Minishoot’ Adventures review

Ignore that peculiar apostrophe and get to shooting in a Zelda-esque overworld.

Across the last decade or so, there’s been a surge of smart genre fusions. 2014’s Rollers of the Realm merged pinball with role-playing characteristics, effectively replacing scoring with stat upgrades. Just as ingeniously, 2022’s Last Command married Snake to bullet-hell elements, escalating the intensity of the beloved flip-phone classic.

Restoring Balance to the Great Crystal

For the first 45 minutes or so, SoulGame Studio’s Minishoot’ Adventures blend of The Legend of Zelda-style exploration and twin-stick shooting doesn’t seem quite as inspired. There’s a plotline told through a succession of dialog-free images, but identifying with a rocketship isn’t as easy as connecting with Hyrule’s fated hero, Link. Beyond a request for you to search for your shipling friends and restore order from a captive space craft, there are no humanoids to reminding you about things like that “it’s dangerous to go alone”. Even the town merchant is a spacecraft with a damaged hull with little more to express than a basic trade offer.

At first, making your way through Adventures’ overworld isn’t as exhilarating either.  When Zelda debuted in 1986, the concept of a tutorial that taught you how to play through a succession of interactive lessons felt wonderfully innovative. But 38 years on, the approach has become formulaic, and you might wonder if Minishoot’ is ever going to deliver distinction.

Don’t Stop Moving, Shooting, or Improving

For me, I didn’t become involved until the boss battle at the end of the game’s first dungeon. Up that to that point, Minishoot’ Adventures provides the conventional pursuits. Regularly, the edges of the screen become secured, forming a gladiator arena where you’ll confront waves of enemies. And expectedly, following those sporadic faint visual anomalies would provide rewards like a fraction of an additional health pip. Everything feels familiar, with some basic pew pews replacing sword swings.

But gradually the game heats up to a satisfying simmer. Instead of attempting to eliminate a trio of homogenous foes, Adventures lets loose with a throng of different enemies, collectively forming a dense pattern of projectiles that need to be cautiously evaded. At first, your ship fires a stream of meager bullets. Since it can a half-dozen or more direct hits to destroy an elevated enemy, your gun feels anemic. Fortunately, Adventures has a leveling system, and you’ll be able to boost your offensive output by investing in a semi-elaborate tech-tree and bartering with that injured NPC ship. And things get even better.

The Age-Old Appeal of the Territory Grab

Following that tedious first hour, SoulGame starts showing potential. Soon you’ll locate an opponent surrounded by a protective barrier. As you attempt to move into a position that would allow you to eliminate the enemy, you’ll be flanked by a sine wave of shots from another nearby foe – requiring you to aim while on the move. Expectedly, you’ll earn an inventory of abilities along your journey. One of the first rewards is a boost that lets you soar off ramps, jumping across precarious hazards like a four-engine speedboat. Steadily, as you push at the peripheries of the overworld and take out some of the enemy sentries, Minishoot’ Adventures grows gratifying. And yes, you’ll eventually earn an arsenal that rivals the Raiden series.

In its present state, there are still a few missteps that mar the overall experience. Although a zoomable map is always a button press away, the atlas isn’t all that assistive. Not only does it neglect to reveal the layout of dungeons, but it’s also ineffective at exposing the Metroidvania-like gating that Adventures incorporates. As such, expect to wander around until you stumble on the entrance to an unexplored part of the map. And while the trio of difficulties helps make the game more accessible, one-hit death moments can instigate frustration.

Conclusion

But largely these transgressions and that plodding introductory hour are forgivable. Stick with it and you’ll earn an authoritative arsenal that can swiftly narrow the number of on-screen opponents, providing a sense of satisfaction across the numerous firefights. Sure, bullet-hell games can seem intimidating, but Minishoot’ Adventures patiently prepares for the fight to come.

Minishoot’ Adventures was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.