I’ve always been fascinated with retro games, and honestly, so has the rest of the world. There is something nostalgic about going back, but at the same time, it can be frustrating. Well, Nikoderiko: The Magical World is here to scratch that itch while retaining modern tastes.
Developer VEA Games is a newcomer to the scene, having only one game to its name. So, when Nikoderiko released last year, it turned heads for its inspiration and music. However, there were some technical issues that were holding the title back, but the developers aim to change that with the release of the Director’s Cut. How does this new version of Nikoderiko: The Magical World fare just months after its initial release?
Treasure Hunting with Style
Nikoderiko: The Magical World follows Niko and his partner Luna, two treasure hunters seeking a magical island for more treasure. However, after a particularly lucrative temple run, the duo finds themselves in the middle of an invasion by the wicked Baron Grimbald. Now, the pair must find a way to save the islands and find some more treasure along the way.
The opening cinematic conveys the setup with no dialog, using only music cues to set the mood. This is very charming and felt like a breath of fresh air after playing some particularly wordy JRPGs. However, this did not last long, as Niko started to open his mouth, and words started spilling onto my screen. Normally, I wouldn’t care – give me some backstory about Niko’s tragic past or anything of the sort!
Needless to say, this did not happen at all. Instead, I was hit with dialog that felt more like a Saturday morning cartoon, and not a particularly good one. We are told Grimbald is bad and that he is taking over the island, which was shown in the previous cinematic with a much better set of visuals and music. Niko and Luna talk every few levels, and the game stops dead at times for some awkward lines.
In fact, the roster expansion doesn’t solve this problem; instead, it makes it stand out further. The character that stood out the most to me was a magic owl who never really did magic. Don’t worry, though. Niko and Luna will remind you of this fact and keep making jokes about it. Honestly, I feel like having voiceless scenes would have served the game better instead of having generic, fully voiced scenes.
Exploring the Unexplored
The gameplay is where Nikoderiko shines, showing off all of its inspirations, namely Donkey Kong Country. I hadn’t heard of the game before playing, and the inspiration hit me like a banana to the face. Despite Vea Games being very upfront about this inspiration, it never feels old. The level design uses its 2.5D nature in a way that makes the world feel large.
Otherwise, gameplay is how you would expect: you move from left to right, jumping and sliding into enemies. Your most used attack is the slide dash. This handy technique can dodge attacks and vanquish foes in equal measure. It’s a single button press and is more reliable than jumping on the heads of your enemies.
The other attack is a ground pound that strikes foes from above and creates a small shock wave. This move is a bit more finicky but is handy if you can time it correctly. You are encouraged to mix these two attacks. In fact, certain enemies can only be killed with the slide or ground pound. For example, there could be a crab and a shield user protecting his head marching together. You can and are encouraged to use the ground pound, then transfer it to the slide in one fluid movement. This is where movement becomes important.
However, I found myself hardly needing that precise of movement. Instead, I found that the slide had too much forward momentum that took me past where I intended. This was disappointing as I would fall off a cliff attempting to reach it by mixing in a jump with the slide, but momentum never seemed to fully carry over. Instead, you will most likely need the help of an animal companion that Niko and Luna can ride. These companions only change the speed and type of attacks and how the pair move around the level.
There are three companions: a frog, a dinosaur, and a seahorse. The frog is the most common and the most versatile of the trio. His main claim to fame is the fire he spits out and the height of his jumps. This gives range to the main characters and makes jumping over obstacles a legitimate option. The other two are rarer, but the dino can eat enemies and then spit them out. As for the Seahorse, it is only used for aquatic levels, ensuring you can swim faster and fire a beam.
I think my least favorite aspect of gameplay is that neither the dash nor the ground pound can be used very often to get to higher planes. Instead, there will always be a secret path, animal companion, or convenient enemy to jump off of. This can be frustrating, as if you fail a secret stage too high to jump to, then you will have to restart the level to get a second chance. For some, this may be a slight inconvenience, but trophy hunters will feel it the most as they restart the same level repeatedly.
New Content Awaits
Nikoderiko: The Magical World has already released for Steam, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox. You can buy the game now, and if you do, it will automatically upgrade to the Director’s cut upon release. So, the question is, does this director’s cut add anything worth a re-release, especially since we are less than a year from the original launch?
This was a little hard for me to determine, so I compared a few levels of both games. One example is the first world of the original launch as well as the Director’s Cut. This was mostly so I could compare the two versions but most of the changes I didn’t notice very much. I would say it looked slightly better, but the game already looked good. The story is untouched, but features an upgraded difficulty that will force you to be intimately familiar with the game.
This mode is geared toward challenge seekers and returning players looking for something new. The good news is that it does change levels significantly; for instance, the first level ends up being backwards. The other addition is an enemy that follows Niko’s position. Think of a speedrun, but slowing down kills you. These small changes significantly enhance the levels, making it almost feel like a new game.
A Worthwhile Adventure
Nikoderiko: The Magical World – Director’s Cut is a very well-done game, especially for new fans who didn’t play the original release. The changes in the Director’s Cut are significant enough to warrant older players to return, but that might be debatable for those not interested in replaying levels and such. The game runs great on PC, and while Nikoderiko doesn’t necessarily innovate within the genre, it’s still a good time.
If this is your first time playing Nikoderiko, this will be a must-buy for platformer fans, especially for those looking for a blend of retro and modern. However, if you played through the original on release, your mileage may vary when it comes to returning to this one. Thankfully, the update is free, so I think it’s at least worth coming back to. I enjoyed my time with Nikoderiko and its magical world despite some shortcomings, and I’m looking forward to seeing what VEA Games does next.
Disclaimer: Knights Peak provided Final Weapon with a PC (Steam) copy of Nikoderiko: The Magical World – Director’s Cut for review purposes.
