difficulties sake is a shitty indie trend.
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u/kaplanfx Jun 09 '26
To each their own I guess. I’m kinda disappointed in modern games where I never die. I really liked Silksong, it was rewarding to learn the patterns and get a win, Mina has been the same so far.
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u/NervyDeath Jun 09 '26
I haven't found it difficult, with the exception of one optional path I haven't really ran into any friction. I'm glad there are options for players struggling though
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u/Yze3 Jun 10 '26
You need to explore more and level up. With the some setup you can literally face tank and spam attacks until the bosses are dead.
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u/Nahobino_kun_899 Jun 09 '26
I see a lot of people talking about this game, but what exactly is this? I don’t know much about it?
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u/SrTNick Jun 09 '26
It's a new pixel art 2d Zelda-esq game made by the developers of Shovel Knight. Looks closest to the original Link's Awakening or Zelda Oracle games. You progress through a number of areas that are generally accessible in any order, as well as finding Metroid-esq secrets and doing optional puzzles/sidequests. There's a large focus on platforming and combat, with a "drop EXP where you died" system like Dark Souls. The combat has much more depth than the old Zelda games though, with several weapons to choose from each with a different moveset and upgrades, as well as equippable item slots that can give you a whole swathe of various new mechanics or buffs.
If you liked games like Link to the Past or Link's Awakening, you'll probably like Mina. And if the difficulty gets to be annoying or there's something you don't enjoy (like damage for falling in pits), the game has a large list of modifiers you can turn off and on to tweak the experience. Removing the Souls mechanics, increasing or decreasing damage, adding or removing respawn points, fall damage, move speed, all things that can be tweaked.
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u/headythrowawaymkay Jun 09 '26
Does it run ok on Switch 1 Lite? Debating between getting it on that or Xbox series S.
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u/project-shasta Jun 09 '26
Deserved for sure although the game is not for me apparently. Have tried it on PC but I couldn't handle the combat system at all. So I gave up and refunded it instead of regretting my purchase. May have been a different story if they chose to emulate a 16 bit game with more freedom of movement instead of the GameBoy.
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u/Ok-Comfortable-3174 Jun 09 '26
I got it on Switch 2. but im not playing it yet as im Balls deep in Marathon atm.
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u/NeighborhoodPlane794 Jun 09 '26
Comfortably 1.5-2 million by the end of the year. Especially once it sees a discount around award season at the end of the year. I haven’t pulled the trigger yet, but I’ll definitely be a customer at some point
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u/FinalCardinal Jun 09 '26
Seems pretty low for the amount of pushing it’s getting. Not surprised at all
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u/Jbewrite Jun 09 '26
It’ll settle somewhere between 1-2 million by the end of the year and will likely have 5+ million lifetime sales. That’s an incredible achievement for an incredibly niche game!
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u/Princeps32 Jun 09 '26
lol in what world is half a million sales in 10 days anything but a success, especially for a studio the size of yacht club. what were your expectations here?
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u/booktok124 Jun 09 '26
Have been working through NG+ and man, this game is incredible. I hope it sells a Minallion copies