Games inspired by The Legend of Zelda are common; after all, the long-running Nintendo franchise is among the most influential series in gaming history. Because of this, various games take the Zelda format and try to replicate it, but these homages often miss out on the magic that makes that series greater than the sum of its parts. This is particularly true in the indie space, with Zelda-inspired titles a dime a dozen, making it difficult to stand out from the crowd. Minishoot’ Adventures clearly draws inspiration from Zelda – specifically A Link to the Past – but by applying the formula to the twin-stick shooter bullet-hell genre, it elevates itself to the top of the field.
In a clever twist on the Zelda formula, Minishoot’ Adventures puts you in control of a small ship exploring a corrupted world. Navigating the map feels fantastic, thanks to fluid controls, an ever-growing repertoire of moves, and a crisp, beautiful art style. During the course of your adventure, the main thrust of the gameplay is rooted in the game’s compelling and finely-tuned twin-stick shooting. As you traverse from screen to screen, enemies spawn and create battle arenas. These opponents range from small ships with single-firing bullets to swarms of dive-bombing, armored menaces that leave a trail of projectiles each time they fly forward.