Toki Tori (Nintendo Switch) Indie One Shot

 

Does this game look and sound familiar? Well, it's only almost two decades old, at least in it's original form. Toki Tori first made it's way onto the GameBoy Color in the latter half of 2001. Yeah, it's been around a bit. What's even cooler though is that a number of years ago, the GBC version was released on the 3DS's virtual console, and around that time Two Tribes had sent out a Tweet on the progress of their remaster (this version). Their dev team? Engine Software, a team comprised of members that originally had worked on a game called Eggbert which itself was the game that had inspired the original Toki Tori. So, with this one hitting the eShelves, it all comes full circle in a really cool way.

Enough backstory though. We're here to talk about the game in its new, crisp, smooth gorgeous form. But, for those who never got to experience the original, here's what you need to know. Toki Tori is the star of show, which begins in a chicken coop with a lot of unhatched eggs. Out of nowhere, all the eggs are swept away, save one which falls, hatches, and out comes our titular character.

From here, Toki Tori watches as all the other eggs float away to a nearby scary castle. Feeling brave, he decides to set out on an adventure towards the castle to rescue and return all the other eggs. Except...he can't fly. Which is where you come in, with his brain and your guidance, what could go wrong?!

Toki can only walk in one direction or the other in this 2D platforming puzzler. Luckily, if he walks off a ledge he can flap just enough to guarantee landing safely. However, its crossing gaps and climbing upwards that can become quite tricky. He has several abilities, though, which will more than aid him on his quest.

To cross gaps, you can simply lay a plank down between two platforms creating a small bridge. You can even place one of these hanging off just one ledge if it means giving yourself a safe place to land below. He also can teleport short distances, coming in handy if there are barricades to bust through. Toki also gets a freeze gun which will shoot out some cold energy and create a block of ice out of whatever it hits, giving you your only active chance at stopping enemies. Traps can be laid for ghosts which create openings in the floor below, and bricks can be moved behind you opening up pathways that were otherwise blocked off.

Each level your task is simple...well in theory at least. There will be a number of eggs scattered throughout, and you have to retrieve all of them. You'll need to work your way around all the ladders, drops, gaps and enemies to do so. Nothing less than retrieving all the eggs will get you onto the next level. That is, except for the Wildcard. You get only one of these, and it can be used to "skip" a level. Why only one? It's your one allowed "gimme" in the game, and if you want the card back you'll have to return to the level on which you used it, beat the level yourself, then the card will be yours again.

Toki Tori is a lot of fun. I personally never got to experience the original on GBC, but having played this I really want to go back and play it. In this form, its very entertaining. After a few levels, the game starts ramping up the difficulty on you in small but definitely noticeable ways. Yet, it still keeps it light enough to be fun and enjoyable. Again, I can't compare this game to it's original, but this one is most certainly worth the under $5 price tag.

However, what I can do is tell you more about it's sequel, Toki Tori 2+, which will be my next review in the coming days on here, so stay tuned!

Rating : 8/10
Developed By : Engine Software
Published By : Two Tribes