Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
- November 13, 2014
- Nintendo
Featuring the unlikely adventurers Toad and Toadette, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker takes the Captain Toad concept from Super Mario 3D World and runs with it, resulting in a gorgeous and utterly charming puzzle-platformer.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a fantasy platformer game that can be played in both single-player and multi-player modes, including a cooperative option. The game follows the adventures of Captain Toad as he navigates through tricky, enemy-filled stages to discover hidden gems and earn gold stars. With a wide variety of maze-like levels, players must help Toad avoid obstacles and defeat enemies to successfully complete each stage.
Wii
Wii U
Reviews
- The game is fun and engaging for kids, with cute graphics and enjoyable puzzles that appeal to a wide age range.
- It offers a charming and imaginative experience with a variety of levels that encourage replayability and problem-solving.
- The game is easy to pick up and play, making it accessible for players of all skill levels, and it provides a satisfying challenge without being overly difficult.
- Many players feel the game is too short and lacks enough content to justify its price, with some comparing it to a mobile game experience.
- There are issues with controls and camera angles that can be frustrating, impacting the overall gameplay experience.
- Some reviews mention repetitive gameplay elements and a lack of new content compared to previous versions, leading to a feeling of it being less innovative.
- gameplay12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is widely praised for its perfect balance of accessibility and fun, featuring simple mechanics and smart puzzle design that encourage replayability through collectibles and secrets. Players enjoy a charming world with fantastic visuals and music, alongside a variety of entertaining levels that run smoothly across platforms. However, some reviewers noted that additional camera options and a more cohesive atmosphere could enhance the overall experience.
“Perfect gameplay, fun, a cute world, and very easy to pick up.”
“Smartly designed, easy-to-understand mechanics, bursting with creative puzzles, gems encourage replaying stages, adorable presentation and art style.”
“Amazing level design and gameplay, lots of level variety, huge amount of content, odyssey levels are a highlight, great presentation.”
“A more cohesive atmosphere, extra camera options, and deliberate mechanical progression could’ve made the experience far more satisfying.”
“With no compromise to the gameplay experience, this is Captain Toad.”
“The full Captain Toad adventure, no gameplay compromises between original and new 3DS systems, amiibo-locked mode now available to all players, new Mario Odyssey-themed levels, maps perfectly to the 3DS.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics are widely praised for their charming and cute art style, enhancing the overall experience of the game. Players appreciate the beautiful visuals and endearing character designs, which complement the fun and clever puzzle mechanics. However, some note a graphical downgrade in the 3DS port compared to the original Mario 3D World levels.
“The graphics are so cute and the puzzles on each level are fun for them to solve.”
“[toad's comical straining as he plucks out a turnip, discovering the gorgeous art style of each new level, seeing classic Mario level design in a new light].”
“[charming, high quality graphics, intriguing cubic level concept, innovative level design].”
“[Loss of Mario 3D World levels, obvious graphical downgrade for the 3DS]”
- music6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for its fantastic quality, enhancing the overall experience with a delightful soundtrack that complements the visuals and gameplay. Reviewers highlight the audio's contribution to the game's charm, making it a joy to play and explore. The combination of engaging music and well-designed levels creates a captivating atmosphere that encourages replayability.
“Fantastic visuals and music.”
“Great soundtrack, lots of content, especially with 3D World save data.”
“Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is an absolute joy to behold, from its cute visual styling and delicious soundtrack and audio utterances from the main characters, to the expertly crafted self-contained stages, jam-packed with smart puzzles to solve and a plethora of goodies to uncover.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with users highlighting its charming design, imaginative puzzles, and engaging level layouts. Many reviewers note that the experience, while relatively short, offers substantial value through its creative concepts and satisfying gameplay, making it a worthwhile choice for players seeking replayable content.
“A creative concept that's easy to get into, adorable lead characters, puzzles creatively integrate Mario ideas into a non-Mario game, immense replay value.”
“Great level design, high replayability, unique and well-executed concept.”
“The overall experience is a short one, but there’s plenty of replayability, and it’s an experience that any Switch owner should jump on.”
“If you want wonderful puzzles, colorful and diverse environments, replayability, and challenge.”
- story2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The story is criticized for its disjointed flow, with repetitive bosses and story elements that detract from the overall experience. Players find the pixel toad missions tedious, and the lack of camera control and gamepad support further diminish the narrative engagement, resulting in a surprisingly shallow experience.
“The game suffers from a disjointed flow, with repetitive bosses and story beats that fail to engage the player.”
“The lack of camera control and surprisingly shallow new content detracts from the overall experience.”
“Completing the game feels like a chore, especially with the tedious pixel toad missions.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers feel that the atmosphere could have been significantly enhanced with a more cohesive design, additional camera options, and a more intentional mechanical progression, which would have contributed to a more satisfying overall experience.
“A more cohesive atmosphere, extra camera options, and deliberate mechanical progression could’ve made the experience far more satisfying.”
Critic Reviews
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker review
While it's good to see Nintendo stepping out of its comfort zone, Captain Toad isn't versatile enough to compete in the big leagues. It'd be a budget no-brainer, but feels too slight at a higher price.
60%Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Review
Featuring the unlikely adventurers Toad and Toadette, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker takes the Captain Toad concept from Super Mario 3D World and runs with it, resulting in a gorgeous and utterly charming puzzle-platformer.
90%Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Review
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a great expansion on the concept of the mini-games from Super Mario 3D World. Unfortunately, despite a lower starting price it never offers enough new elements to become truly great. You'll still enjoy every second you spend in this bright and colorful world though.
70%
