There are so many indie throwbacks to old Nintendo consoles these days that it takes a lot of power to make one really catch my eye, but Game Boy Advance-style RPG Tako no Himitsu: Ocean of Secrets (which Rock Paper Shotgun has previously covered) seems to have just the thing. Tako no Himitsu (literally “Secret of the Octopus”) has particularly beautiful graphics, as well as soundtrack contributions from GBA and SNES veterans Motoi Sakuraba (Golden Sun, Dark Souls) and Masanori Hikichi (Terranigma, Danganropa 2).
Tako no Himitsu launches with a generously lengthy demo that includes the introduction sequences of two members of a planned ensemble of six characters – it seems like the game will take a cue from Live a Live or Octopath Traveler in terms of how our heroes come together, with each getting their own introduction sequence in the spotlight and one of them less prominent as a protagonist. It took me about 45 minutes to play through just one character in Tako no Himitsu’s demo on Steam.
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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 with a tactical menu where you choose special moves and spells tied to magical octopuses 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 an enemy scan. The finishing touch to the octopus system is a home well where your little guys hang out, and you can tend to the critters to build 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 smooth lines and bright colors of GBA pixel art, and the sound effects have a distinctly GBA feel as well. that certain something I like that. The soundtrack by Sakuraba, Hikichi and lead composer Anotine Archer is just wonderful, the kind of thing that really reminds you of a long car ride in the back seat while playing Golden Sun.
Tako no Himitsu has already surpassed its original 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 the Tako no Himitsu demo for yourself and wishlist the game on Steam.
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