While many fans are wanting Nintendo to host a proper Nintendo Direct presentation focused on its big first-party games that are coming this holiday season, the company instead decided to host an Indie World showcase. The Nintendo Indie World showcase, as its name implies, featured upcoming indie games that are on the way for Switch in 2020 and beyond, and it included six surprise releases for games that were made immediately available to purchase on the Switch eShop.
Among the surprise indie game launches for the Switch wasA Short Hike, an indie game that made big waves in 2019, but was held back by only being available for PC. Despite having a comparatively limited audience compared to many other indie games,A Short Hikestill managed to win some awards last year, and was nominated for multiple DICE Awards by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. This included Family Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game, and Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction. This is on top of widespread acclaim from critics and fans alike.
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As far as indie games go,A Short Hikeis one of the most notable because of how successful it’s been critically and with gamers. Part of the reason why it’s so great, though, is because of how it emulates much bigger releases, including Nintendo-developed games likeThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildandAnimal Crossing.
Here is why fans ofZelda: Breath of the WildandAnimal Crossingshould definitely check outA Short Hikeon Switch.
Bite-Sized Breath of the Wild
It may not look like it on the surface, butA Short Hikeactually has a lot in common with Nintendo’s critically-acclaimedThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Both games have a big focus on exploration, pretty much letting players loose right off the bat. And the exploration in both games revolves around climbing, gliding, and managing a stamina meter, with access to new areas available with progress. One of the most rewarding things aboutBreath of the Wildis upgrading one’s stamina or finding a new item that opens up the exploration even further, and that same addicting progression is in full force inA Short Hike.
A Short Hikeis not nearly as ambitious asBreath of the Wildin terms of scope, but it does play like a miniature version of that classicZeldagame. And withBreath of the Wild 2’s release datenowhere in sight,A Short Hikecould be a way for Switch owners to help fill the void while they wait patiently for news on the highly-anticipated new game.
Animal Crossing Aesthetic
Gameplay-wise,A Short Hikeliterally plays like a bite-sizedBreath of the Wild, but the similarities between the games aren’t as apparent with the tone, atmosphere, and art style. Instead of lifting more fromBreath of the Wildin these departments,A Short Hiketakes inspiration from a different Nintendo franchise:Animal Crossing.
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InA Short Hike, every character is an anthropomorphic animal of some kind, with the player taking on the role of a bird. Players walk around an island and interact with all sorts of talking animals, who give them tasks to complete in exchange for gold feathers that can be used to upgrade one’s stamina. The humor inA Short Hikelargely comes from these conversations, with the game having some sharp, witty dialogue and funny characters that would all feel right at home in anAnimal Crossinggame.
Super Mario 64 Goals
A Short Hikeis clearly inspired byThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildandAnimal Crossing, but it also owes a debt to yet another big Nintendo title, and that’s none other thanSuper Mario 64.Super Mario 64pioneered the 3D platformer, creating the collect-a-thon style gameplay and filling a world full of secrets and items for Mario to collect. In this way,A Short Hikefeels very much likeSuper Mario 64, with players completing objectives and completing platforming challenges in exchange for coins and gold feathers. There’s even races that feel like direct nods to the Nintendo 64 classic.
In fact,A Short Hikeactually improves on theSuper Mario 64formula by making the special item players collect more worthwhile. ThePower Stars inSuper Mario 64are used to unlock new levels, but inA Short Hike, the equivalent gold feathers improve the player’s stamina meter. This in turn allows players to complete objectives that were impossible before, as well as travel to areas that were previously inaccessible. This makes collecting the gold feathers inA Short Hikesupremely rewarding, and in general, the game is constantly showering players with rewards, which helps make it a blast to play through from start to finish.
A Short Hikeis out now for PC and Nintendo Switch.
