A brilliant perspective-switching idea lends itself to a smart puzzle platformer.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/60170/toodee-and-topdee-switch-review
Puzzle platformers are plentiful these days, especially on Nintendo Switch, but every now and then I come across one that catches my eye. That’s what happened with Toodee and Topdee, a Ludum Dare game jam project from developer diertzribi that is now a fully fleshed-out release. I came across the trailer and was immediately intrigued by the fusion of 2D platformer and top-down puzzles. After working my way through the ample challenges, I’m even more impressed because Toodee and Topdee is a brilliant, mind-wrinkling game that warrants much more than a second glance.
The hook, as explained by a light-hearted story about two heroes trying to save a semicolon or something, is that you alternate playing as Toodee, a 2D platforming hero, and Topdee, an isometric top-down adventurer. The duo pair up to save the day, which involves solving increasingly difficult sets of puzzling stages that culminate in clever boss fights. It’s endlessly inventive over the course of a few worlds with a dozens of stages in total.
The way it works is Toodee can jump around in a flat 2D plane (think Super Mario Bros.) and at the press of a button, control switches to Topdee. When control switches, so does the view, as the game tilts to an isometric top-down view (think 2D Zelda) and Topdee can essentially walk on the wall of Toodee’s world while also pushing and picking up blocks. The controls are simple, but where this succeeds is how it continuously builds through the stages and worlds with new twists, such as pools of water that exist in Toodee’s world but drain away in Topdee’s. Enemies also need to be used effectively, as they follow repetitive linear paths in 2D, but chase after Topdee in the top-down view. Sometimes the solution has to be figured out by leading the enemies to specific parts of the level.
Some of the puzzles can be very hard, with a number of solutions requiring you to notice a very specific opening or think in a way that feels a little too out of the box. A hint system would have been tops, but assist options to tweak the difficulty are welcome and you can easily cheese your character’s hit points to pass most stages. A co-op mode is also available, which seems promising in my limited experience with it, but I primarily played through the content by myself. Talking through puzzles with a friend is definitely a good idea, making the co-op great even if it just forces you to have that dialogue. Most players will likely be done in a few hours, but if you want to earn special achievements, you can strive to complete each level as quickly as possible with the minimum number of perspective shifts. There are also lots of secrets, some of which I probably haven’t even found yet.
Toodee and Topdee delivers on the promise of its brilliant concept. It can be a little hard to wrap your mind around, but once you start thinking in 2D/top-down hybrid design, the puzzles are a delight and if you get stumped, you can make use of the assist options. This is a remarkable puzzle platformer on Switch that stands out from the crowd.
Topic: Toodee and Topdee (Switch) Review (Read 2977 times)
