Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Reviews
'Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker' is bursting with charm and fun-filled puzzles, but it's a little light on content.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is one of the smartest, most charming puzzle games of 2014.
Perhaps aiming to satisfy a younger audience, Treasure Tracker prefers to drop in a colourful boss-fight or format-breaking set-piece than to push the puzzle designs as hard as they can go. Solving most of these levels is more a matter of following your nose than exercising your brain. Captain Toad also doesn't achieve as reliably perfect a synthesis of puzzle and platforming as Game Boy Donkey Kong did, occasionally failing to fully scratch either itch - though at other times it finds something truly original in the space between them. And there is always that moment when you load up a new level and spin it, beholding another perfect microcosm, made just for you. 18 years on from Super Mario 64, Nintendo's designers are still going further in their exploration of the third dimension than almost anyone else.
Treasure Tracker still feels close to unique, and gains new life on both of Nintendo's current systems. Switch is very much the better choice, but 3DS is by no means a bad option. Still smart, prettier than ever and, in retrospect, genuinely important as part of Nintendo's modern history, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a rare example of a game that actually feels better for being a few years old.
While it's good to see Nintendo stepping out of its comfort zone, Captain Toad isn't versatile enough to compete in the big leagues. It'd be a budget no-brainer, but feels too slight at a higher price.
Captain Toad's treasure laden levels are bite-sized, stress-free puzzles packed with surprises.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is bound to warm your heart and challenge your intellect.
For anybody else, Captain Toad's weird little experiment would be an afterthought. But Nintendo's exercise in digging has found something pretty special - an action puzzle game that succeeds on charm and smarts, rather than reflexes and spectacle.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker's clever puzzles and creative take on platforming remain great on Nintendo Switch.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker on Switch is a can't-miss Wii U port
The little mushroom man finally gets his name on the marquee, and the result is a charming, unique, and puzzle-heavy adventure.
It's a (mostly) polished, fun single-player game from Nintendo. Not a lot of those in a year of Kart and Smash.
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The beauty of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is that it never fails to be cute, clever and ever so slightly challenging all at once. It's absolutely clinical in its design from start to finish, boasting some of the most creative levels Nintendo has ever produced.
Just like his grand adventure, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is simply a delight to experience in the unique and puzzling world he explores.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a rare case of a game that feels truly designed — from the ground up — with the Wii U in mind. The GamePad is utilised just enough to be worthwhile without being a nuisance, and the only mis-step is that the difficulty later in the game can't be eased by assistance from a friend, parent or game-savvy son or daughter. That aside, it's relentlessly charming and joyous, and is another example of Nintendo's developers flexing their creative muscles along with game-making skill. There's nothing else like this on Wii U, and it's a welcome addition to the system's growing library.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a hidden gem from the Wii U era that's been given a new lease of life on the Nintendo Switch, and rightly so. New levels and fresh multiplayer are welcome inclusions but it's a bit of a shame that we've lost four levels as a result – and for no apparent reason. Still, all being said, this is a wonderful and gorgeous puzzler fit for all ages, and one which you should definitely experience if you're yet to.
If you own a Switch then there's no real decision to be made here: Captain Toad is still far and away better on Nintendo's latest system. That's not to say the 3DS version is a write-off, though, because that's far from the case. As seemingly one of the final few big-name releases for the system, Captain Toad pushes it to its limits to produce easily one of the best-looking 3DS games ever made. The 3DS may be preparing for retirement, but games like this are ensuring it's going out in a blaze of glory.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker most reminds me of the old Game Boy version of Donkey Kong (often called Donkey Kong '94). Both are spinoffs of other games that focus on small stages where you need to get to the end while collecting tough-to-get items.
If you've already played Captain Toad on the Wii U, there's not enough new content here to merit a repurchase — the Super Mario Odyssey levels are great, but you'll blow through them all in half an hour or less. I hope that Nintendo builds upon what's already here with additional DLC, as this is an enjoyable game with levels that are actually fun to replay a few times. After beating the game in several days, my only regret was not having even more puzzles to enjoy.