Sehr schade, dass dieses Spiel wohl nicht mehr außerhalb von Japan erscheinen wird. Das erste Spiel, was Goof Feel selber published und es ist Good Feel in Reinform. Ein 3D Collectathon mit relativsimplen Mechaniken aber unendlich viel Charme im Leveldesign und der gesamten Optik. Umso trauriger dass aufgrund der fehlenden Lokalisierung und dadurch bloß Japanischen Texte ein Collectible für uns quasi verloren. Das Spiel ist eine Reise quer durch Japan und bietet zu jedem Ort Fakten zum einsammeln, welche Menschen ohne Japanischkentnisse leider verborgen bleiben.
I adore this. Everything is lively and colorful, there were so many times where I'd stop progressing through a level to take it all in.
Speaking of levels there's a lot more than I thought there'd be, but the different gameplay styles really help keep things fresh! It's an easy game but I didn't mind at all. Plus I feel like those hidden tanukis you find in certain levels sorta made up for it, most of them were tricky to find!
I also love the way levels are completed in this game. Switching between the L and R buttons to use your drumsticks to restore the calamity towers and hearing that little jingle at the end never got old and always brought a smile to my face. One of my only gripes are the occasional framedrops. It can chug when there's a lot on screen, but other than that this is fantastic.
I played this with the english fan translation patch which was nice to have. Manifesting a localization announcement during the Nintendo Partner Showcase tomorrow because more people should check this out!
EDIT: Looks like it wasn't there... maybe next time Bakerubros
Speaking of levels there's a lot more than I thought there'd be, but the different gameplay styles really help keep things fresh! It's an easy game but I didn't mind at all. Plus I feel like those hidden tanukis you find in certain levels sorta made up for it, most of them were tricky to find!
I also love the way levels are completed in this game. Switching between the L and R buttons to use your drumsticks to restore the calamity towers and hearing that little jingle at the end never got old and always brought a smile to my face. One of my only gripes are the occasional framedrops. It can chug when there's a lot on screen, but other than that this is fantastic.
I played this with the english fan translation patch which was nice to have. Manifesting a localization announcement during the Nintendo Partner Showcase tomorrow because more people should check this out!
EDIT: Looks like it wasn't there... maybe next time Bakerubros
This review contains spoilers
Gotta hand it to Good-Feel. Their art and music are best in class. Yoshi’s Crafted World and this game, yessh! Not sure I could name 10 prettier 3D platformers than either of them.
Mameda no Bakeru in particular, the animations and levels are artistically rich with cute detail, and everything has punch rivaling New Donk City and the best stuff in 3D World.
Oh yeah, and making a platformer where each level is based on a real life place in Japan? Brilliant idea, and I love the mix of real world and cartoon design. Hot spring level! Pool level! Katamari-esque Escape from the City level! Mameda no Bakeru has 5-star ideas, and every so often it actually manages to execute on those ideas. The “run really fast through a level like you’re in a racing game” level here, for example, WIPES THE FLOOR with the Mario Kart levels in newer Mario 3D platformers. At moments, MnB approaches brilliance.
But there’s just a little too much holding it back, something I feel is common in Good-Feel games. MnB is a Kirby/3D Land-style collectathon platformer with light beat em up elements where you play as a Tanuki boy who attacks via taiko drumsticks. Sick, right? It is!
But as GF games tend to be, there are a lot of levels (which is good) and they can go really long. In addition, the combat is a little too brainless at times and not balanced particularly well around the (fun) power ups you unlock through initial boss fights. As in, the big fists you get can 1-2 shot most giant enemies in the game. The level design is good, great at times even (think 3D World/Forgotten Land/Sackboy PS5 but the levels are way wider and chiller, almost like Astro Bot but even more so) but the difficulty doesn’t escalate much and everything just drags a bit under the slow pace. Doesn’t help that MnB gets super framey in TV mode.
But I still love a lot about it. There are tons of new level concepts and ideas introduced constantly, bosses are fun, it’s cute, and despite a lack of difficulty escalation I had a lot of fun. I would just recommend blasting/rushing through once the game starts to drag (if you’re not a completionist).
First import game I beat!
Mameda no Bakeru in particular, the animations and levels are artistically rich with cute detail, and everything has punch rivaling New Donk City and the best stuff in 3D World.
