Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is all collecting stars located at the end of stages to progress through the game, reach the game's later levels and eventually complete the game's campaign. There are plenty of coins, powerups and hidden gems to collect along the way though, and like most recent releases for the Super Mario Bros. franchise, a lot of the entertainment offered from the game comes from unlocking all of the secrets the game hides.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker can be described as similar to the indie game Fez, though Toad's heavy gear keeps the character from being able to jump throughout the new title. Players will interact with all sorts of items in order to defeat enemies, blow away walls that block the player's progress or perform some other objective. Players will use the Nintendo Wii U's gamepad to rotate the camera in the game and find different areas in the 3D world presented in the game as well. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker mixes the best parts of the platforming and puzzle genres to create a unique experience unlike any other.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker utilizes some great ideas such as twisting pipes, mine carts and some creative boss battles to make an entertaining experience for players, but not all of the ideas used in the game work as good as others. The game's use of the gamepad's gyroscope to move the in-game character is a nice idea in theory, but in execution, players can easily twist the camera to an obtrusive view on accident and lose a level because of the poor camera controls. Additionally, in-game menus make it difficult to cycle through levels to see what secrets remain locked after a player has completed the stage.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is the happy, fun tone the game exudes right from the get go. Players can experience the game as Toad or his sidekick Toadette. The cute characters have great animations that always portray the character's mood well to players and onlookers, and the same careful design is present in enemies and environments that players explore as well. Each new world feels drastically different from another, and the game rarely recycles pieces of levels in an effort to expand the game in an uncreative fashion.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker's charm makes its way into smaller areas of the game as well. Exploring the haunted house levels are a thrill thanks not only to the reactions from Toad and Toadette when facing off with undead enemies, but the game's lighting is fantastic and makes the illuminating rays from the character's headlamp really shine. Some of the more colorful stages look great too whether it's the neon lights of a pinball type level or disappearing blocks on rhythm based levels. The high quality graphical presentation Nintendo releases are known for definitely makes its way into the release of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a full fledged game available at a discounted price for Nintendo Wii U owners. A few issues keep the game from being as enjoyable as it could be, but Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a great choice for Nintendo Wii U owners all the same. The game is easily enjoyable for fans of the Super Mario Bros. franchise even though Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker does not share a whole lot of similar gameplay to the platformer franchise. Toad and Toadette are fantastic and completely lovable in their first starring role, and the characters nearly impossible not to smile while playing the game. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is out now exclusively for Nintendo Wii U.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is now available exclusively for Nintendo Wii U and can be purchased for $39.99. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is rated E by the ESRB for Mild Cartoon Violence. For more information on the game, check out the official Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker website.
Game Features:
- Single Player
- 60+ Levels
- Super Mario Bros. Inspired Characters and Worlds
- Tons of Optional Objectives and Hidden Secrets
- Amiibo Support
Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Nintendo
Available exclusively for Nintendo Wii U (reviewed)
Release Date: December 5, 2014
