Good-Really feel places out a Nintendo-esque recreation that isn’t truly printed by Nintendo.
The online game developer Good-Really feel has been round for almost 20 years and for many of that point, they’ve labored intently with Nintendo on video games reminiscent of Kirby’s Epic Yarn and Yoshi’s Woolly World. That’s continued to today with the discharge of Princess Peach Showtime earlier in 2024. However earlier than Good-Really feel was shaped, the founders of the corporate labored at Konami, particularly the Ganbare Goemon sequence (for extra on this, try our historical past of Good-Really feel). They considerably revisited these Goemon roots with their self-funded recreation Bakeru, which first got here out in Japan a 12 months in the past however is now popping out worldwide courtesy of writer Spike-Chunsoft. Bakeru just isn’t a Goemon recreation, even when the principle character and total setting could be very evocative of the identical Japanese mythology that fueled Goemon’s world. What Bakeru is is an pleasurable if simplistic journey that is likely to be closest in play fashion to Kirby and the Forgotten Land. It’s an excessively cute recreation that I want was a bit extra bold but it surely’s nonetheless a enjoyable and assorted trip that reveals off how expert Good-Really feel is at making Nintendo-esque video games.
Set in what’s dubbed “Fairy Story Japan,” the whimsical story units the heroic Bakeru combating in opposition to the evil Oracle Saitaro as he tries to take over Japan together with his bizarre pageant. You journey round Japanese prefectures in a linear order, going by greater than 50 levels. A lot of the levels are set in 3D landscapes the place you comply with a comparatively easy path to battle enemies, discover collectables, and most significantly, destroy not less than three pageant lanterns so you may get the vile partiers out of the world.
A lot of the gameplay appears like a beat-’em-up, as you make use of Bakeru’s drum to beat the tar out of teams of enemies. That is completed by hitting the left and proper triggers to chain drum combos and execute a handful of chargeable particular assaults. It’s also possible to dodge roll and block, however outdoors of some particular situations, you’ll find a whole lot of success by simply bouncing round with the triggers. The fight does slowly evolve over time, helped out by the brand new additions to the Western launch of the Hurricane and Spinning Prime assaults (although I didn’t play the Japanese launch so I can’t completely evaluate the earlier than/after). Particular transformations are additionally unlocked as you progress, sometimes from defeating bosses. These both tie into degree puzzles or simply make you tremendous highly effective. It’s all very cute, and I positively cackled as a few of them had been unleashed for the primary time, however they largely make a straightforward recreation even simpler and it doesn’t matter what, at a sure level although, you’re simply mashing buttons by comparatively nice environments.
Each few ranges you undergo some kind of particular stage, whether or not it’s a race or perhaps a 3D shooter. It’s in these moments that I saved wishing for Bakeru to be extra just like the outdated Goemon video games, as a result of that’s the place I used to be reminded of the chaotic power of Mystical Ninja’s novel diversions. Bakeru just isn’t completely a Goemon recreation like they had been within the ‘90s, and that’s wonderful. I’m simply attempting to level-set for all of you. That chaotic power got here out to me in full energy within the collectables. You could find three hidden objects in every degree which might be cute and typically humorous, however the perfect bit in all of Bakeru is the 5 collectable bits of trivia present in every degree. You primarily want to search out 5 items of golden poop that then spit out a random truth at you. It serves no larger function, however you may revisit all of the trivia in a menu if you want. Hestu and the Koroks could be proud.
Bakeru is an pleasurable romp that constantly delivers lighthearted motion with a whole lot of allure even when it will get a bit repetitive the deeper you get into it. Good-Really feel clearly realized quite a bit from working with Nintendo as a result of this recreation deserves to be talked about in the identical breath as Nintendo’s lighter fare. This isn’t fairly the Goemon non secular successor I felt I used to be promised, however Bakeru continues to be a very good time (particularly for youthful gamers) and I hope that Good-Really feel each continues working with Nintendo and continues to work on tasks like this.