Don’t get me wrong: if you’re passionate about the genre, Nicoderiko: The Magical World you will like it. And not a little. The problem is that the strengths of this platform title, released this week on consoles, all rest on the same foundation, and what attracts on one side does not provoke rejection on the other, but obliges. That said, I invite you to read the entire analysis, because almost everything will never fit into a mere headline.

Published by Knights Peak and developed by Studio India VERA games, Nicoderiko: The Magical World It is actually a Donkey Kong Land a white label to pass the monkey with as Nintendo’s veteran franchise returns with a new installment, no word on when that will happen, but it won’t be anytime soon. Therefore, even if it is presented as the least original product, Nicodericus will attract the attention of many.

A note on this: if you have a Nintendo Switch, you have the original trilogy Donkey Kong Land for Super Nintendo via Nintendo Switch Online. In addition, the console’s catalog has long welcomed the amazing Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freezethe culmination of the saga and one of the best platformers in history. To make matters worse, it will be released next January Donkey Kong Country returns in HDjust like the previous one and as its name suggests, remastered in high definition.

In short, if you like 2D platformers but haven’t had a big ass yet, start there because you’re guaranteed to have fun. However, if you have come to read this article just because you love the genre and the franchise and you would like to find something to fill the gap Nicodericus It’s something… and a little more, as you’ll find out if you give it a chance.

Note: This analysis includes official captures and others taken on Nintendo Switch with significant quality loss. Keep that in mind!

Nicoderiko: neither bandicoot nor monica

Available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X and Nintendo Switch, the console I played it on, Nicoderiko: The Magical World is the title old school platformsone of those in which history matters little, as everything is arranged in favor of the most direct action possible, agile progress, achieving the challenges that arise, and finally completing the many hidden treasure elements of each stage.

As the story continues, Niko and Luna are two adventurers who arrive on an island and just before they get the long-awaited treasure, an evil man stands in their way. Niko and Luna will have to give him what he deserves, retrieve the treasure and free the island from these wretched creatures in the process. Again the battle of good against evil, evil snakes against fearless… lions? Well, no: they’re mongooses, although if you decide to look for pictures of these creatures, you’ll look a little surprised. meh.

But yes, they are mongooses. No lions, no monkeys… no bandicoots either. Actually, when I evaluate Nicodericus from Donkey Kong Land white label and not a clone, this is because the game is not only fueled by the adventures of the great ape: if 80% of Nicodericus is Donkey Kong Landthe remaining 20% ​​is Crash Bandicoot. How is it. I repeat: as it is.

It’s time to go all in because I don’t lie, exaggerate, or downplay anyone’s work. But that was my first impression when I saw the trailer for the game a few weeks ago, and it’s the one that sticks with me after finishing the game. in this sense Nicodericus he’s not lying That’s why I insist so much because we’re not dealing with a work from a very specific subgenre, or “inspired by”.

How similar is it Nicodericus on Donkey Kong Land? So much so that if you swapped out Niko for a donkey and upgraded four things, we could very well be talking about a new tie piece. Anything you can think of Donkey Kong Land valid ed Nicodericus: genre, art design, game mechanics… This may sound strange, considering that a 2D platformer has its conventions well established, but this goes much, much further.

Overall design Nicodericus not similar Donkey Kong Landis traced: the composition of the world by zones with stages, the elements that support each of them, the type of platforms, the gameplay and the way you interact with everything… Yes, it all sounds very general like this , but it’s amazing: you don’t collect bananas, but you collect a similar item ; instead of the letters e KONG, you must collect the letters NIKO; The hidden bonus areas are accessed through cannons, at the end of each stage you hit a sort of piñata…

The same with character movements: you don’t roll forward, you slide; You won’t hit the ground, but you can jump and fall hard, causing the same effect; Didi won’t help you plan, but you can with a sort of parachute blanket; In the water stages, you’ll make corkscrews to go faster and attack enemies… And in the absence of a rhino, you can ride a giant frog, a dinosaur and a wild pig, each with their own abilities.

It’s embarrassing at first, but it is what it is: an authentic copy of a Nintendo game, except for those screens where 2D gives way to 3Da change that is very good for development, but over which hangs another pendulum, such as Crash Bandicootalso seen in most bosses.

