Last week, the highly anticipated Mina the Hollower finally got a confirmed release date. It's being developed by Yacht Club Games, which has been riding the success of Shovel Knight for twelve years; their most recent game was 2022's Shovel Knight Dig.
Just like its predecessor, it features distinctly retro-inspired graphics, this time based on the Game Boy Color, complete with all the format's limitations. That said, the setting is entirely different and significantly darker, which is obviously intentional. When RPG Site recently interviewed the game's designer and director, Sean Velasco, he explained how the studio views the game:
"Mina didn't really start as a side project. We were planning to work on two projects at once, and after making a bunch of Shovel Knight games, we wanted to create something different - if Shovel Knight is our Mario, Mina would become our Zelda. Basically, Mina let us craft a new kind of action-adventure and stretch our capabilities while still doing what we like."
In the same interview, he mentions that there are also plans for an expansion, although he currently "wouldn't call it a big DLC." Velasco also says that we may see Mina again in the future, much like how Shovel Knight has been continuously expanded, though he admits that a lot depends on sales:
"Mina is intended as a finished game, but also as an evergreen world. It would be fun to revisit in the future... Maybe after a long vacation! You certainly haven't seen the last of Mina (if it sells, lol!)."
Mina the Hollower launches on May 29 and will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, Switch, Switch 2 (free upgrade from Switch 1), and Xbox Series S/X, all versions will retail for $19.99.