Summary
Indie devs are no strangers to unorthodox genre combinations, and neither is the shmup genre as a whole. The shoot-‘em-up genre, or shmup, has been around almost as long as video games themselves, and a recent renewed interest in the genre has seen plenty of novel combinations come about from indie developers looking to introduce something new to its aging formula. There have been shmups with RPG mechanics and progression, shmups that intersperse their gameplay with visual novel sections, and a recent influx of Metroidvania shmups. One combination that has yet to really take hold, though, is mixing classicLegend of Zeldagameplay with the combat and mechanics of a shmup. EnterMinishoot’ Adventures.
Coming from the two-person development team SoulGame Studio,Minishoot' Adventuresis about as close to a pure combination ofThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Pastand a classictwin-stick shmupas one can get. The title also happens to feature a large, interconnected map with distinct biomes and plenty of reasons to backtrack to previously visited areas, incorporating a bit of Metroidvania DNA in the process. Now,Minishoot' Adventures' success proves it’s a potent combination other developers should try their hand at.
Minishoot' Adventures Has Made a Big Splash in a Short Amount of Time
Shmups, Metroidvanias, and top-down action-RPGs are each popular genres or subgenres on their own, but their coming together inMinishoot' Adventureshas already proven to resonate with fans of either one or all of them. Since the game’s launch on April 2, the title has already racked up some impressive traction, with it currently sitting at a “Very Positive” 95% on Steam across more than 300 user reviews. The game’s critical score is impressive as well, withMinishoot' Adventuresholding an aggregate review score of 87% on Metacritic. Arguably the largest factor in the game’s success is that it accomplishes precisely what it sets out to do—combineclassicZeldagameplaywith the combat and movement of a shmup.
While players won’t find the kind of insanely complex bullet-hell patterns that are on display in some of the most challenging vertical shmups,Minishoot' Adventuresstill offers enough of a difficulty curve to where it becomes necessary to explore and take advantage of the game’s action RPG style character progression. And, likethe bestZeldagamesand Metroidvania titles, exploration ofMinishoot' Adventures' map and backtracking to previously visited areas almost always yields progress in some critical component of the player’s improvement of their abilities.
The Shmup Genre is Rife With Opportunity for More Novel Genre Combinations
Minishoot' Adventuresmight be the first game to combineLink to the Past-style exploration and adventure with a twin-stick shmup, but the game’s success proves it shouldn’t be the last. And, if anything, the modern influx of atypical shmup games proves that there’s a lot of room left for innovation in the genre. Games likeTeviandThe Knight Witchmixclassic Metroidvania gameplaywith bullet-hell dodging and a mix of ranged and melee combat.
Classics likeRadiant SilvergunandBatsugunsuccessfully mixed RPG mechanics within the context of a shmup, and Ladybug’sDrainushas now followed suit decades later.
ThatMinishoot' Adventurescomes from just a two-person development team is all the more impressive given the title’s performance and stability. Most Steam reviews praise the title’s level of polish and lack of any noticeable bugs or crashes, resulting in the game being a smooth experience from start to finish and anideal fit for the Steam Deck. MixingThe Legend of Zelda, Metroidvanias, and shmups is a left-field combination that works, and it shows that indie devs are still pushing the envelope when it comes to novel and exciting genre-mixing.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Player demand for the re-release of this Super NES smash hit couldn’t be any higher. In all his glory, Link ventures back to the land of Hyrule. The predecessors of Link and Zelda face monsters on the march when a menacing magician takes over the kingdom. Only you can prevent his evil plot from shattering the peaceful Hyrule.In your quest, you’ll venture into twisting mazes, dungeons, palaces, and shadowy forests. Test your mettle with mighty swords and magical weapons. Or heft a boulder and hurl it at your enemies. If the going gets tough dive into a river-you can swim to escape! Learn powerful spells locate magical artifacts and solve the mysteries of the evil magician and the hidden realm of Hyrule.
