Mina the Hollower by Yacht Club Games

[NYN]

Stumbled upon this. There are free demos for both Switches and Steam. AND they're are time limited! Nab it until 21st of August! Game's out on Halloween, then.

As can easily surmised: it's a pastiche of GAME B0Y Zeldos top-down adventures. Now, I am not much in favor of these, since smug attitude, yet would give YCG the benefit o' doubt since I adore Shovel Knight. One can pick one of three weapons with fast, range, heavy set. Jumping pits and burrow down for extra jump. Yeah, mechanics we know, though it's the world that comes with that, as it is with the Shovler. If the opening is anything to go by, it gets spicy early on. I had fun, and will play at least two more times trough for each weapon. How about you?

[XoPachi]

I haven't played the demo because I just don't feel like plugging in my Switch. Don't understand why the demo is not on Steam but whatever.
I'm still really looking forward to this one.

[BrianC]

I haven't played the demo because I just don't feel like plugging in my Switch. Don't understand why the demo is not on Steam but whatever.
I'm still really looking forward to this one.

Odd thing is that the demo was on steam, but was taken down for some reason.

[BulletMagnet]

Odd thing is that the demo was on steam, but was taken down for some reason.

Yeah, I think it was a "Next Fest" thing, and the Switch and Switch 2 demos were put up more recently.

[NYN]

It's also a new strategy to me. With two and a half months to release after revoking access. More grounds for hype, right? Catching fire? Limited edition? Go get yours today! I'm not kidding.

[Rastan78]

Tried the demo. Seems like the concept was take links awakening and do something more like a souls game. Would have to play more of course, but IMO what made GB Zelda cool was having a world to explore with exploration and puzzles to solve on a console that usually had much more bite sized games.

Mina looks like it wants to double down on the combat and jump mechanic (jumping feels practically identical to GB zeldas).

Looks like the game has a lot going for it, but if I were going to design a tribute game to links awakening I'd stay pretty far from making the jump mechanic a focal point.

Encounters feel very skippable so run backs to boss fights will be a lot of just walking past enemies ala souls.

[Sumez]

That all sounds very enticing to me. I lost internet access at home yesterday though, so can't download the demo -_- Just my luck!

[NYN]

Through all weapons. Daggers my least fave, short and delivers push-back. The boss fight didn't tickle me. Maul-whip OK, of course it fixes to the spot as long as it takes. Hammer the winner. Short slaps are kinda puny. More fun to charge, roll out, and WHAMMO all! Glad for demo. Uh, considering purchase. Depending on size 'n prize if digital or retail, if the ladder is planned.

[XoPachi]

I don't terribly care for the somewhat slippery movement, but I guess it's something to get used to. I think the game is overall pretty fun. I had a lot of fun using sub weapons in particular. Tired of Souls-isms but the Zelda 2 upgrade system seems like a good fit for them this time.

[NYN]

Here's your smug reminder to grab the free demo NOW or jump rope when it becomes unavailable. What?

[ryu]

Here's your smug reminder to grab the free demo NOW or jump rope when it becomes unavailable. What?

Do you work for them?

[NYN]

Nah, it's just that limited time, which is a bit strange. And I noticed that I have a longer memory than most others, at least in this age of comfort and "quality of life" accommodations.
Ignore it just the same, it's no hair off my 'stache...

[Sumez]

Thanks for the reminder actually. I got my internet connection back the other day and forgot to grab it.

I liked the game well enough, it feels really good to play. But but the dungeon/stage/area whatever you play through feels really uninspired. This feels like the type of game design that would feed well into, unsurprisingly, a Zelda-like open ended overworld - or, well, a Souls-like one. But you're just playing through a singular "corridor" which is not very engaging. The splash screen at the end of the demo makes it feel like they are going for nonlinear game design, but more of the "do areas in your own order" style than anything genuinely open ended and exploration focused.

But I guess it's impossible to say at this point. Game could still be really good.
Boss fights were also really boring, but that could also change if later ones actually try to be challenging-

[NYN]

Thanks for the reminder actually. I got my internet connection back the other day and forgot to grab it.

Aww, I'm as glad you got a taste of it as I am to feel right enough to remind. Your shared experience is everybody's gain then. At least to my mind.

I liked the game well enough, it feels really good to play. But but the dungeon/stage/area whatever you play through feels really uninspired.

Uh, it felt to me mostly like a training wheels set, to get a spin around the vestibule. Isn't that what a free demo is for? Or any game opening, for that matter?

But I guess it's impossible to say at this point. Game could still be really good.

Yeah. It got me to re-play Link's Awakening on 0RIGINAL B0Y after some 20 years! Success!

Boss fights were also really boring, but that could also change if later ones actually try to be challenging-

Agreed. What weapon did you pick, and did you more than one run to try the others? Daggers didn't fit my play-style.

[Sumez]

Uh, it felt to me mostly like a training wheels set, to get a spin around the vestibule. Isn't that what a free demo is for? Or any game opening, for that matter?

For sure, it's hard to say how well it's gonna represent what the full game feels like.
Honestly I prefer a demo to show something a bit further into a game for that reason. But the core gameplay is good in my book. I enjoy the versatility of the burrowing move, and hope they manage to utilize it well.

Agreed. What weapon did you pick, and did you more than one run to try the others? Daggers didn't fit my play-style.

I just went with the ball and chain which felt like a classic castlevania whip to me. Demo was devoid of challenge and I finished with 0 deaths (again, probably expected from the game's introduction area), so I didn't really feel enticed to replay.

[NYN]

Demo was devoid of challenge and I finished with 0 deaths (again, probably expected from the game's introduction area), so I didn't really feel enticed to replay.

Zero? Hum. I'd dislike to think of myself as a messy player, yet I lost more than 10 or some such. Maybe you play more controlled? I kind of need to crash into the do-and-don't to figure out what's what. Once I pick up on it I can follow the tug of improvement. Sort of opposite the real-real world, where I tend to act more reserved. In games it's kids on a beach...

[Sumez]

Maybe it was the weapon choice?
I did need to heal a bunch of times. Didn't notice until right before the first boss though that you could burrow into the checkpoints to restock on "estus"