Oh yeah, and making a platformer where each level is based on a real life place in Japan? Brilliant idea, and I love the mix of real world and cartoon design. Hot spring level! Pool level! Katamari-esque Escape from the City level! Mameda no Bakeru has 5-star ideas, and every so often it actually manages to execute on those ideas. The “run really fast through a level like you’re in a racing game” level here, for example, WIPES THE FLOOR with the Mario Kart levels in newer Mario 3D platformers. At moments, MnB approaches brilliance.
But there’s just a little too much holding it back, something I feel is common in Good-Feel games. MnB is a Kirby/3D Land-style collectathon platformer with light beat em up elements where you play as a Tanuki boy who attacks via taiko drumsticks. Sick, right? It is!
But as GF games tend to be, there are a lot of levels (which is good) and they can go really long. In addition, the combat is a little too brainless at times and not balanced particularly well around the (fun) power ups you unlock through initial boss fights. As in, the big fists you get can 1-2 shot most giant enemies in the game. The level design is good, great at times even (think 3D World/Forgotten Land/Sackboy PS5 but the levels are way wider and chiller, almost like Astro Bot but even more so) but the difficulty doesn’t escalate much and everything just drags a bit under the slow pace. Doesn’t help that MnB gets super framey in TV mode.
But I still love a lot about it. There are tons of new level concepts and ideas introduced constantly, bosses are fun, it’s cute, and despite a lack of difficulty escalation I had a lot of fun. I would just recommend blasting/rushing through once the game starts to drag (if you’re not a completionist).
First import game I beat!
its good!! there are some kinda arbitrary-feeling callbacks to goemon like the robot battles, but in the end this really isn't much like it at all. go into it expecting a new flagship kids IP by goodfeel rather than a true goemon successor
there are definitely pluses and minuses to this, one of the main pluses being the sheer scope of the game. i can promise it's at least 50% longer than you expect it to be lol. on the other hand, as a kids game targeted squarely at the corocoro audience, the gameplay is pretty simple and doesnt get much more complex throughout, and the writing is pretty juvenile. definitely not nearly as funny as any given goemon game, sadly
it's a pretty rare breed of 3d platformer nowadays, so i hope people check it out on those merits. if you want something that's not 100% a linear obstacle course, and not 100% a collectathon sandbox, this probably fits the bill! there are times when this design is a bit at odds with itself, like there being enough points-of-no-return in levels that require you to restart the whole thing to get missed collectibles that it starts to become irritating, but generally it works well and makes me long for the era of 3d platformers with open spaces to explore that aren't just about picking up trinkets
the art direction is generally pretty great, with the biggest caveat being that i kinda don't like any of the character designs at all? they're not bad necessarily, it just, once again, feels like a game like ninjala in the degree to which it targets the corocoro audience
probably the biggest mark against it of all is that goodfeel banked so hard on it and it backfired so spectacularly. i would've taken a game a quarter of this one's size if it meant there was any hope for this to lead to improved sequels. but at the very least, we got this weirdly expansive, pretty good 3D platformer that feels out of its time
there are definitely pluses and minuses to this, one of the main pluses being the sheer scope of the game. i can promise it's at least 50% longer than you expect it to be lol. on the other hand, as a kids game targeted squarely at the corocoro audience, the gameplay is pretty simple and doesnt get much more complex throughout, and the writing is pretty juvenile. definitely not nearly as funny as any given goemon game, sadly
it's a pretty rare breed of 3d platformer nowadays, so i hope people check it out on those merits. if you want something that's not 100% a linear obstacle course, and not 100% a collectathon sandbox, this probably fits the bill! there are times when this design is a bit at odds with itself, like there being enough points-of-no-return in levels that require you to restart the whole thing to get missed collectibles that it starts to become irritating, but generally it works well and makes me long for the era of 3d platformers with open spaces to explore that aren't just about picking up trinkets
the art direction is generally pretty great, with the biggest caveat being that i kinda don't like any of the character designs at all? they're not bad necessarily, it just, once again, feels like a game like ninjala in the degree to which it targets the corocoro audience
probably the biggest mark against it of all is that goodfeel banked so hard on it and it backfired so spectacularly. i would've taken a game a quarter of this one's size if it meant there was any hope for this to lead to improved sequels. but at the very least, we got this weirdly expansive, pretty good 3D platformer that feels out of its time
I kept this game on my radar ever since word spread around it being revealed in a Japanese Nintendo Direct, and after marathoning 6 Goemon games and going through a bit of hell to import it (thanks AMEX Giftcard), This is a really damn fun game and I'm so glad I enjoyed it!
