‘Under The Island’ Looks Packed With Minish Cap-Style Charm In New Release Date Trailer

We first noticed Under The Island almost two years ago, when its debut trailer brought all kinds of happy memories from the glory days of GBA Zelda flooding back. This weekend, Top Hat Studios and Slime King Games showcased even more of their upcoming Minish Cap-like, and announced that it’ll arrive on Switch on 17th February.

As you’ll see in the above release date trailer (narrated by none other than our good friend Jon Cartwright, we might add), the GBA charm is strong with this one — that opening dungeon looks more than a little like Deepwood Shrine, no? But that’s not to say that it’s without interesting mechanics of its own.

The top-down adventure game sees you play as Nia, an intrepid explorer who sets out to save Seashell Island from its sinking fate. It’s got the usual block sliding and button pressing puzzles that we’d expect to see from a Zelda-like, but we’re also particularly interested in the ‘Treat Bag’ item that we spotted in the above trailer, which lets you befriend or otherwise utilise wild animals’ abilities to solve problems. Come on, who doesn’t like a smiling pixel art dog?

Here’s a rundown of the game’s key features and a handful of screenshots from its eShop listing:

DISCOVER THE LEGEND OF WHAT’S UNDER THE ISLAND!
Uncover a sinking mystery and step into the role of Nia, a newcomer to Seashell Island – and join forces with local girl Avocado to investigate an ominous fate – the island’s destined to sink beneath the ocean! Explore colorful regions, battle strange creatures, and uncover the ancient mysteries that could threaten your new home.

CLASSIC TOP-DOWN ADVENTURE
Journey across a lush island, brought to life with vibrant pixel art and timeless top-down exploration. Delve into hidden corners, uncover secrets, and face dangerous foes across diverse, interconnected biomes.

SIX DISTINCT REGIONS TO EXPLORE
From eerie sentient greenhouses, to frozen caverns, and chaotic sawmills, each biome holds its own dangers, upgrades, and treasures to uncover! Become the champion of the cook-off, reunite lost cats, and dodge the rage of the cereal pirates.

STRANGE ENEMIES & UNUSUAL TACTICS
Face off against vomiting eggplants, tunnelling wolves, and other bizarre creatures. Use artefacts, loot, and new abilities you discover to turn the tide of battle. Befriend animals and see if they can help you on your adventure – particularly if you give them treats!

A CAST OF MEMORABLE CHARACTERS
Meet the island’s quirky inhabitants, each with their own personality, story, and a role to play in your adventure. Forge friendships, lend a hand, and see how they can aid you in return.