Nikoderiko: The Magical World Review
The 2D/2.5D platformer has become a somewhat neglected genre in recent years. Aside from Mario Wonder, many of the main standout series have been dormant for some time. A few months ago the cancellation of Crash Bandicoot 5 was reported and it’s been 10 years since Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (6 since the Switch port). As a big fan of this style of game I was pleasantly surprised to hear about Nikoderiko – through a YouTube advert of all things. Initially, I was concerned that the game would turn out to be Crash from Wish but the full game is a well-made and polished platformer that is a welcome addition to the genre.
Moving away from the antipodean marsupial of Naughty Dog’s series, you play as a pair of mongooses (mongeese?) who are depicted as Nathan Drake style treasure hunters – a portrayal which feels like a deliberate nod again to Crash’s original developers. This conscious reference is confirmed late in the game when a side character incorrectly identifies Niko and Luna as bandicoots, a clear sign both of the self-awareness of this game and also its meta sense of humour. The broader story is that the Cobra King has stolen a treasure chest found by the mongoose pair and they must venture across the land to track it down again.
Graphically, Nikoderiko is very much in keeping with the style of its influences. Bright and bold cartoony visuals abound with a variety of traditional biomes all present and correct. Enemies are very reminiscent of both DK and Crash’s foes, with the boss battles perhaps being more influenced by the former with larger-than-life encounters. Both Niko and Luna are well designed but it can be a little too easy to get them mixed up when playing in coop.
To make your way through the 30 or so levels of this adventure you’ll be running and jumping in very traditionally organised levels with regular checkpoints and lots of collectables. Instead of the genre’s popular double jump, the two heroes can glide across long distances (a
Read more on thesixthaxis.com