It takes some pages out of Goemon's handbook with it's presentation of Japanese culture and crafting a ton of uniquely fun levels based on real life prefectures of Japan that always had me guessing on what was next. Very pretty looking game with cute character designs overall!
The game controls super well, love how versatile Bakeru is especially with the forms he unlocks. Mecha fights feel like a bit of an evolution of Goemon's where its a 3D boxing-esque 1v1 rather than a first person 1v1. Music is really good too! Bosses are fun, nothing too tricky, but fun!
Collectibles are abundant and satisfying to grab, a fair chunk of them had me scratching my head on where to find them too (those hidden tanookis were nutty)
Biggest issue with this game is definitely the performance. It runs at an uncapped framerate that usually runs fine enough, but when it gets busy it really shows.
Overall, while Mameda no Bakeru isn't as challenging as Goemon's games, I still had a blast blazing through it and I place it pretty high up with other platformers I love. What a damn fine start as Good-Feel's first 3D outing.
Here's hoping it can get localized in some form or fashion or ported on other consoles or PC. Thankfully it has an English fan translation underway!
It takes some pages out of Goemon's handbook with it's presentation of Japanese culture and crafting a ton of uniquely fun levels based on real life prefectures of Japan that always had me guessing on what was next. Very pretty looking game with cute character designs overall!
The game controls super well, love how versatile Bakeru is especially with the forms he unlocks. Mecha fights feel like a bit of an evolution of Goemon's where its a 3D boxing-esque 1v1 rather than a first person 1v1. Music is really good too! Bosses are fun, nothing too tricky, but fun!
Collectibles are abundant and satisfying to grab, a fair chunk of them had me scratching my head on where to find them too (those hidden tanookis were nutty)
Biggest issue with this game is definitely the performance. It runs at an uncapped framerate that usually runs fine enough, but when it gets busy it really shows.
Overall, while Mameda no Bakeru isn't as challenging as Goemon's games, I still had a blast blazing through it and I place it pretty high up with other platformers I love. What a damn fine start as Good-Feel's first 3D outing.
Here's hoping it can get localized in some form or fashion or ported on other consoles or PC. Thankfully it has an English fan translation underway!
Bakeru is a fun platformer but one that never really wows or perfects anything it does, instead it's pretty alright. I wish they'd just put the time they put into making 60 levels into instead halving that list and making each one feel more memorable, because the slog that the number of levels psychologically and tonally creates is honestly the worst thing about the game, everything else is pretty good but hopefully the seemingly poor sales don't kill the chances of a sequel.
P.S. Also technically unrelated to game design but the performance is abysmal. Worse than Scarlet and Violet but at least those games have a fantastic game lying underneath the issues, Bakeru is just a very slightly above average platformer. I played on an overclocked Switch which was 1.5x faster than a standard Switch and it still 90% of the time ran at 20FPS or lower. Plus lots of input drops which don't just happen at inconvenient times but all the time.
P.P.S. I played through this using Team Oceanic's fantastic fantastic fan translation which I would highly recommend if you are interested in checking this game out.
P.S. Also technically unrelated to game design but the performance is abysmal. Worse than Scarlet and Violet but at least those games have a fantastic game lying underneath the issues, Bakeru is just a very slightly above average platformer. I played on an overclocked Switch which was 1.5x faster than a standard Switch and it still 90% of the time ran at 20FPS or lower. Plus lots of input drops which don't just happen at inconvenient times but all the time.
P.P.S. I played through this using Team Oceanic's fantastic fantastic fan translation which I would highly recommend if you are interested in checking this game out.
this is a ps2 game
it's not really doing anything special, it's pretty janky and starts to drag near the end but the level design is solid and i found it pretty charming and fun overall
it's not really doing anything special, it's pretty janky and starts to drag near the end but the level design is solid and i found it pretty charming and fun overall
It may not completely scratch the Goemon itch on a gameplay front. This is more of an action brawler instead of a rpg light platformer. But the creativity on display is commendable to say the least. The way they take each Japanese prefecture and break down the culture into action stages is really neat to see. It's very much a quality product and I hope good feel are planning on making this a full fledged franchise. Maybe with an fully open 3D world ;) .
