If you have been even slightly present in the gaming scene, you couldn't have missed the hype that was built even long before the release of this game.
What started as a Kickstarter campaign back in 2022 and after several delays, Yacht Club Games, the creators of the legendary Shovel Knight, finally released Mina The Hollower on May 29, 2026, for all consoles and PC.
First impressions from all platforms are excellent, so let's see if it was worth the long wait.
Mina The Hollower is an action-adventure game presented from a 3/4 isometric perspective, which irresistibly reminds of the Gameboy Color series The Legend of Zelda.
The main protagonist, the mouse Mina, is a brilliant inventor who works with Spark Technology. She is a Hollower, a member of a guild dedicated to studying the Earth.
The story takes place on Tenebrous Isle, where Mina arrives at the invitation of her old friend Baron Lionel, who wants to find out why her Spark Generators are no longer producing the electricity needed to power the island.
Along the way, she will explore the region around the capital city of Ossex, fight against hordes of enemies, and constantly encounter the mysterious Thorne, who will do everything to make your life difficult.
Mina's faithful companion is Nightstar, a whip that can attack in four directions. Additionally, she will use Hollowing, a digging technique that allows her to quickly traverse short distances completely protected from enemies. Along the way, she will find various weapons like daggers and axes, as well as various trinkets that will provide permanent bonuses to your offensive and defensive abilities.
Although the story is linear, nothing prevents you from choosing the path you want to take and which part of the island you want to explore first. There are no closed passages that you can only open by finding a specific object, and nothing but your own skill will stop you from exploring the dungeons in your desired order; you just have to (fight) your way through.
Just like Shovel Knight, Mina The Hollower adheres to the same 8-bit style, drawing inspiration from the GameBoy Color color palette. To stay true to the original form, the game does not use any 3D elements, and the pixel design is limited to four colors per tile. The only difference is that the game supports widescreen resolution.
The legendary Jake Kaufman is once again responsible for the music, and this time, in collaboration with Yuzo Koshiro, he has produced an infectious composition that you won't easily forget and will be stuck in your head long after you turn off the game and decide it's time for bed.
The game is available for Linux, macOS, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, and for €20.49, you will get 20+ hours of top-notch adventure and a dose of retro nostalgia.
