I was not ready for this game to hit me the way it did. In fact, about five years ago, I played the first game in this series while on vacation and although I found it to be fun, clever and humorous, it did not make much of an impression beyond that (which is why I did not and will not review it separately). This year, I decided to play the sequel as a sort of anniversary, but while my impressions of the original carry over, this game is so much more heartfelt with a genuine message; to wit, I got a little verklempt whilst playing it.
First, I should point out... well, something that should be obvious: the Blossom Tales games are Zelda parodies! While the aesthetic is primarily reminiscent of Minish Cap, there are many other zeldavania elements that are present from all eras of the games [spoiler] (even from Breath of the Wild in the form of a sword that cannot be drawn from its stone without enough hearts as it damages you when this is attempted) [/spoiler]. The point that I want to make is that these games are not trying to steal from the aforementioned series in bad faith; rather, they are self-aware and poking light-hearted fun at the tropes while providing a nostalgic retro gaming experience at the same time, replacing a green-tunic fairy-boy with the cutest knight-girl in a blue dress that you ever did see and items such as the magic flippers and hookshot replaced with floaty water-wings and a magic yoyo respectively.
There are some important differences though. First of all, I like how almost every special item you use is connected to your stamina bar: instead of managing individual numbers of bombs, arrows and deku whatnots, all of them just take away stamina when used, which recharges on its own over time, removing the need to farm for magic jars. Second, the consumable potions that require (big surprise) bottles, are concocted through an alchemy system which requires you to find ingredients in the environment and recipes from friendly witches to create. Finally, there seems to be a very high limit to the number of coins (instead of rupies) that you can hold, eliminating the need for “wallet” upgrades to avoid waste. Also, as an angler IRL, I always enjoy fishing side quests in games. But I think the best part of the game is how the action is framed as a story being told to a pair of children by their grandpa reminiscent of The Princess Bride. I think it was pure genius to use a cut scene thereof to help remind us where we are in the game whenever we continue our save. I also love the way the kids interrupt the story to argue about how it should go, making not only for some great comedy, but for some interesting branching of the story as the old man tries to appease them. [spoiler] For example, will our hero ride a majestic horse as the boy suggests or a wily pig that is more the girl’s taste? You get to decide! [/spoiler]
But it is specifically in this aspect that the second game substantially improves on the first. Whereas the first game seems to be the grandpa simply trying to entertain the kids, the second sees him using the same kind of story to teach them a lesson about the important duties that are owed to family, and along with aspects previously discussed, adds a surprisingly deep and sincere meditation on sibling rivalry and how the animosity it creates can be overcome. The expression of this is incredibly sweet, especially given the subtly ominous nature of the minotaur villains (compare the themes from this game to those of the original Greek epic of Theseus, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth film and the Judeo-Christian mythology surrounding Moloch). This depth and heart makes it exceptional among video game parodies!
So if all of this sounds good, you may be thinking that you should only be playing this game as opposed to the first in the series; I would not recommend this! So much of the game hits better, both comically and emotionally, if you have played the first one: being familiar with its style of parody allows the heart of the sequel to shine through more spectacularly. Therefore, my suggestion is to wait for a sale, buy both games via the Bloomin’ Bundle, play them in order and thank me later... or maybe just buy them to support the devs and their unique brand of storytelling.
P.S. Pro Tip: [spoiler] Once you get to Periwinkle Woods, start fishing for the Moonglider ASAP, as this is one of the only areas they can be caught in and several of them are needed for trading and concocting Ghoulixer potions, without either of which, you cannot get all the hearts and energy crystals. [/spoiler]
