3.5/5 ★ – LukorDaDragon's review of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.

Captain Toad Treasure Tracker from a surface level is everything I love about Nintendo games, Inoffensive adorable fun. Coming from Super Mario 3D World, I already knew I would enjoy the overall gameplay of cube based puzzle solving and I was not wrong. Something about the diorama format with hidden secrets to be found, by moving your camera, is such a fun and creative way to interact with each level that I haven't seen in too many puzzle games. Having limited mobility as Captain Toad also forces you to be cautious with how you approach danger, knowing you can only run from enemies adds a layer of complication to later levels where they become more abundant. The integration of the Switch's gyroscope, motion controls and touch ability made Captain Toad feel far more involved. Having to use each mechanic to navigate or defend yourself was surprisingly interactive and fun. I usually don't like most touch or motion controls in games because it feels like a disruption to your flow, given most games they use it in are far faster paced like 3D Mario Games (Mario 3D World, Odyssey). However given this games already slow and methodical approach to level design, it fit right in since the player is typically given the time to observer their surroundings before being thrown into danger. You find quick ways to move blocks, stun enemies or in the speed run trials, where I feel it shines the most, you can really hone your skills and prep future platforms where you need them while moving Captain Toad individually. I would say unfortunately where Captain Toad starts to fall off is in the later levels. The first 3 Chapters are full of original and thought provoking stages however the Bonus stages and even Switch Exclusive stages are all rehashes of previous levels, with new objectives. I would say I was most disappointed with the promoted Switch levels as they were supposed to be Super Mario Odyssey themed, but only about 4 or 5 stages were Odyssey inspired, and the rest were all of the same from the previous chapters. In that same light of later levels, I can not recommend the 100% of this otherwise "chill collectathon" because somewhere along the line Nintendo lost the plot and decided to add, completely out of left field, difficult stages with their own set of eye scratching hair pulling challenges. I was extremely disappointed that this is the direction the game took towards the end because I think it would have been strong enough of a title without any "Epic Gamer" levels to cap off a completion. Truly the only disappointing part of these difficult levels is they are completely void of any of the original charm this game had. They are gauntlet type levels that require fast reflexes and next to perfect RNG to complete or you will have to start a 50 level grind back from level 1. Not one person that bought this game wanted that and I would say unless you are a fan of CBT or simply a masochist then stick to the first 3 Chapters and maybe the Mario Odyssey levels. The rest is not worth the headache. To not leave on a sour note for an otherwise adorable game with a lot to offer, I truly did enjoy myself playing this game and would recommend to anyone that loves puzzles or simply chill/cozy games.