Nicoderiko: a risky balancing act

You already know what to expect Nicoderiko: The Magical World? Although it might be more accurate to call it that AND Land of the Donkey Bandicoot white labelis also a a rare bird in these times, and it works as much for the ripped as it does for the ripped: it’s a platform Indiabut with an above-average production level, with quite careful gameplay, suitable for all audiences, whether the title’s references are polished a thousand times or they are unknown…

In its artistic part Nicodericus It shines on a good level, although it also suffers from a lack of personality: the characters are nice and very cute, but also very standard; The color settings are full of detail, but they’ll sound familiar if you’ve seen them before… By the sound of it, the music will sound familiar too, and without seconds: The game’s soundtrack is provided by David Wise himself.composer Donkey Kong Land…And the result is very good. Even soothing.

As for the technical part, there are some problems that have not been fixed by the latest patches (the last one was just yesterday): there are minor graphic glitches here and there, the animations of the characters can be improved, especially in the moments when there are dialogues… By far the worst is however, screen loading times: 40, 50 seconds…? This is unacceptable. Nicodericus needs optimization, at least on Nintendo Switch. The good thing is that these are bugs that do not affect the game and everything runs smoothly after starting the game.

Moving on to the gameplay, a somewhat subjective term, it’s just as good and the characters react well, which doesn’t always happen in games of this type; The mechanics are well designed… If anything, the difficulty curve can be skewed, as what is generally simple sometimes becomes exponentially complicated when it shouldn’t. Be careful: go overboard Nicodericus It is affordable for anyone who is content with reaching the endgame. Doing it 100 percent is a different story, just as it happens to be the same Donkey Kong Land.

It is worth emphasizing at this point two of the game’s achievements: simple and normal mode, well combined for new and seasoned players to enjoy equally, and two-player mode, really convenient because it is available whenever you want: both can be started at the same time, you can pause the game and join at that moment , one leaves it and the other continues alone… This topic suited them. Another discussion is how the two players on the screen are managed, but we won’t go into that now.

Finally, a detail for the most demanding users, given that the real challenge and Donkey Kong Land It doesn’t finish it, but it finishes it. WITH Nicodericus the same thing happens: The task is not to pass, but to close the game with the highest possible percentagewhich is a sign that you got the most out of the experience. Isn’t everyone such a coffee lover? Of course. However, those of us who are know the added pleasure of achieving the most difficult goals.

in this sense Nicodericus It has an addition that is as stimulating as it is stressful: in addition to the letters, diamond and keys you have to collect in each stage to complete it one hundred percent, add a skull that adds up the times you died. … and, trust me you will die many times. Personally, I find it crazy that someone would complete everything without even dying, but it’s a detail I liked.

In conclusion… I already mentioned that it is mostly similar Donkey Kong Land and also to Crash Bandicoot? I come back to this at the end, because the decision to do something like this is delicate, you have a clear foundation, you can engage the fans of the genre and the games you “pay homage” to… But at the same time, you are facing legacies that have never been overcome. So the question is not whether the student will outperform the teacher, because that hasn’t happened: only on the final account Donkey Kong Land it’s a better game than Nicodericus.

and yet Nicodericus it’s a game sir: it’s a complete game that will take you 8-10 hours to complete depending on your skills and goals (about 15-30 hours to get over 90% I’d say, except in very rare cases); the variety of stages and their content is remarkable, the soundtrack is fantastic… Is this an indie game or is it running for another Donkey when Retro Studios is involved with Metroid?

In short, if you’re a fan Donkey Kong Land first a Crash Bandicoot after, Nicoderiko: The Magical World You’ll love it yes or no, even if it might throw you off a bit at first because of all the above because the combination works very well. and if Nicodericus It does not play in its own league, but plays in the league of other honorable platform titles of the latest batches such as New Super Lucky’s Tale, A hat in time either Yooka-Layleeand since they are games of which there are not many…

Besides, Nicoderiko: The Magical World comes at a price €29.99. You can now find it on Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store and Xbox Store. It will arrive on PC in early 2025.