Never Writes About:
Minishoot Adventures
Minishoot Adventures has the unique distinction of being the first game I have played on a PC in a quarter century. So it might as well be the first. I think it is certainly the first game I have ever completed on PC. Unless you count Solitaire. But it is most certainly the first game I have acquired for on PC. And considering how infrequently I play on my PC, it is likely to be the last. I’m a trophy guy. I still prefer playing on my console. But Minishoot Adventures is a special game. Which is what prompted the rare “double dip” by me. Sometimes a game is so nice you have to play it twice. Or three times. Or four! And if I get a shiny Platinum out of it, all the better.
I first became aware of Minishoot Adventures upon its release in 2024. It was/is a combination of two of my gaming loves: twin-stick shooter bullet hells and Zelda style adventure game. It’s a combo I never would have thought of seriously, but the moment I saw the game in action it made perfect sense. Your typical twin-stick shooter sees you blasting your way through linear levels; simply navigating from point A to B, just trying to avoid the plethora of projectiles that would end your run. Many don’t see you navigating at all, instead tasking you with surviving wave after wave of enemies in a fixed space. Minishoot Adventures does all those things, but adds the adventuring, discovery, and environmental story telling found in games like The Legend of Zelda and its 2D counterparts. There are dungeons to explore, bosses to beat and upgrades to obtain that help you progress through the story and world.
The world is relatively large, with different biomes that will immediately be familiar, even to those with a superficial knowledge of the genre: a desert, a forest, a lake etc. It really is just a classic top down Zelda game, but instead of a squat hero with a sword you are a little ship with blasters. The two genres meld so well together it is a wonder why this mash up has not been done previously.
With regards to trophies, they are a breeze. There are difficulty related trophies, but the flexible and forgiving accessibility options make this more of a bullet heck than a bullet hell. You can adjust the game speed, energy consumption, (energy governs boost and power weapons) and even make your ship invulnerable to everything except falling in a hole. And none of these disable trophies! So feel free to set whatever challenge feels right for you. Myself, I enjoy the hell. I would recommend you give the hell a try as much as you can, as it is, in my opinion, more satisfying to play and overcome. But you can adjust these settings at any time, so if something is too taxing or time consuming, just flip that invulnerability to on. No harm and no shame.
The upgrade system deserves praise as well. The xp you receive from enemies and find in the world comes in the form of crystals. You fill the gem icon up with crystals and each time you do you get a gem to spend on upgrades. The cool part about the system, and one that sets it apart from other rpg’s is the ability to respec your upgrades at any point! Feel underpowered in a boss fight? You can re-allot your points to buff your main gun, then change back after the fight. This removes the need to grind (although I love grinding in games) in order to strengthen the ability you need. This makes the game all the more digestible.
And really, I think that’s it. It is difficult for me to find things to say when a game is just great. I don’t want to spoil anything, story wise. I will say I was impressed with the environmental storytelling. The story of Minishoot Adventures is mostly delivered via text boxes, but the map and dungeons are packed with assets that shed light on the state of this world and the fate that has befallen it. Assets? Can you tell I hate spoilers?
Minishoot Adventures is great. It is great for genre vets like myself, and it is great for newcomers thanks to very welcoming accessibility options. No matter where you land on that spectrum, and whether you’re a trophy hunter or not, Minishoot Adventures is definitely your time.