Captain Toad Treasure Tracker – Review

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a great game and one of our favorites out of our over 80 games for our Nintendo Switch. You play as Captain Toad and Toadette as they solve puzzles to collect stars and of course save the day. Here is my review for the game.

Why Captain Toad Treasure Tracker?

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a charming and inventive puzzle-platformer developed by Nintendo, originally released for the Wii U and later ported to the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS. The game takes a delightful detour from the typical Mario gameplay, starring Captain Toad and Toadette as they embark on treasure-hunting adventures across cleverly designed diorama-style levels.

The core of Captain Toad revolves around navigating 3D puzzle-like stages filled with hidden secrets, enemies, and collectibles. Unlike most platformers, Captain Toad cannot jump, which adds a unique challenge and encourages strategic thinking. Players must rotate the camera, pull levers, and interact with various elements in the environment to reach the goal and collect gems and stars. Each level is bite-sized yet thoughtfully crafted, with bonus objectives that enhance replayability.

The game’s visuals are colorful, crisp, and full of personality. Every level feels like a tiny toy box, bursting with life and detail. The Nintendo Switch version particularly benefits from improved resolution and smoother performance. The music is upbeat and whimsical, matching the lighthearted tone of the game and reinforcing its puzzle-adventure charm.

While the base game is relatively short, it offers a satisfying amount of content with dozens of levels, each with unique mechanics. There are also boss battles and mini-challenges to keep things fresh. The Switch version includes co-op gameplay and bonus stages inspired by Super Mario Odyssey, making it the definitive version of the game.

How We Test Games

For testing games we use a Nintendo Switch firmware version 2H. Hardware includes Joy-con and Pro controller on a large screen TV. Tests are done with up to 5 players. We take turns playing and evaluating games.

Whenever possible we play multiple players. We also use a Nintendo 2DS, DS XL, and for PC games we use a Ryzen 7 1700x CPU, AMD RX580, running on Win 10. This game is up to 2-players on one Nintendo Switch.

Pros

Clever and varied level design.

Adorable presentation and characters.

Great use of puzzle mechanics without jumping.

Fun bonus challenges and hidden collectibles.

Cons

Can feel too easy for seasoned gamers.

Short main campaign.

Some camera angles can occasionally be tricky.

Summary

Overall, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a delightful experience that proves puzzle games can be just as captivating as action-heavy titles. With its creative level design, adorable characters, and thoughtful gameplay mechanics, it’s a must-play for fans of Nintendo’s lighter-hearted fare and anyone looking for a relaxing yet rewarding adventure.