It's that time again for a new episode of Chichuki Plays, the show where I go hands-on with upcoming games and show them off. Usually, it's about an hour or so but for certain games, I go nuts and give you about 2+ hours of gameplay. Mina the Hollower is one of the games so get comfortable for this episode of Chichuki Plays as we jump into the newest game from Yacht Club games, Mina the Hollower. I'm playing on the Switch 2 if it wasn't clear in the video.
It feels like Mina the Hollower was announced a long time ago, but the big day has finally arrived. It feels that way to me because I was able to play it a few times at PAX East in the past as well as the demo Yacht Club Games released last year. Was it worth the wait?
Let me start by saying that Mina the Hollower is tougher than Shovel Knight. I love Shovel Knight and right off the bat, you realize you're in for a totally different animal with this one. I always like that there are multiple game files in Yacht Club games so I can play many times. We begin by getting a letter from the Marshal of Ossex ,requesting our aid in fixing the Spark Generators that we built in the first place. We arrive on Tenebrous Isle where our story begins, and we learn just what is going on.
I really like the way this game looks. It is no secret that Mina the Hollower is paying homage to the likes of Game Boy Color Legend of Zelda, and you can see it in the gameplay, music, etc. You have the ability to jump and use different weapons. I started with the ball and chain like weapon as it has range. Being able to attack with range is key to this playthrough as enemies take a lot of hits and are quick to recover. A cool feature is that you have the ability to attack in the air/jump so you can get a quick hit in. As I mentioned before, this game is hard. You'll find that when you take on a boss and you perish several times. It will be an accomplishment when you defeat a boss in Mina the Hollower.
You'll also be able to find new weapons as well as upgrade your skills during gameplay. The leveling up system is similar to Zelda 2. You can level up attack/defense/weapon usage or store your currency so you can save it for next time. You can also find trinkets that are like equipment that will make things easier during the game. I found one that allows you take less damage from spikes and one that is like a fairy in Zelda, that will allow you to recover from death. That's a great one because I have already said this game is tough.
Mine the Hollower has a lot of charm and car put into it. It looks like Yacht Club games has another banger on their hands. I'd like to thank the folks at Yacht Club for the review code.Make sure you check out the hands-on video below!