Toki Tori
SCORE: 91
Look! Over There! It’s a duck, it’s a penguin, it’s…seriously dude, what is that thing? Well, according to our contact at Two Tribes, Toki Tori is actually a “little yellow chicken”. Though his species may be ambiguous, his mission is not. Using the power of poultry, Toki Tori must collect eggs that have been scattered across four assorted worlds.
Two Tribes has done an excellent job with the graphics in this game. The animations are fantastic and will definitely make you smile. This may cost me a bit of masculinity, but I must admit that I found Toki Tori adorable. The little chicken with his goofy expressions, the eggs with legs, and even the baddies in this game are all rendered with perfect detail. The use of bright colors and lively levels also make this game very welcoming. You’ll start your adventure in a forest which is beautifully detailed with trees and waterfalls. Later on you will traverse a creepy castle and a sewer world that are a bit dark, but even they have their own little splashes of color to keep the mood light. There are some ghosts featured in the castle levels, but if you weren’t traumatized by the likes of Inky and Blinky, you should have no reason to fear these little guys.
The background music and sound effects in the game are also top notch. The music is subtle, yet fun. Each world has its own theme music that has a way of making you notice it without distracting you. The sound effects are appropriate and entertaining. Rescuing an egg creates a pleasing popping sound and as Toki Tori waddles through the levels you’ll even hear the faint sound of his little chicken flippers hitting the ground (yes, this chicken has flippers).
Two Tribes has also managed to pack this game full of unlockables and extras. If the standard 48 levels aren’t enough for you, there are approximately 40 more “Hard” & “Bonus” levels to unlock as you go. In addition to that, if you’re playing Toki Tori on PC via Steam, you will also have 32 Steam achievements to unlock by completing certain tasks. Toki Tori features no apparent multi-player or co-op elements, but considering that at the time of this review the game was selling for about five bucks, it’s a great value.
Toki Tori blends two types of gameplay to create an enjoyable gaming experience. It looks like a platformer, it moves like a platformer, but it’s actually a puzzle game. Your job is to figure out how to guide Toki Tori through each cleverly designed level liberating helpless little eggs as you go. At your disposal are a variety of tools such as the Freeze-O-Matic and the SlugSucker. These may sound like kitchen appliances you would expect to find Ron Popeil promoting on the shopping channel, but they are actually instruments to assist you on your quest. There are also several other tools you will use throughout the game each with its own unique purpose. On the PC, you have the option of playing with the keyboard, the mouse, or a game controller. I found the mouse to be the easiest and most intuitive way to mobilize my chicken. Occasionally I would direct Toki Tori to move a bit further than I had intended and found that it was very difficult to stop him before he met his demise. Fortunately Two Tribes has included a fantastic little rewind feature that allows you to undo your previous moves. This is essential as you probably won’t figure out how to get through most levels successfully on your first attempt. A bit of trial and error using the rewind feature really helps work through the puzzles.
Toki Tori is a great game for the whole family to enjoy. Even though
it will be too difficult for young players, I found that my children
enjoyed sitting on my lap and laughing as Toki Tori would perform random
actions, such as juggling or waving, while waiting for me to give him
his next order. Also amusing to the children were the times when my
choices would cause our friendly fowl to become trapped or impaled by a
porcupine. Offensive material is virtually non-existent in the game. The
only trace of any questionable material I found was a very minor alcohol
reference in the credits. Toki Tori is an eggcelent (insert giggle here)
way for families to enjoy some time together.
-Roger
Graphics: 87%
Sound: 91%
Replay/Extras: 90%
Gameplay: 97%
Family Friendly Factor: 90%
System: Wii/PC/iPhone/iPod Touch
Publisher: Two Tribes
Rating: 'E' for Everyone
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