Mameda no Bakeru wears its Goemon influences on its sleeves proudly but it ultimately is a game that is more comfortable in its own skin than just being a spiritual successor of a series from yesteryear.
Aside from framerate issues in a number of the later levels, Bakeru is a very solid 3D platformer with a shockingly high amount of levels. I did not expect this game to have over 60 levels and figured it would just be a cute short cashgrab that tried to cash in on the sever absence of the Goemon series and its not. By the end of the game you'll be going "Goe-who?" I really hope Bakeru becomes a fullfledged series because I think Goodfeel really nailed this and I'd love to play another one that has a little bit more challenging platforming.
Aside from framerate issues in a number of the later levels, Bakeru is a very solid 3D platformer with a shockingly high amount of levels. I did not expect this game to have over 60 levels and figured it would just be a cute short cashgrab that tried to cash in on the sever absence of the Goemon series and its not. By the end of the game you'll be going "Goe-who?" I really hope Bakeru becomes a fullfledged series because I think Goodfeel really nailed this and I'd love to play another one that has a little bit more challenging platforming.
This game was made by Good-Feel, who helps out on first party Nintendo Titles like Kirby and the Forgotten Land. It's unclear what role they serve but after playing this my guess is they probably contribute contract labor, especially visuals/animation.
This game has the same camera as Kirby and the Forgotten Land, but has a really sprawling type of level design. Occasionally level design feels a bit 'denser' and reminiscent of something like a Super Mario 3D Land / Super Mario 3D World, but a lot of times it's just a visually stunning setting (a cruise ship roof, a beach, etc) with a lot of little visual candy - sandcastles with nooks, watermelon enemies, small caves.
Enemies are strewn throughout the levels, although they're usually dancing or walking around in circles... you're quite powerful, and gain extremely powerful upgrades to mow down the enemies. Getting hurt is usually from something coming off screen or being unable to see things properly. There is a dodge roll and parry.
The effect is it feels like we're slaughtering a bunch of monsters having festivals. In fact the goal of each level is to shatter 3 festival lanterns in order to 'repel the evil celebration!' But the power divide between you and these joyful enemies (imagine mowing down people dancing on stage or in a parade) creates a strange effect.
The levels have collectibles which tell you fun facts. These range from bad jokes to legitimately interesting facts - did you know Japan has underwater mailboxes?
I also like how the levels are organized so that there's one for each prefecture in Japan. Have Americans made a 3D platformer for every state yet? Let me in on that...
So is it good? It depends on what you're looking for. This doesn't feel challenging in the way older 2.5D platformers like Goemon did. At the same time there's a shocking amount of polish and visual stuff put into this game, and it feels a bit at odds with how simplistic and repetitive the design elements are. I feel like there's a weird story behind this game's development under the surface, but we may never know..
This game has the same camera as Kirby and the Forgotten Land, but has a really sprawling type of level design. Occasionally level design feels a bit 'denser' and reminiscent of something like a Super Mario 3D Land / Super Mario 3D World, but a lot of times it's just a visually stunning setting (a cruise ship roof, a beach, etc) with a lot of little visual candy - sandcastles with nooks, watermelon enemies, small caves.
Enemies are strewn throughout the levels, although they're usually dancing or walking around in circles... you're quite powerful, and gain extremely powerful upgrades to mow down the enemies. Getting hurt is usually from something coming off screen or being unable to see things properly. There is a dodge roll and parry.
The effect is it feels like we're slaughtering a bunch of monsters having festivals. In fact the goal of each level is to shatter 3 festival lanterns in order to 'repel the evil celebration!' But the power divide between you and these joyful enemies (imagine mowing down people dancing on stage or in a parade) creates a strange effect.
The levels have collectibles which tell you fun facts. These range from bad jokes to legitimately interesting facts - did you know Japan has underwater mailboxes?
I also like how the levels are organized so that there's one for each prefecture in Japan. Have Americans made a 3D platformer for every state yet? Let me in on that...
So is it good? It depends on what you're looking for. This doesn't feel challenging in the way older 2.5D platformers like Goemon did. At the same time there's a shocking amount of polish and visual stuff put into this game, and it feels a bit at odds with how simplistic and repetitive the design elements are. I feel like there's a weird story behind this game's development under the surface, but we may never know..