It's rare for a pixel art throwback to really wow me these days, but a hybrid action-JRPG where you collect magical octopus friends to cast spells might just fit the bill
There are so many indie throwbacks to old Nintendo consoles these days, it takes a lot of juice for one to really catch my eye, but Game Boy Advance-style RPG Tako no Himitsu: Ocean of Secrets (previously reported on by Rock Paper Shotgun) looks like it has the right stuff. Tako no Himitsu (literally "Secret of the Octopus") has particularly gorgeous art, as well as soundtrack contributions from GBA and SNES vets Motoi Sakuraba (Golden Sun, Dark Souls) and Masanori Hikichi (Terranigma, Danganropa 2).
Tako no Himitsu comes out of the gate with a generously long demo covering the intro sequences of two members of a planned six-character ensemble cast—it seems like the game's taking a page from Live a Live or Octopath Traveler with how our heroes come together, with each one getting their own spotlight introductory sequence and less emphasis on a single one of them as the protagonist. It took me about 45 minutes to finish just one character in Tako no Himitsu's demo on Steam.
And what's here is really interesting mechanically: Tako no Himitsu feels a lot like Secret of Mana, with real time combat and light puzzle solving mixed up with a tactical menu where you select special moves and spells tied to magical octopi you collect throughout the story. The little buddies can be mixed and matched with different party members to unlock synergies and combos, but in the demo portion I played I was limited to a projectile attack and enemy scan. The octopus system's finishing touch is a home base fountain where your little guys hang out, and you can take care of the critters to build up your bond with them—it reminds me a lot of the Chao Garden from Sonic Adventure 2.
My favorite thing here is definitely the aesthetic. Tako no Hitsume really nails the soft lines and vibrant colors of GBA pixel art, and the sound effects also have a distinctly GBA je ne sais quoi that I dig. The soundtrack from Sakuraba, Hikichi, and lead composer Anotine Archer, meanwhile, is just lovely, the sort of thing to really evoke a long car ride sat in the back seat playing Golden Sun.
Tako no Himitsu has already passed its initial funding goal on Kickstarter, but you still have 27 days to back the game if you're interested, and lead developer Christophe Galati is aiming for a 2026 release window. You can also check out Tako no Himitsu's demo for yourself and wishlist the game on Steam.