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Review: Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker makes for one of the most enjoyable platformers on Wii U.

By Jack Taylor – 23 March 2015
Reviewed on Wii U (code provided)

Admit it: this was your highlight of E3 2014. Who needs Smash Bros. and amiibo when you've got something this cute? Why bother with Splatoon and Mario Maker when the Toad Brigade is back together once again? If we're honest, the announcement of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker blew them all out of the water in the way that only the biggest and best of surprises can manage. We've all loved Captain Toad ever since he formed his loyal Toad Brigade in Super Mario Galaxy, and the Captain Toad levels in Super Mario 3D World had everyone screaming for the little captain to be given his very own game. Well, it's happened. Are you happy? You should be: you'd be hard pressed to find this much cute in a single game.

The premise of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is very simple and is based, as we've already alluded to, on the Captain Toad levels seen in Super Mario 3D World. In those levels, Captain Toad started at one point on a block-based level and was tasked with collecting all the Green Stars in the level before getting to the end point. This time around, your task is to collect the solitary Power Star in each level, while also trying to collect three precious jewels along the way. Once you've collected the Power Star for the first time, you'll also be told about that level's special task, so it might take you a couple of additional tries at completing this as well. These can range from collecting a certain number of coins to defeating or avoiding enemies; some tasks are relatively easy while others will take time and concentration, not to mention a fair bit of investigating.

The story behind Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker follows the good Captain on his travels with Toadette. One day, the pair stumble upon a Power Star, but as they grab it, so too does a giant bird called Wingo; unfortunately for Toadette, she gets taken away along with the Power Star, leaving Captain Toad to head out on an adventure to find Wingo, save Toadette, and collect the Power Star. The story is simple, yet understated, and regular nods to it during the adventure make sure that it's present while still allowing the gameplay to take the reigns throughout the game. There are more than 70 unique levels in Treasure Tracker; these are split up into episodes and offer a huge amount of scope for adventuring and replayability.

Captain Toad can't jump - his backpack's far too heavy for that - and he can't attack enemies, although he can pull turnips out of the ground to throw at them or bump them on the head from above. You're able to take a single hit, which turns you into Small Captain Toad, though you can power up again if you can find a Super Mushroom. Every level has coins to collect alongside the three jewels and the Power Star, and as always in Mario games, collecting 100 coins in a level - a feat you won't always be able to accomplish - will award you an extra life. You can also pick up an extra life by collecting a 1-Up Mushroom in another nod to tradition, while the occasional coin rush level - these appear randomly when you find a gold ticket on the level select screen - will give you the chance to collect a few hundred coins, and thus several lives, in one go.

While many levels might seem simple and relatively uncomplicated at first glance, a quick look around with the easy-to-use camera will reveal much more than you could originally see. This gives you an ideal opportunity to consider the best path to take and how to go about collecting each of the jewels and a few coins along the way as well. You control the camera using the right control stick on the Wii U GamePad, and you can zoom in or out with a single button press. Controlling the camera will very quickly become second nature, as you'll be using it throughout each level to continuously check the environment; this is particularly helpful in levels where you can move blocks and obstacles, since what might seem like a simple block movement can actually uncover something unexpected, like a hidden jewel or a Golden Mushroom worth a handy 50 coins.

Many of the game's levels follow a very similar design pattern; much like the Captain Toad levels in Super Mario 3D World, they're usually isometric in at least some form of their design, with the Power Star in clear sight somewhere in the level. While your starting point and the location of the Power Star might both be obvious to you, Treasure Tracker is not about the destination so much as it's about the journey, and every journey you take in the game is going to be very interesting. Despite most levels making use of the same isometric framework, every single level is completely unique, and the locations used are all going to be very familiar to anyone who's played a recent Mario platformer. There are beaches, forests, lava pits, and even ghost houses throughout the adventure, all of which feature the same recognisable enemies and environments you've come to expect from them in recent years.

Not only does Treasure Tracker retain many recognisable elements from Mario's own 3D platformers, but it also brings with it a considerable sense of enjoyment. There's a feeling that you'll find when playing this game that doesn't happen very often: Treasure Tracker is, quite simply, a wonderfully charming and lovely experience. Its pair of lovable protagonists probably help the cause there a little bit, but the way in which the game has been designed only seeks to boost that experience further. You'll use the Wii U GamePad in various ways throughout the game - for example, using it as a first-person camera to shoot turnips at blocks and enemies - and these often add even more enjoyment to the game. You can use the touch screen to reveal hidden coins, and you can blow into the microphone to give you a glimpse of more hidden secrets in each level. In fact, even with the TV screen on, you might find yourself drawn to the GamePad screen more often than not, and we're still trying to figure out why that happens. We can only assume it's some form of wonderful witchcraft.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is one of the most understated games Nintendo has produced in quite some time. From the simplistic title screen to the light-hearted story - not to mention the cute little noises Captain Toad and Toadette make as they shuffle along - there are absolutely no airs and graces here. It's small and probably not the centre of attention at any given time, but it's absolutely beautiful regardless, and the pull you'll feel to replay its best levels over and over again guarantee that nothing about the game is short. It has more than 70 excellent levels with plenty to find and numerous challenges to complete, and while it's fun to watch, it has to be played to be truly experienced for what it is: a uniquely wonderful and enjoyable game.

Verdict: Very Good

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker