“A narrative inside a narrative” is how the Blossom Tales collection is described. Identical to within the first recreation, the story in Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince is definitely narrated by Lily (the primary character) and her brother Chrys’ Grandpa. It tells the story of the aforementioned Lily, on a journey to rescue her brother from the Minotaur King. He’s influencing younger Chrys within the hope that he’ll turn into the Minotaur Prince, and he’s naively following alongside, considering his sister is the unhealthy man in all of this. It’s a easy premise that does a good job in setting you up for the journey forward. The story and the best way it’s introduced are one of many few distinctive parts to the sport.
When you performed the unique Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King, you’d know proper from the off that it took a variety of inspiration from The Legend of Zelda collection. Extra so A Hyperlink to the Previous and handheld titles such because the Oracle video games or The Minish Cap. The Minotaur Prince is not any completely different and it feels proper at house on Nintendo’s present handheld system. When you haven’t performed the primary recreation, fret not, you don’t must have performed it earlier than this one. There are moments the place the occasions of the primary recreation are referenced and talked about, however it’s so minor that it makes completely no distinction to the expertise.
As soon as you’re taking management, you end up within the midst of a carnival in Blossomdale, competing in numerous enjoyable carnival video games that act as tutorials. You then enter a event that teaches you find out how to use your sword and defend. It’s throughout this part that you’ll realise – when you hadn’t already – simply how related that is to Hyperlink’s top-down adventures.
All through the course of the sport, Grandpa, Chrys and Lily usually interject to debate present happenings within the recreation. Chrys and Lily generally need two separate issues to happen, for instance when encountering enemies (not on a regular basis, simply in very particular circumstances) and one needs it to be wolves and the opposite needs it to be slugs, so Grandpa offers the participant a alternative between these two issues, and it then modifications in entrance of your eyes. In rarer circumstances, you get the choice between two issues that final for the complete recreation, the primary instance of this being the instrument you carry with you, it could both be a guitar or an accordion. You can even select between completely different sword strategies to study. Primarily, there are not any modifications that can have an effect on something drastically, however it’s a nice mechanic that makes the participant really feel as if they’ve a direct say in the best way some elements of the story ought to play out.
The gear and objects you acquire in the course of the journey are lifted straight from a Zelda title. Now we have the bow and arrow, lantern, hookshot and bombs to call only a few. There is just one single merchandise right here that isn’t from Hyperlink’s adventures – I gained’t point out what it’s, because it was a pleasant shock. Every of them works in the very same manner, too. For instance, you will note many partitions which have cracks that may be destroyed with bombs and you may shoot by fireplace to gentle distant torches. They’re mechanics which can be enjoyable and that clearly work – they’ve for 30 years – there’s simply little or no originality and you’re feeling like what’s coming earlier than it has occurred.
Objects in Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince require vitality as a way to use them – consider the magic meter in A Hyperlink to the Previous, however one which mechanically regenerates itself. Due to this fact, you don’t need to be gathering provides reminiscent of arrows for the bow as you’re making your manner round. This could be a good and unhealthy factor, relying in your preferences. On one hand, it means you by no means run out of something, so you’re at all times outfitted for something in your path. Then again, it could make some fights very simple as you’ve overpowered objects reminiscent of bombs to hit giant crowds of enemies, and you should utilize them again and again with solely a small break after just a few bombs.
If you’re someone who likes a variety of collectables in your video games, then you definately’ll be thrilled to know that there are loads in Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince. To start with, you’ve widespread pickups that you just use for crafting new potions, or trade-in to get different helpful issues, reminiscent of coronary heart containers and vitality items. These are available a complete raft of types reminiscent of flowers, fruit, and fish. Once I completed my playthrough, I had a complete of 45 differing types in my objects record. As talked about above, there are additionally potions so that you can make – 10 of them to be actual – starting from well being potions to those who act like fairies in Zelda which regenerate your well being after you fall in battle. You first need to study the recipes so as to have the ability to craft them, just one is crucial for beating the sport, nevertheless.
Subsequent you’ve sidequest collectables, reminiscent of Honeycomb items and Previous Bones. As one would think about, when you accumulate all of those and take them to the related individual, you’ll obtain a non-essential merchandise that can assist you out in your journey, however one which completionists will wish to have for certain. Lastly, there are 24 statues littered across the map that it is advisable to supply fruit to as a way to activate them.
The dungeon designs listed here are one of many sturdy factors and you would simply envision a few of these in an precise Zelda recreation and it wouldn’t make the expertise any weaker – they are surely that good. They aren’t the longest dungeons, however I believe this helps them in some methods. It could have been simple for the developer to extend the dimensions and period of the dungeons and to repeat among the concepts and puzzles to do that. Which means if you sort out the puzzles, for instance, all of them really feel genuinely satisfying as soon as you’re employed out the answer and don’t really feel like you’re simply repeating the identical factor again and again.
The problem feels well-balanced on the entire however can veer extra on the simpler aspect on events. I solely died as soon as throughout the complete recreation and that was early on once I had only a few hearts. When you begin gaining coronary heart containers, it will get tougher and tougher to perish. Boss battles are often tense affairs at first however can generally be overwhelmed purely by slashing at it with out worrying about your well being. The principle problem that I discovered throughout my time with the sport was truly because of the map and remembering the place all the things is. The map doesn’t replace itself aside from filling within the sq. / tile as you get to it and there isn’t any type of stamp system. Usually you’ll come throughout one thing within the overworld which you want a sure merchandise for, so it is advisable to come again later for it. When you don’t write that down on a bit of paper or hold a file someplace, you will have a tough time discovering it once more.
The worst factor I can say about Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince, is that there are only a few of the developer’s personal concepts in the complete recreation. On the flip aspect of that, you would argue that as a result of it’s taking its inspiration from one of many best franchises of all time – and does job of replicating it – the standard of the sport may be very excessive. At no level throughout my complete playthrough, did I wish to cease taking part in or really feel like I wished the sport to finish. The journey was enjoyable from starting to finish.
Model Examined: Nintendo Swap
Evaluation copy offered by Playtonic Associates