Reviews

Move over, Mario

Super Mario 3D World is a near perfect video game with a variety of imaginative levels starring everyone’s favourite plumber and his buddies. While transforming into a cat and hitting Bowser where it hurts left us immensely satisfied, we had a soft spot for Captain Toad’s Adventures, bite sized levels starring the vertically challenged explorer on the hunt for green stars. These stages not only provided a break from Mario’s platform antics, they were also genuinely fun to play. The only downside? There were a handful of puzzles to complete. If only Nintendo created a standalone video game wholly devoted to the concept!

Either fans willed it into existence or the big N had it mind all along, because Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is here and will put plenty of smiles on Wii U owners’ faces.

Let’s go on an adventure

In case you somehow missed Super Mario 3D World, each Captain Toad level is an expertly crafted diorama, a cube that you’re able to manipulate using the analog stick to get a better view, thus allowing you to safely guide Captain Toad past hazards while discovering solutions to each puzzle. Nintendo applied this formula to Treasure Tracker with delightful results. Levels contain collectible Power Stars and Super Gems often tucked away in hard to reach places. You guide Captain Toward toward these items while rotating the cube to see what lies ahead, be it traps, a plethora of enemies (Goombas of course, but also Shy Guys and other baddies from the Mario universe) and other cool things. Later, you’ll even hop into a mine cart and navigate Toad along a rickety track.

Whereas Mario and Luigi jump all over the place, Toad remains firmly on the ground. In fact, his heavy backpack prevents him from jumping altogether, so you can forget about leaping over dangerous lava and other hazards. You’ll have to use your brain and whatever Nintendo put within the environment, be it switches that activate levers, or turnips Toad pulls up from the ground and throws at his adversaries, which seems like a cool throwback to the NES classic, Super Mario Bros. 2.

Small levels with big rewards

Providing you played Captain Toad’s Adventures and were left wanting more, Treasure Tracker comes with over 70 stages to complete, set in a handful of interesting environments. In addition to a Magma world, you’ll explore a Water Park, Ruins and our personal favourite, a Haunted Mansion, complete with those iconic Boos that cover up their eyes the moment Toad looks in their direction. We’ve always loved these spooky boards in the Mario universe, and they seem even more appropriate in Captain Toad, as Nintendo was able to break everything into smaller chunks overflowing with personality and secrets to unlock.

In all fairness we didn’t find the game to be extremely difficult, but you may scratch your head attempting to uncover the best ways to finish a tricky level. For example, you may need to track down a Super Pickaxe to break through the floor, or a Double Cherry to clone Captain Toad, with the goal of positioning both characters on switches at the same time. The latter also appears in Super Mario 3D World, and similarities don’t stop there. Having a 3D World save file on your Wii U automatically unlocks bonus stages based on that game; if not, beat Captain to gain access to these levels.

Toad and Toadette never looked better

Thankfully, Treasure Tracker is just as much fun to look at as it is to play. Toad and his playable companion Toadette are adorable, no question, but the game has an impressively high level of polish carried over from Super Mario 3D World. Not only does the title look bright and cheery throughout, you’ll also notice blades of grass moving in the wind, a trail of dust Toad leaves behind as he sprints and plenty of other cute little touches that add a huge dose of personality to the adventure. If anything, it’s yet another example of Nintendo’s ability to get the most from its hardware, and you could make the argument that Treasure Tracker deserves its spot amongst the prettiest games for any platform.

Touchscreen troubles, but you can’t slow a good Toad down

While it’s difficult to find much wrong with this game, we didn’t prefer using the GamePad to interact with the environments. Considering how well everything works with the analog sticks and physical buttons, having to switch to the touchscreen is slightly bothersome. However, this is a small issue with an otherwise stellar effort.

On that note, we think every Nintendo fan should make Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker the newest game in their Wii U collections. Charming, gorgeous and so much fun to play, it’s the perfect compliment to Super Mario 3D World. Perhaps most importantly, Toad finally receives his own game and there’s planned amiibo support! Will there be a Captain Toad amiibo coming to stores? That alone should pique your interest.

GAME's Verdict: 9/10

The Good

• Over 70 levels full of secrets and collectibles.
• Outstanding visuals and characters so cute you’ll melt.
• Easy to learn controls for players of all ages.

The Bad

• GamePad interactions feel unnecessary.