Released originally for the GameBoy Color on September 12th, 2001, Toki Tori was a unique puzzle-platformer developed by Dutch game company, Two Tribes, and published by Capcom (which explains the such catchy tunes). The game revolves a little chicken, Toki Tori, who travels across many various worlds in search of his brothers and sisters trapped in eggs. Similar to that of games like Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Toki Tori is limited in mobility, unable to move while falling or ascend large ledges, which makes the character only all the more endearing. However, Toki Tori is given a larger arsenal of tools to use during this adventure to aid in his traversal, such as the ability to build bridges or teleport across short distances. The catch to these abilities is that each level only supplies a limited number of certain abilities, requiring players to think carefully where to use them in order to acquire all the eggs and complete the level. It's incredibly satisfying to analyze the layout of each level, plot your route, and watch the puzzle unravel as you put your plan to action, or else realize you're one item short and go back to the drawing board trying to figure out how you could of conserved your powers.
Seven years later, an enhanced remake of this captivating little puzzle game was released via WiiWare on the Nintendo Wii, and has since seen many a release on many other platforms (most recently on the Nintendo Switch even this past week; highly recommended at only $5). Most notably, the graphics and soundtrack were largely revamped, though both versions have their own charm and merits. Aside from these obvious changes though, small tweaks were also made to the gameplay, such as removing the timer, adding a rewind feature in case you get want to undo a move or get stuck, and making the item/power selection more streamlined. The later versions of Toki Tori also look to add a few additional bonus levels with each release, the Switch version looking to even have a whole new world!
A sequel, Toki Tori 2, was later released in 2013, but is a very different game in comparison to the original, instead focusing on open world exploration and interacting with the environment for puzzle solving rather than using a wide variety of items/abilities. While it was still an adorable and fun game, navigation became a chore when having to revisit areas and resolve puzzles again and again. The original Toki Tori stands strong to this day though, thanks to its easy pick and play style for solving some short levels and puzzles in small bursts. It is a wonderful reminder that sometimes the simplest of experiences can be the most beloved and enjoyed.
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