Nikoderiko: The Magical World is set to release later this month, but before it does, we got the opportunity to play through its PC demo, taking a quick peek at some of its levels and retro-inspired gameplay.
Bright and colorful, Nikoderiko: The Magical World is a 2.5D platformer that draws heavily from some of the all-time greats developed by Rare and Naughty Dog, while also incorporating elements from more recent titles.
So, can Nikoderiko live up to the titles that it draws inspiration from? Is this another half-hearted attempt to capitalize on nostalgia like Yooka Laylee? Find out in our full preview for Nikoderiko: The Magical World.
Nikoderiko: The Magical World is what can only be described as a “Greatest Hits” mix of Rayman Origins, Crash Bandicoot, and Donkey Kong Country, borrowing from some of the most influential platforming greats to deliver a nostalgic and familiar experience that is much-needed in the current gaming landscape.
Anyone who grew up with these titles will instantly spot where Nikoderiko‘s inspirations come from, and will be sporting an ear-to-ear grin while playing the game, as it simply oozes with nostalgia and hits just the right notes to make you feel like a kid again.
With impeccable level design, clever mechanics, difficult stages, a fantastic soundtrack, and incredibly polished controls, Nikoderiko feels like it was spawned from the collective dreams of platforming fans, taking shape as that one title that gamers pester companies about but never receive.
The demo for Nikoderiko is unfortunately very short, only giving us access to three levels in total, which is about half an hour of gameplay if you take your time to explore. The game’s levels are all designed incredibly well and feature vibrant environments with very detailed backgrounds, as well as loads of secrets and collectibles.
One of Nikoderiko‘s gimmicks is that, at specific moments during the game, it switches between being a 2D and 3D platformer. The perspective switch usually appears out of nowhere and always looks amazing, giving the impression that it was done effortlessly—something that not many games are able to accomplish properly.
The game also borrows from the Donkey Kong Country animal buddy system, as you get to ride frogs, crocodiles, seahorses and lots of other animals through the game’s levels, using their special skills to defeat enemies and reach hidden collectibles.
While the game’s demo is fantastic, Niko’s voice acting is unfortunately a low point, as his dialogue is awkward and the character’s VA tries a little too hard to sound cool.
The game’s protagonist being silent or speaking in some weird language made up of noises would probably be much better, although that’s a personal preference that others might not share.
For those who don’t want to put up with Niko’s quips, though, there is a second player character, Luna, who we can switch to at any point in the game and who doesn’t appear to have any voice lines—at least not in the demo.
Nikoderiko: The Magical World features an entire soundtrack composed by David Wise, best known for his 24 years of work at Rare, where he provided music for titles like Donkey Kong Country, Battletoads, Diddy Kong Racing, and more.
The tracks that we get to experience while playing through Nikoderiko‘s demo are truly fantastic and fitting with the game’s premise. It’s a bit of a shame that none of its promotional material seems to feature Wise’s compositions, instead featuring a royalty-free pop song that does a genuine disservice to the game’s trailers.
The current track selection in the demo manages to strike a good balance between its more serious and lighthearted songs, using the adventure and exploration themes for its main stages, while the jazzier and goofier tracks are used during special stages or as end-of-level jingles.
Overall, Nikoderiko: The Magical World shows a lot of promise and might genuinely spearhead the return of mascot platformers. The game is technically impressive in all aspects and seems to have been made with a lot of love and respect for the classics that it takes inspiration from.
Nikoderiko‘s full release carries a lot of hope for a genre that hasn’t seen many quality titles in the modern age, being mostly dormant ever since Crash Bandicoot 5 was cancelled in favor of live-service games.
When modern gaming companies refuse to work on sequels to our beloved childhood titles, it’s up to fans to step up and develop what will become these new classics, so if you are a platformer fan, make sure to give Nikoderiko: The Magical World a try when it comes out.
Nikoderiko: The Magical World is set to release October 15, 2024 for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Microsoft Windows (through Steam).
