Chico and the Magic Orchards
- August 8, 2022
- Daikon Games
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Get on itch.io StoreIn "Chico and the Magic Orchards," players control Chico, a chipmunk who finds himself in a magical world filled with giant walnuts. Using unique dual-mode gameplay, players must solve puzzles and challenges to help Chico gather walnuts and make his way back home. With a retro visual style and accessible controls, this game pays homage to classic handheld games while offering its own charming and challenging experience.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game features charming visuals and a nostalgic Game Boy aesthetic, complemented by a catchy soundtrack.
- Gameplay includes unique mechanics and well-designed puzzles that keep the experience fresh and engaging.
- The post-game content offers a satisfying exploration experience, allowing players to enjoy the game at their own pace.
- Controls can feel sluggish and slippery, leading to frustrating platforming and inconsistent hit detection.
- The central mechanic of rolling the acorn lacks depth, making the gameplay feel repetitive and less interesting.
- The game is relatively short, with only a few levels, which may leave players wanting more content.
- gameplay46 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
Gameplay is a mixed bag, featuring unique mechanics and clever puzzles that keep the experience fresh and engaging across various levels. However, players have noted issues with sluggish controls, inconsistent hit detection, and frustrating platforming reminiscent of classic top-down Zelda games. Despite these drawbacks, the charming visuals and memorable boss fights contribute to an overall enjoyable experience, making it a fun yet challenging adventure.
“Gameplay is well-balanced and the puzzles are good for this genre.”
“The game has unique mechanics in every world and memorable boss fights, and despite the vast array of mechanics, the game is just as simple and intuitive as it is challenging.”
“A fun top-down puzzle platformer with a unique mechanic: rolling around a giant walnut to hit switches you can't reach, get around obstacles, and whack bosses.”
“The controls feel sluggish and slippery, the hit detection is inconsistent, and the central mechanic of rolling your acorn around everywhere is just not very interesting.”
“But since the game is emulating the gameplay of top-down Zelda on Game Boy, it just leads to frustration and countless falls into bottomless pits.”
“That does lead to the spooky cons: much of the level design, mechanics, and bosses can feel pretty rough.”
- music20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy tunes and fantastic quality, enhancing the overall aesthetic and charm of the experience. Players appreciate the ability to unlock additional music tracks and color palettes through in-game collectibles, adding replay value. While some find the music to be hit-or-miss at times, the overall sentiment is that it significantly contributes to the game's appeal.
“The music is fantastic, too, and complements the aesthetic so well.”
“The music and varied color palettes keep the charm going as you roam across the forest in your quest to become king.”
“Overall, my favorite part is the music!”
“Music can be hit-or-miss, but sometimes it does so well and those sound effects are top notch!”
“Still, there's some replay value with the coins strewn throughout the levels (used to unlock music tracks and color palettes), and there's a hard difficulty mode which you can try once you've beaten the regular one.”
“You can also search for seeds that can be traded at the shop to unlock music tracks and color palettes.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are widely praised for their cute and carefree aesthetic, effectively complementing the gameplay and evoking a nostalgic Game Boy feel. Reviewers appreciate the classic visuals, describing them as a charming and cohesive element of the overall experience, enhanced by fantastic music.
“It's the only time the cute and carefree visuals mesh well with the gameplay.”
“Loved it - great aesthetic, solid gameplay.”
“The aesthetic is so classic it really does feel like a lost gem.”
- story8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's story features an introductory level followed by five themed areas, each containing two levels, as players embark on a quest to become king. While the charming music and vibrant visuals enhance the experience, some players feel the narrative lacks depth and would benefit from additional cutscenes to better convey the story.
“The music and varied color palettes keep the charm going as you roam across the forest in your quest to become king.”
“One last little con I also noticed: so far I haven't been getting a big sense of the story yet.”
“Maybe it's like old games where the story is mostly in the manual, but some more cutscenes would be nice.”
“The main story has an intro level and then five themed areas with two levels apiece.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is marred by instances of confusing and buggy platforming and logic, suggesting a lack of thorough playtesting. However, many users believe these issues could be addressed in future updates.
“Other worlds seem to have a few instances of confusing, buggy, or sometimes frustrating platforming or logic that I really feel could have been detected and cleaned up with some playtesting. (Note: I also believe that many of these issues can be solved over updates too!)”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game offers moderate replayability through collectible coins that unlock music tracks and color palettes, as well as a hard difficulty mode available after completing the regular game. Players can revisit levels to enhance their experience and challenge themselves further.
“There's significant replay value with the coins scattered throughout the levels, which can be used to unlock music tracks and color palettes. Additionally, there's a hard difficulty mode to challenge yourself after completing the regular mode.”
“The game offers great replayability thanks to the collectible coins that unlock various music tracks and color palettes, along with a hard difficulty mode to test your skills after finishing the main game.”
“Replayability is enhanced by the coins hidden in the levels, allowing players to unlock music tracks and color palettes, plus a hard difficulty mode that provides a fresh challenge after completing the standard game.”
“There's some replay value with the coins strewn throughout the levels, which are used to unlock music tracks and color palettes. Additionally, there's a hard difficulty mode that you can try once you've beaten the regular one.”
“The game lacks significant replayability, as the levels feel repetitive after the first playthrough.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to return, as the story doesn't change and the challenges become predictable.”
