GameSided Game of the Year 2014 | Honorable Mentions

16 – Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (13 points)

What a cute, fun way to spend several hours exploring puzzles in a mid-priced Nintendo game! Captain Toad abandons the jump mechanic known for several Mario games, and instead relies on camera manipulation in order to complete objectives and obtain power stars. The result; a rejuvenating take on spatial platforming in a 3D world that plays as light and comical as the series is known for.

In my review of the game, I wrote: “There are a great number of stages included, and they mostly stay fresh and unique in their designs. Although there’s not much of a story, the core gameplay mechanics in manipulating the camera to problem-solve puzzles is noteworthy. However, by removing the game’s timer, most stages can be solved by endlessly exploiting all options, and vastly decreases the difficulty of a game that direly needs it.”