GameSided Game of the Year 2014 | Rebekah’s Picks

9 – Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Japan Review / Final Score Review

This adorable little puzzle game won my heart over easily with its fun gameplay, low stakes, and cute protagonists. Though by no means a brain-breaking challenge of a game, playing Captain Toad is more like doing a jigsaw puzzle on a Sunday afternoon. Completing each level is easy. Collecting all the secrets requires a bit more mental muscle, clever use of the game’s camera, and good timing.

What I loved the most about this game was the unique gameplay. Each normal level presented an interesting challenge, and then there were special levels: minecarts and turnip throwing, one where you had to team up with a mirror image of yourself to solve puzzles, and the “boss battles” which involved quick-thinking and precise timing as you tried to escape the level and collect all the treasure. Captain Toad also makes good use of the GamePad. You can play the game separately without the TV if you’re on the go, and some levels use it in special ways for added gameplay mechanics.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is good, silly fun. It’s a game I’ll come back to in short bursts again and again, and I hope they make more of them.

Next: #8 Sees Nintendo Return To Their Platforming Basics