Even with a couple of slightly less than positive reviews behind it, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker still looks set to start 2015 in the best possible fashion.
It was Giant Bomb and GamesRadar who weren’t entirely sold on the Super Mario 3D World spin-off. “I consistently enjoyed my time with Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, but I frequently questioned the value component of this package†said Giant Bomb, and that was despite the $40/£30 price tag. GamesRadar felt the same way: “What would be a budget eShop no-brainer is a little too slight at a higher priceâ€.
Plenty of other critics agreed that it’s a little light on content. Curiously though, some reported that they found themselves returning to it once completed to track down collectables they’d missed, while other critics claimed that there’s no reason whatsoever to return.
Another common complaint was that it would have better suited to the 3DS. “Not only would the bite-sized levels work well on the handheld, but the cube chunk worlds would shine in 3D†said VideoGamer.
Here’s a full review round-up:
9.0 – GameTrailers: “It’s a rewarding game that constantly revs up the creativity and challenge to keep you addicted while also throwing in a decent amount of extras to bring you back for seconds”
9/10 – Shacknews: “It shows a purity of puzzle design that few studios can match, and it wraps it all in a sugary-sweet presentation that only the most jaded could refuse”
9/10 – Nintendo World Report: “If you manage to track down this game, you’ll have a real treasure on your hands”
9/10 – Post Arcade: “But when you’ve grown tired of walloping Kirby for the bajillionth time in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and have had your fill of zipping around Rainbow Road on Link’s bike in Mario Kart 8, remember that there’s a truly special puzzle platformer waiting to be played in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker”
4.5/5 – US Gamer: “Treasure Tracker may be relatively budget-priced, but it doesn’t feel like a cheap, throwaway creation”
85/100 – GamesBeat: “I’m not sure any other big, triple-A publisher would try making a game like this, but I’m very glad that Nintendo did”
8.5 – Polygon “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”
8.25 – GameInformer: “Toad doesn’t jump, he doesn’t attack, and he doesn’t make use of any power ups (aside from a short-lived pickaxe) and yet Nintendo extracts more entertainment from this character’s simple gameplay concepts than I thought possible”
8.2 – IGN: “Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is one of the smartest, most charming puzzle games of 2014”
8/10 – Digital Spy: “After the likes of Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros and Bayonetta 2, it ends a great year for Wii U owners in North America, and while European fans have to wait until January 2, consider this a terrific start to 2015”
8/10 – Nintendo Life: “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”
8/10 – Destructoid: “There’s more Nintendo could have done with it, but it is a puzzler in its purest form, and that will be more than enough for people who wanted more of the titular hero after playing the bonus games in 3D World”
8/10 – EGM: “While Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker certainly succeeds brilliantly in most of its puzzle-platforming endeavors, it does feel slightly short in the end, and a fussy camera can sabotage sequences that require quick actions and quick decisions. It’s clear the concept has a ton of potential even after this, though, so let’s hope this isn’t a one-off adventure for our diminutive mushroom hero”
8/10 – God is a Geek: “Treasure Tracker does enough to justify its existence, offering up a short campaign that, once finished, offers scant reason to come back again unless you’re in love with it. It’s a gorgeous game, as you’d expect, and for the entire run-time it’s fun, delivering that visual flair and level design that it seems only Nintendo are truly capable of providing”
4/5 – Joystiq: “I’d initially judged Treasure Tracker as a pleasant but temporary distraction, but I continued playing even after I’d completed every level, and I’m still working on rounding up the collectibles I missed the first time around. Treasure Tracker may be small in stature, but it’s packed with depth and detail”
7/10 – VideoGamer: “Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is exactly what it needed to be: a simple, fun and engaging experience that maintains its base competencies throughout. It’s a one-trick pony, but it’s a neat gimmick and one that didn’t get old in my time with the game”
3/5 GamesRadar: “While it’s good to see Nintendo stepping out of its Mario comfort zone, Captain Toad just isn’t versatile enough to compete in the big leagues. What would be a budget eShop no-brainer is a little too slight at a higher price”
3/5 – Giant Bomb: “I consistently enjoyed my time with Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, but I frequently questioned the value component of this package. At $40, the offering does feel a bit slim”
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is due out 2nd January in Europe.