Overview: Nikoderiko: The Magical World (Swap)
It’s now been over a decade for the reason that closing new Donkey Kong Country sport launched (sure, you’re that former), and whereas the sector continues to encourage for Nintendo to be aware that its cherished ape feeble to star in a primarily applicable platforming sequence of his possess, different builders possess stepped as much as try to soak up the void. Indie releases equal to Kaze and the Wild Masks, Yooka-Laylee and the Very no longer really Lair, and Marsupilami: Hoobadventure possess all carried out an worthy job of emulating the issues that made DK’s former facet-scrolling romps so good and now one different contender has stepped as much as the plate.
Nikoderiko: The Magical World, the inaugural unlock of Cyprus-based totally VEA Video video games, now not completely does a gargantuan job of recreating DK’s completely adventures with its possess twist, alternatively it takes issues a step further by additionally calling encourage to the gameplay model of 1 different conventional platformer mascots. And whereas, sure, one would possibly perhaps presumably perhaps safe the argument that Nikoderiko is a small little little bit of too joyful driving the coattails of the classics with out collectively with lots of its possess suggestions, it does such an actual job of capturing what made these video games gargantuan that it as quickly as shortly issues. Nikoderiko doesn’t eclipse the initiatives that served as its certain inspirations, alternatively it offers an good and enchanting platforming slide that we’d suggest to any followers of the vogue.
Nikoderiko follows Niko and Luna (no, her identify isn’t Deriko), two globe-trotting mongoose adventurers who sort out chasing down broken-down sort out. The duo is on their newest slide to applicable a magical relic on a distant island after they’re interrupted by the faulty Grimbald and his band of Cobring lackeys, who hotfoot Niko and Luna away appropriate as they’re about to enact their mission. Now not ones to be defeated that with out issues, Niko and Luna accumulate applicable to work navigating the numerous challenges and hidden wonders the island holds, all to be able to defeat Grimbald and reclaim what’s rightfully(?) theirs.
As you’d request, memoir doesn’t primarily ingredient in as a significant section of the experience of Nikoderiko, nonetheless we composed appreciated the sunshine worldbuilding efforts. Niko and Luna are helped alongside their slide by a slew of wacky guests and foes, lots of which can be equipped in charming dialogue sequences between ranges that characteristic stout relate performing. We cherished how these exchanges helped in order so as to add completely ample context to the proceedings to safe it primarily really feel luxuriate in you’re on an actual slide, fairly than a loosely linked sequence of ranges—that exiguous story point of interest makes Nikoderiko primarily really feel outstanding further cohesive.
Gameplay in Nikoderiko would possibly perhaps presumably perhaps completely be described as a mashup of Donkey Kong Country (notably the Retro Studios interpretation, which is itself returning in HD secure to Switch in 2025) and conventional Atomize Bandicoot, repeatedly oscillating its perspective between 2D sidescrolling sections and hallway-based totally 3D sections. No subject what perspective the digicam takes, each degree has a smattering of collectibles to snag—equal to 4 ‘NIKO’ letters—alongside some brief bonus rooms to narrate and overcome. There are seven worlds to work by means of that dangle about 10-15 hours to find out about of their entirety (double that should you hasten for completion), and that point appropriate flies applicable by ensuing from the commonly attractive degree safe.
Nikoderiko isn’t allege materials to topple into repetitive cycles; almost each degree introduces some attention-grabbing new stage hazard or gimmick to construct it aside. One degree will exercise you with escaping an enormous dragon as you movement in course of the video laptop display itself, luxuriate in fairly numerous of Atomize’s renowned hotfoot sequences, whereas one different will construct you in a minecart and ship you on a unsafe rollercoaster wander. You absolutely now not know what’s coming subsequent, and this helps defend a brisk coast as you leer your self pulled into doing appropriate ‘one further degree’ before putting it down for the night.
Quiet, it’s almost now not in all probability to play Nikoderiko with out seeing probably the most life like in all probability blueprint it totally copies the video games that impressed it. It is in all probability you may presumably perhaps presumably completely soar on crates in a 3D hallway or efficiently negotiate one different barrel-blasting portion so time and again before you start to shock if Nikoderiko brings the leisure new to the desk. Sadly, it doesn’t, and this is able to disappoint these that possess had their take up of the classics. With some fearless new degree safe suggestions and gameplay gimmicks, Nikoderiko would possibly perhaps presumably perhaps’ve been lauded as a grand spiritual successor to DK’s misplaced platforming adventures. That’s to now not affirm that it isn’t worth taking half in; appropriate construct up your expectations. Nikoderiko is a gargantuan rehash of cherished suggestions, now not a range upon them.
Visually, Nikoderiko does a comely job of presenting vibrant and various biomes with certain feels. Whether or not you’re exploring verdant ruins throughout the wooded enviornment or the unhappy halls of a former manufacturing facility, there’s heaps of persona to those environments that makes them an actual care for to discover. The shrink again? These visuals clearly close to at a worth on the Swap’s ageing {hardware}, which could perhaps safe for an as quickly as shortly spoiled experience.
Whereas Nikoderiko seems to be wish to movement at a delicate 60fps on different platforms, it runs at an inconsistent 30fps on the Swap, and that effectivity hit is de facto felt should you’re making an try to navigate the harder, further actual platforming challenges got here all probably the most life like in all probability blueprint by means of in