Rather than racing to the top of a flagpole as you would in a Mario game, Captain Toad and Toadette are on the lookout for valuable gold stars, and for those who like an extra challenge, optional (and usually out of reach, or hidden) crystals. You take control of Captain Toad (or the newly introduced Captain Toadette), as you explore and navigate through small, diorama/ fish tank style stages. For those who are old enough to remember it, Captain Toad has more than a few similarities to the Game Boy release of Donkey Kong, which took the simple nature of the original arcade title and spun it out into something much more.įor those who missed out on Captain Toad’s adventures from last year, here’s the basic gist. Captain Toad follows the same design philosophies that have defined Nintendo games for the better part of 20 years: utilising a handful of well-thought out core mechanics, and playfully retooling and expanding on them. Related reading: Nintendo has had a great year with the Wii U, as the console’s Game of the Year awards demonstrateīut it’s not the amount of content that managed to pull me in, but rather that classic Nintendo design. Thankfully, the big N has more confidence than most of its fans, and instead we got a slightly discounted retail release, with a much bigger package than you would have expected to see in a downloadable title. Originally tucked away as a distraction of sorts in Super Mario 3D World, the charming and more relaxed pace of the Captain Toad levels quickly became my favorite part of the entire game, and like many others, I was sure that Nintendo would spin these experimental levels into a budget, downloadable title. Yet, amidst all the action that Nintendo’s home console has to offer, I found myself liking Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker the most. and Bayonetta 2 leading the pack, and the Wii U eShop is slowly beginning to cultivate its own stable of quirky and inventive indie games. High octane thrills were plentiful this year, with titles like Super Smash Bros. It’s been a remarkable year for the Wii U.

Download toad game for switch