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 was A 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 Hike still 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.
As far as indie games go, A Short Hike is 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 like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Animal Crossing.
Here is why fans of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Animal Crossing should definitely check out A Short Hike on Switch.
Bite-Sized Breath of the Wild
It may not look like it on the surface, but A Short Hike actually has a lot in common with Nintendo's critically-acclaimed The 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 about Breath of the Wild is 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 in A Short Hike.
A Short Hike is not nearly as ambitious as Breath of the Wild in terms of scope, but it does play like a miniature version of that classic Zelda game. And with Breath of the Wild 2's release date nowhere in sight, A Short Hike could 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 Hike literally plays like a bite-sized Breath of the Wild, but the similarities between the games aren't as apparent with the tone, atmosphere, and art style. Instead of lifting more from Breath of the Wild in these departments, A Short Hike takes inspiration from a different Nintendo franchise: Animal Crossing.
In A 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 in A Short Hike largely comes from these conversations, with the game having some sharp, witty dialogue and funny characters that would all feel right at home in an Animal Crossing game.
Super Mario 64 Goals
A Short Hike is clearly inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Animal Crossing, but it also owes a debt to yet another big Nintendo title, and that's none other than Super Mario 64. Super Mario 64 pioneered 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 Hike feels very much like Super 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 Hike actually improves on the Super Mario 64 formula by making the special item players collect more worthwhile. The Power Stars in Super Mario 64 are used to unlock new levels, but in A 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 in A Short Hike supremely 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 Hike is out now for PC and Nintendo Switch.