Mina the Hollower Review: The First Real Shovel Knight Successor Is Here

Overview

Mina the Hollower arrives with the kind of anticipation that can easily turn poisonous. After long delays and the shadow of Shovel Knight behind it, the obvious question is whether Yacht Club Games could capture that same spark again or whether its first major success was lightning in a bottle.

The answer is clear: Mina the Hollower is well worth the wait. It feels like a true successor in spirit, not because it copies Shovel Knight directly, but because it carries the same confidence in challenge, secrets, clean visual language, and player-driven mastery.

The premise is simple. Mina, an acclaimed mouse explorer and inventor, created the spark generators that support life on Tenebrous Isle. When those generators come under attack by Thorn, a former guard connected to Mina's research group, Baron Lionel, she sets out to save her inventions and restore order.

That setup works, but the story quickly becomes the game's weakest element. After the introduction, Mina barely speaks, and the broader narrative focus becomes so light that it feels almost negligible. NPC side quests and witty dialogue give the world some personality, but anyone hoping for Mina herself to remain an active vocal presence may come away mildly disappointed.

What Works

Mina the Hollower excels almost everywhere outside its story. At its core, it plays like an action puzzle platformer with light Metroidvania elements. The main goal is to travel to six corrupted generators and fix the problems surrounding them, but each route becomes a dense mix of dungeon crawling, enemy pressure, exploration, and environmental puzzle-solving.

The hub town, Osex, anchors the whole adventure. It is compact, but it keeps opening up as progress continues. Shops offer upgrades and tools, townspeople offer hints, residents hide back doors, and secrets sit tucked into corners that reward careful observation. As Mina gains abilities and currency, Osex becomes a steady treasure trove rather than a static menu town.

Outside the hub, the game trusts the player immediately. Enemies are dangerous, screens are packed with small clues, and progress often depends on reading the environment rather than waiting for explicit instruction. The Game Boy Color-style visuals are limited by design, but they communicate important details well. A texture that looks slightly different from its surroundings often means a breakable spot, a hidden path, or some other point of interest.

Mina's burrowing ability is the central movement idea, and the game uses it brilliantly. Burrowing lets her avoid attacks, pass under some obstacles, and reposition through danger. Rising out of a burrow also creates an extended leap with serious reach, giving each screen a layered sense of movement. The apparent linearity of dungeons is constantly broken up by these distinctions, making nearly every room feel like its own puzzle.

The areas leading to the spark generators are memorable because each one changes the formula without losing the game's core identity. Poisonous swamps with fragile lily pads create one kind of tension, while condensed labyrinths full of platforming gauntlets create another. Side paths often demand strong navigation, and the only map provided is a broad overview rather than a fully detailed room-by-room layout. That lack of hand-holding pushes players to mentally map each location, which ultimately deepens the sense of mastery. The map also shows how many collectibles remain in each location, which removes some needless cleanup frustration.

Combat and Progression

Combat starts with a choice between three weapons, with those weapons and several others becoming obtainable later. Weapon choice matters because each one has distinct properties, and upgrades build on those traits in meaningful ways. The shield is a strong example: at first it can parry attacks, but once enhanced, it can be thrown around, changing its coverage completely.

Regular enemies are not usually complicated on their own, but they work because they force environmental awareness, especially in groups. Bosses are the real highlight. Their attacks use layered telegraphs and multiple phases, and they demand full attention. Even though heals can be replenished when returning to the hub at checkpoints, using a heal in battle still requires finding a safe opening. Boss fights become less about having healing available and more about learning when it is actually safe to use it.

Checkpoints function as small field hubs. At these spots, Mina can change primary weapons, consumable sidearms, and trinkets. Trinkets act as equippable bonuses with varied effects, such as increasing jump height or improving healing effectiveness. Checkpoints also provide access to the world map and bone storage.

Bones are both currency and part of leveling. When enough bones are collected for a new level, the game offers an upgrade to Mina's health, damage output, sidearm usage rate, or bone storage capacity. But if Mina dies without plasma, another resource, she loses all bones currently carried. Since bones are also spent in shops, there is a constant decision between buying items, investing in upgrades, and managing how many bones can be carried at all. One shop even raises prices after each purchase, keeping the economy tense despite its simplicity.

Difficulty and Replayability

Mina the Hollower is consistently difficult and rewarding, especially without optional modifiers. It carries the spirit of Shovel Knight's challenge, but the adventure feels several leagues beyond it. The game is easiest to recommend to experienced players of action platformers, dungeon crawlers, and light Metroidvania-style exploration, particularly those who enjoy being pushed to learn systems properly.

Its accessibility options have been a major point of discussion because they let players alter the experience in ways that can make it easier or harder. Too much customization can sometimes make a game feel unfocused, especially for completionists, but the unmodified version here feels so carefully crafted that those options do not weaken the core design. Because the settings can also raise the challenge, they serve both broader audiences and veterans.

After finishing the game, a selection of transformative new game plus toggles unlocks. These can significantly change the experience, including item shuffling. That gives Mina the Hollower replay value in a way many games never officially support.

What Falls Short

The story is the main weak point. The opening creates expectations for Mina as a more active character, but the game mostly steps away from that. The setting still has charm through NPCs, side quests, and dialogue, yet the narrative often feels present out of obligation rather than as a driving force.

There are also a few small clarity issues. In a couple of areas, it can initially be hard to tell whether a surface is a reflection or a pit. It eventually becomes clear that pits are just voids, but those rare moments could have used clearer visual signaling. Some item descriptions could also be more transparent, especially the primed vial pouch, where the actual effect is not immediately clear from the description.

Verdict

Mina the Hollower is a rare case where overwhelming hype is surpassed. Its story may be thin, but the gameplay is confident from top to bottom: creative dungeons, sharp enemy design, meaningful upgrades, clever navigation, and a hub that keeps rewarding curiosity.

For players who want a challenging, dense, secret-filled action adventure with real respect for player skill, Mina the Hollower is an essential play. It does not merely follow in Shovel Knight's footsteps; it proves that same design spirit can evolve into something even more demanding and rewarding.