Originally released for the WiiU, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is now back for a full release on the Switch. Even for diehard fans of any Mario character, Toad can’t be resisted. He also now has the option to add a friend to the game in order to find all of the treasures hidden in the numerous islands and landscapes.
As with any good plot, Toad and Toadette are mining and collecting treasure. Once they claim a Power Star, the bad Wingo comes and takes the star and Toadette. Toad goes to save Toadette and in and interesting turn of events finds himself in trouble. Eventually the two team up to confront and defeat Wingo but along the way they stop and collect many treasures to take with them. Playing has never been so much fun with the rotating view and moving traps.
As a demo, the game is very enticing. Since the levels are made as islands where players can rotate around, zoom in and out and interact with pieces of the island via the touch-pad, everything feels smooth. Levels are generally pretty easy to navigate but getting all of the gemstones can be a little bit more difficult. Some are hidden in caverns and hard to reach places (that may not be seen) so time and dedication is a must. Also having a friend join in on the radish pulling is helpful too with all of the bad guys hanging out. Just don’t forget that sometimes once a lever is pulled there is no way to go back. Strategy will play a big part in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker for the people that just have to collect everything.
Players get two hits total before they die. The first hit they become small and will need to find a way to grow in order to keep playing at a good pace. This is usually found by exploring the area for some type of mushroom. Once everyone is back in order, enemies become a lot less threatening. Some other items are hidden as well such as the pickaxe that allows players to dig certain areas and discover more hidden areas.
Visually the game is very nice to look at. We still get the bright colors and fun little cutscenes to enjoy as well as a closeup at what Toad and Toadette look like with their mining helmets, which is neat and different. Every interaction with enemies and items as well have a bright sparkling color palette and nice sound. For an adventure puzzle game, the music is exactly how it should be, quirky and somewhat upbeat.
Overall, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a fun quaint game that will keep you busy trying to get all of the pieces in order to keep progressing. The levels are generally pretty easy and fast to get through but stopping to enjoy the different landscapes is part of the fun.
8/10
Available on: Switch, 3DS on 7/13/2018
