Stop me if you’ve heard this one . A cavewoman is kidnapped and the caveman who comes to save her is turned into a monkey. Why didnt you stop me, Could it be you have not heard of the arcade classic Toki before?
Toki was a hit in the arcades and got a well received NES port back in the day that actually improved things a bit. Fast forward to today, and Microids has re-released Toki with new visuals and various improvements. Does the gameplay still hold up well though. or should it have been left in the stone age?
Toki is definitely a throwback in terms of gameplay, but that is not a bad thing. The side scrolling run n gun style of gameplay is still fun and I enjoyed myself immensely . With a few minor adjustments made to account for differences on modern devices, Toki plays remarkably like it did back in the arcades. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. It is good, because the great action has been preserved and with steps taken to ensure it feels right. However, there is also the fact that the game doesn’t have the benefits that the NES port had, which did add a lot to the gameplay experience.
The standout feature of this re-release is the visuals. Toki has been given a beautiful HD remaster and it looks fantastic. The closest I have to compare this to is the remake of Wonder Boy The Dragon’s Trap by DotEmu, because this remaster has the same situation. Give a classic a new coat of paint to make it shine and make adjustments to the gameplay that are minor but still improve the overall flow, The game is fun overall, and provides a decent challenge.
Overall, aside from my disappointment over it being a bit too true to the original arcade release ( and yes I realize the entire point wad to remaster the arcade version), I found Toki to be an excellent experience. It will definitely please fans of old school gaming and those who yearns for the days of the arcade. I would definitely recommend checking this out for a retro experience with a modern day polish to it.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided