Captain Toad Treasure Tracker Review

Captain Toad Treasure Tracker

Release: January 1, 1970
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Action, Platformer, Switch Reviews
PEGI: E
Comments:

 

Comment

When Captain Toad first launched on the Nintendo Wii U back in 2014, it received the utmost praise from most major outlets, our included, but that wasn’t enough to get people to buy the game. And in reality, that wasn’t the games fault, but rather, the lack of Nintendo Wii U systems in the wild. Fast forward to 2018, and with the popularity of the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo was giving Captain Toad a second lease on life. Was it worth playing again? Has anything really changed? Let’s dive in!

A lot of this review will rehash things written in our original review of the game in 2014. The gameplay itself remains unchanged, outside of how you interact with the environments – Wii Motion Controller versus Joy-Con – but otherwise, it is all pretty much the same. Drop to the bottom to get our new thoughts on the changes to the Switch version!

Getting Around in Captain Toad

Captain Toad is all about giving you the freedom to maneuver the camera around the level to find each and every collectible item. This can all be done even before you move Toad since the game doesn’t give you a time limit you need to beat. It’s great having the ability to fully understand the level, attempt to locate the collectibles, all before you begin attempting to complete it. This doesn’t work on every level, but does on many.

Take note, however, that Toad and Toadette lack the basic adventurer skills. There is no jumping and no physical attacking in this game, so be prepared to sneak past enemies or find those elusive hammers and wreak havoc on the world around you. The lack of a specific attack button will, more than likely, be the biggest challenge for most players to overcome.

Captain Toad is a puzzle game where some aspects of the level are not as they first appear. A certain area of the map appears easily accessible, but often will require a bit more thought – and camera moving – to find the exact way through the maze. The controls are simple enough that I would classify this as an instant pick-up-and-play experience.

So Much to Love!

Captain Toad is cute and charming. If you weren’t a big fan of Toad and Toadette before now, you will be after you play. So will the rest of your family, young and old alike. Why? Well, this game is not very complicated, and therefore, there is potential for mass appeal. There is even a little carryover from previous Mario Wii U games, so there is that familiarity for fans of that title as well. Add to that the inclusion of Super Mario Odyssey levels, and Captain Toad is as relevant as ever before.

As the first in a hopefully long franchise, getting the core game play is the priority; Nintendo definitely delivers that, regardless of any camera control issues I have. The game offers a fair bit of replay-ability as players traverse the level again and again attempting to collect the three gems, golden mushroom or some other task, and the final star. The secondary objectives are also great additions, although the challenge of the game ramps up significantly when attempting to complete some of them.

Worth It Again on Nintendo Switch?

For the few who have played Captain Toad in the past – me included – the question becomes whether or not to buy it again on Nintendo Switch. From one system to another, not a lot has changed in this game, and if you remember all the puzzles and tasks from your first experience, I’m not sure there is much of a reason to play it again, outside of perhaps tackling the new Super Mario Odyssey levels, of which there are 4.

That being said, it has been 4 years since the first iteration of this game launched, and jumping back into it for myself was a mixture of familiarity and challenge that I don’t remember experiencing before. With dozens upon dozens of levels to complete, there is still tons of game play here, even for those dipping their toes in the water a second time.

Another great inclusion in the Switch release was the ability to play with two players. While one player will do the majority of the work – that is maneuvering toad around the levels – the other player can move objects, throw turnips, and stun enemies by using the on screen cursor. Doing this with my wife made some of the levels much to easy, but it was very enjoyable with my two young sons.

Conclusion

You’d be silly to not play Captain Toad at least once, and I’d even highly recommend it for those who played the original release on Nintendo Wii U. There is too much charm here to not take the game for a spin. At the least, Switch owners should be looking at the demo available in the eShop for this title. Whether you’ve played Captain Toad before, or are coming in as a brand new player, there isn’t a lot to dislike about this rerelease!

Trailer