Save me Mr Tako: Tasukete Tako-San Reviews
There's so much about Mr Tako that shines that even the few bits that are difficult or feel unfair can be easily overcome by just taking that part a little slower.
Save Me Mr. Tako is a lovingly crafted throwback to the days of the Game Boy. While we found some rough spots with the lack of side quest tracking and ropey collision detection, they weren't enough to take away from our overall enjoyment of the game. Tako is a lovable character in a quality platformer that would have been right at home on the system it pays homage to. If you love the Game Boy - flaws and all - then you'll absolutely adore this game.
Save me Mr Tako successfully apes a period of gaming history, but I just wish it had shed a few of the more tiresome tropes from that time. If you're part of the niche audience that this is catering to, you'll find a fun romp down what feels like memory lane. For everyone else, I'd proceed with caution.
If you’re looking for a truly authentic retro experience, then you can’t go wrong with Save Me Mr. Tako! just keep in mind that it even comes with the negatives of that age of games. Despite those shortcomings though, it’s a charming romp through and through.
Under its good looks as a true Game Boy hommage, Save me Mr Tako only delivers the bare minimum : its uninspired level design sometimes try to hide a story which you should not give too much attention to. Save me Mr Tako is simply way too classical to face the strong opponents it has to face.
Review in French | Read full review
Save me Mr. Tako! is a contemporary tribute to the Game Boy made with today's resources and with all the advantages that implies. That being said, and for all its qualities, its controls generate unnecessary frustration, the game's difficulty feels out of place and the levels need more inspiration but there is no doubt Save me Mr. Tako! has a character of its own for those willing to explore it.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
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As charming as it may appear, Save me Mr. Tako never convinced me it was being genuine. Barebones level design, poor writing, and frustrating design choices make this overly-sweet experience nauseating.
Save Me Mr. Tako is a decent 2D platformer with some great presentation and a loving throwback to the 2D platformers of the 90s, but unfortunately feels a bit too frustrating to enjoy for long periods of time.
Save Me Mr Tako is a pleasant game with interesting dungeons and puzzles. The overall atmosphere to the game is a nice tribute to the original Game Boy.
I honestly really like a lot of things about Save Me Mr Tako. It’s got great graphics, tight controls, and a fantastic story. But its unfortunate design missteps make it difficult to recommend to a general audience.
Save Me Mr. Tako! is a wonderful title that holds all the qualities that made the old-school retro Gameboy games what they were. The monochromatic visuals and retrograde audio tie the whole ensemble together in this call back to an older era of games. Yet, frustrating and drab level design act as a counterweight to all the positives the game has to offer. The fun factor is just a bit lacking as a result.
One-hit kills, extra life limits, infrequent checkpoints, and overlong, excessively-difficult dungeons make this tribute to the Game Boy more frustrating than fun.
The charming Game Boy style sprites can only go so far until all that is left is a very mundane platformer. Forgettable at worst, but mostly just extremely bland, Save me Mr. Tako fails to hit that sweet spot where retro and forward-thinking game design collide. Anyone who might be interested in this would be better off downloading actual Game Boy titles off the 3DS' Virtual Console eShop, as this is sadly not as exciting as the older games it apes from, and is an imitation from somebody's memory of the quaintness of those titles. The reality is that the 'real deal' is still out there, and is still fun to play. Don't settle for this hollow interpretation.
I am thrilled to have completed what I can safely say is one of the most challenging video games I have ever played. From now on, I'm no longer saying "the Dark Souls of." For me, it's "the Save me Mr Tako of," and this game is definitely the Save me Mr Tako of Game Boy inspired action-platformers.
You probably came for the retro nostalgia, but in Save me Mr Tako! you'll get something far more robust.
It is clear this is not a game for everyone, but it does have a charm for those who are looking for a hardcore retro platformer with some solid gameplay. The flaws don't really hold back from letting you enjoy a decent experience with some nice old schools visuals to go with it.
Gliding around while shooting ink to turn enemies into platforms is indeed fun but Save me Mr Tako: Tasukete Tako-San is still an old-school 2D platformer that could have done much more to stand out in such a crowded genre.
Save me Mr Tako! often improves on its inspirations as well. It plays like Kirby, but offers a longer quest and an admirably meatier challenge. It has the kid-rescuing angle of Moonwalker but without being clumsy and awkward. The story and character dialog feel balanced between the simple localizations of the Game Boy era and the recent trend of quippy writing in modern retro indies. For me, Save me Mr Tako! is a case of tough love. There’s so much to admire, but it can often be cruel to get through. If you’re down for a retro tough love letter, dive right in where it’s wetter and see if things are better.
Save Me Mr Tako is a lovingly crafted Gameboy nostalgia trip that plays great and is a fun adventure to take part in. While newer players may find the archaic design detrimental, fans of original Gameboy titles will find plenty to love here.