Review: Nikoderiko The Magical World

Join Niko and Luna on this adventure to save the island from the Cobritos army.

THE GAME

Nikoderiko: The Magical World is an adventure game developed by VEA Games and published by Knights Peak. Niko and Luna, two adventurous mongooses, go after an island treasure, but after managing to get it, they are confronted by Baron Grimbald and his army, who steal the treasure and are about to put an end to our duo. However, Niko and Luna manage to escape, but they seek justice, for themselves and for the inhabitants of the island who are tormented by the army of Cobritos. Alone or in pairs, venture through the island and help our protagonists win and bring peace to the inhabitants of the island again.

Niko and Luna together against the dangers of the island.

MY IMPRESSIONS

If there was a possibility of Donkey Kong, Crash Bandicoot and Rayman having a child, that child would be Nikoderiko. Elements of the three games mentioned can be seen throughout the game, whether in the gameplay, which alternates between a 2D and 3D platform game, or in the visual and mechanical aspects. I'm mentioning this factor initially because it's impossible not to talk about it. The references used here are blatant. And I had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I miss games in this style, and it's very difficult to find anything of quality. On the other hand, Nikoderiko draws so much from the source of the classics mentioned above that he almost drowns. It seems like he wants to be everything, except himself.

The gameplay bothered me a little, because the character's movements seem very stiff to me, in the sense that they're not fluid. It seems like there are some types of movements missing that, for those who play platform games, are already natural. Furthermore, when the level goes to a part where it becomes 3D, aiming becomes a lucky shot. Still talking about this change from 2D to 3D, I like the idea, but including this in almost all stages makes them long. As a result, playing too many stages makes the game tiring. The bosses are fun to face, with fun ways to complete these challenges. The game is in Brazilian Portuguese, which helps to follow the story that is being told. This story is not very exciting, unlike some small scenes that, without any dialogue, better tell the context of the moment.

Nikoderiko has a two-player option, which consists of going through the same stages, but with two people playing at the same time, one with Niko and the other with Luna, with the mechanic of being able to save the other player if he loses all his lives. Essentially, that's all that changes, making some parts easier, others more difficult. Overall, it's a simple game that will keep you entertained for a long time.

Changing perspective.

ACHIEVEMENTS

You'll face many challenges if you want to get 100% of the achievements in Nikoderiko. Completing the collection of all collectibles and defeating bosses with certain requirements are just some of the tasks to be done. There are several specific actions to be done that unlock achievements, such as finishing the game without dying or completing a level without defeating any enemies. I confess that I found some achievements to be very different from what you would expect from a game of this style, but they are not impossible. They generate a good level of challenge and will give work to those who want to complete all the achievements.

Try different mounts.

CONCLUSION

There's no problem in taking inspiration from classics and using resources from them, especially since it's hard to find something that's 100% original these days. What Nikoderiko does, however, is hide behind these resources that make you forget which game you're playing. At every moment, you find a reference to another game that could be used, but in a more creative way. One example is the access to the bonus stages that are hidden in the middle of the stages. In Donkey Kong, you entered a barrel and were launched. In Nikoderiko, it's a cannon, which even though it's a different object, is represented in such a way that it looks very similar to the barrel. And it doesn't stop there: the screen that informs you of the bonus stage is very similar to the ones we find in Donkey Kong. And that's just one example. I would have liked to have seen more originality, even if there were hints of homages everywhere. I didn't like the gameplay that much and, added to the length of each stage, I found it tiring. Nikoderiko had the potential to be a breath of fresh air, but ended up hiding behind tributes.

SCORE: 7.0/10