Sequel Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince from Castle Pixel and Playtonic Friends is ready to go on Nintendo Switch. Learn more in our Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince review!

 

Sequel Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince from Castle Pixel and Playtonic Friends is ready to go on Nintendo Switch. It follows up on what Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King set up as a foundation, improving and expanding on the formula. The series, which pays homage to the excellent The Legend of Zelda series, is presented as a set of stories told by Grandpa to his grandchildren. For the sequel, the story that Grandpa is telling is set hundreds of years after The Sleeping King, and it focuses on how the evil Minotaur King has been woken up from his slumber.

This time around, Lily – aka, the series female version of Link, the hero that is always at the center of the Blossom Tales chronicles – must take on a new adventure to defeat the Minotaur King before it’s too late. Why? Because the Minotaur King was released because of a fight between Lily and her brother Chrys, during which Lily accuses Chrys of cheating. Why? Because he feigned being hurt, only to then attack Lily while she was trying to help him. Lily then wishes that the Minotaur King would come back to life and take far, far away. Oh, and yeah, Lily and Chrys are also the names of the kids to whom Grandpa is telling this new story.

 

Your journey begins during the morning of the Minotaur Moon Festival when Chrys and Lily set out to complete the different activities for the celebration. This first segment reminded me of the excellent Chrono Trigger and its fair introduction sequence, and it will serve as the tutorial for Blossom Tales II. To be able to participate in the tournament in honor of the mighty heroes who fought and defeated the Minotaur King, you’re going to have to get your hands on at least five Minotaur coins!

If you played Blossom Tales and want the controls for Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur King to feel more familiar, you have the option of customizing what each button does. If you go with the default controllers, you’ll control Lily with the left analog stick or the D-Pad, attacking with her sword with the B button, which is also used for interacting with characters or objects. She can roll with the X or ZR buttons to avoid enemies and their attacks. Just be sure to keep an eye on your stamina bar! As for the items in your equipment, they can be mapped to the Y and A buttons to be used as needed. And if you’re ever feeling a bit lost, be sure to open up your map with the – button so that you can see where you need to be headed.

 

You’ll start with your trusty sword and shield combo, so you’ll be able to attack enemies and block incoming attacks. Lily has a huge inventory that is split into items and equipment, so you’ll certainly find a better weapon than your starting sword. Maybe a bow would help you rescue Chrys? Your sword won’t be able to damage ghosts, but if you get your hands on a lantern, you’ll be able to make the ghosts go away as you light your path. You might also be able to use the lantern to light up lamps to solve a puzzle or two.

There are many items to collect, such as red mushrooms, clovers, tulips, apples, and more. You will be able to use these items to brew potions as long as you find the right recipe and have an empty bottle to spare. These items could also be traded with Stan to gain a heart piece since Stan does not take coins as payment – coins are heavy and cumbersome! But worry not because coins still have a place in Blossom Tales II, and you can use them to purchase things such as an empty bottle or a small energy crystal. Who knows, coins might help you get that final heart piece you need to complete an extra heart to boost your overall health!

 

As you progress through the story of Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur King, Grandpa, Lily, and Chrys will interject with some commentary, sometimes even deciding what Lily is about to face! The earliest example of this is during the Minotaur Moon Festival, where you’re asked to choose between fighting against a swordsman and a knight since they think that Grandpa’s original “Lily will now go up against the mailman” line. You might run into a troll on a bridge and will be asked to decide between fighting it or helping it by going on a sidequest to collect a special item.

I had a lot of fun with Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King, so I was looking forward to its sequel… and it certainly delivers! The team at Castle Pixel has improved on the prequel by expanding things here and there, making some changes to the base formula while providing an experience that some might say is “more of the same,” but with a game like Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King as its blueprint, more of the same is not a bad thing. You’re looking at spending around 8-12 hours with this one depending on how much exploring you do and your experience with the genre. Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince is out on Nintendo Switch with a $14.99 asking price.

Disclaimer
This Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by Playtonic Friends.