BAKERU Game Review – Game Review

At the end of last year, BacchusOriginally released in Japan, the game seemed to inspire a feeling among players of 3D platformers that can only be described as “pure, nostalgic joy.” Especially the nostalgia for the past Gambare Goemon Series and its Nintendo 64 installments, The mysterious ninja starring Goemon. This makes a lot of sense when one thinks about it BacchusDeveloper Good-Feel (Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Princess Peach: It’s show time!) was established in Mysterious Ninja Director Ebisu Etsunobu (produced here).

While I was never an N64 kid, I immediately understood what resonated with those gamers. Bacchus This is exactly the game I would spend hours playing as a kid, like Ape Escape 2 and Lehman 3. It reminds me of a simpler time in life. In fact, I can’t help but cry a little when I think back to those days. So, besides being a wistful trip down memory lane, why on earth do I like Bacchus so much? Why the strong reaction?

Well, I’d say it starts with the game’s bright and colorful visuals – an aesthetic that’s proud of the tradition they were born from. However, they are not afraid to cheat every now and then. The visuals are very polished, but don’t feel like they’ve reached the occasional clinical sheen. Nintendogame. I’ll admit, it’s funny considering the developer’s storied history with the houses Mario built, but the game has enough visuals to give it a visceral, handcrafted feel… if you will. Say it’s a “good feeling.”

I can confidently say that the “good feel” permeates the gameplay as well. Playing as the tanuki himself, players are tasked with one goal: destroy three evil lanterns and then fight off the evil spirits surrounding the festival tower at the end of each level. It’s a simple goal, but one that undergoes many different permutations over the course of Bakuru’s adventures – a goal that takes him through various stages based on Japan’s 47 prefectures.

Players begin with a standard series of platforming levels, using the tanuki’s original taiko drumsticks to beat up colorful bad guys while searching for lanterns. My favorite thing about the drumsticks is how they are individually mapped to the L and R buttons, allowing players to get a good drum sound in combat. But where the stick can’t cut through, Baloo can transform into one of four unlockable forms for a little extra firepower. In fact, some of these transformations also extend Bakeru’s traversal options. Perfect dodge and perfect defense would bring some extra depth to combat, but I don’t expect younger players to use these skills very often.

These standard stages do get a bit repetitive at times, but the various “permutations” mentioned earlier go a long way in changing things up. From kart racing to rail shooting and giant robot battles, the game knows when to flip the script. I especially like the way the robot battle starts with Buckloo yelling “Tokusatsu mode!” The flying battleship Bunbuku transforms into robot mode. Regardless, I do recommend taking a break when the reps really start. Bacchus Seems to be designed to keep kids playing for a stage or two and then come back to it again.

In addition to defeating the bad guys, players will also need to find three souvenirs hidden in each level. These souvenirs are usually banners or cultural items from each prefecture the player has visited. Speaking of collectibles, players should keep an eye out for Scoop, a little guy who always has new information to offer. He appears five times in each stage to illustrate a broad range of facts. These were mostly facts specific to his region, or general wisdom from across the country. Especially with the addition of Scoop, I think this game actually has a very good educational value. The game isn’t overbearing, but instead introduces players (especially younger players) to another culture while letting them have fun in a world inspired by that culture.

Speaking of younger gamers, I found myself curious about how kids would feel about this game. With this in mind, I gave the controller to my little nephews and they had a blast. They haven’t played many 3D platformers before, so it’s fun to see the gears move as they use their heads to operate the camera and move in 3D space. Surprisingly, they accepted quickly. Bacchus There may be a lot of buttons to keep track of, but it’s probably not a bad introduction to 3D platformers. However, my eldest nephew did get a little motion sick as he wasn’t used to moving the camera so that was something to keep in mind.

While I do appreciate the new moves and extra lanterns added to Bacchus in this new version of the game, I do have some quibbles. I occasionally found myself frustrated with projectile enemies like ninja octopuses and boomerang throwers. At times, it felt like they were going to hit me when I was trying to solve platforming puzzles or navigate the stages. On the technical side, the game tends to stutter badly during enemy-heavy moments and ambitious set pieces. In these cases, the control can also sometimes become unresponsive. However, I’d say these are more of an issue with the Switch’s aging hardware than with the game itself. Having said that, I hope these problems do not arise in steam release.

comprehensive, Bacchus It’s a great game for kids and kids at heart. It reminds me of my childhood games, but it’s sturdy enough to break any rose-tinted glasses I might be wearing. $40 Nintendo online store and steamI’d say the players (and parents) will get something more valuable than their money. Pray that today’s young players can look back on the past Bacchus Lovingly in the years to come.