BAKERU review

No matter how much time we make for video games, there will always be some we haven’t played. Whether it’s a game loved by millions or a cult classic with a smaller but especially dedicated fanbase, we all have little regrets of the ones that got away. One game I’m sure I would’ve loved given the chance is Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon on the Nintendo 64. Despite being during my peak 3D platforming years I somehow missed this much beloved title, and have always felt a little sad about it. Now I can pretend I’m part of the cool kids Goemon club though, and that’s all thanks to the heavily inspired BAKERU.

Our hero in the world of BAKERU is Bakeru, a young member of the Tanuki clan with a kind heart. When Japan is taken over by Oracle Saitaro the Tanuki clan are the only ones not brainwashed by his mind controlling festivals, and with the power of his magical drum Bakeru is the only one who can ensure peace in this fairy tale version of the real world country. His adventure will take you through 47 Japanese prefectures, and might just teach you a little bit about the culture of Japan along the way.

Each stage of BAKERU is a self-contained little world, full of baddies, cash and collectables. The baddies take centre stage for the most part though, with combat often being more of the focus than jumping. Drumsticks are the weapon of choice of our protagonist, and with a shoulder button dedicated to each hand holding a stick you’ll be percussioning your way to victory one bonk at a time.

The way your attacks work in BAKERU is very clever and entirely based on the drum theme. By mashing alternate attack buttons you’ll quickly and effectively bash enemies in a long combo, but if you’d rather maximise damage you can time both hands together for a more potent bonk. Charging both hands together will lead to a massive explosive drum blast, and as you progress through the game you’ll unlock more exciting attacks on top of this. I never got bored of drumming my way through various water balloon enemies, and it’s entirety thanks to this novel combat.

It isn’t all violent whacking you’ll be doing in BAKERU though, you’ll also be exploring the delightful themed worlds looking for collectables. Simple running and jumping is pretty much all you’ll need for this, but the bits and bobs you’ll find are so damn charming. Little souvenirs based on the location of the stage give you an idea of what the real equivalent locations are well known for, but these are nothing compared to the turd facts you get. Each stage has five hidden poo characters to find who will tell you something interesting (like the difference between whales and dolphins or a fact about local delicacies) and I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated a collectable more.

The variety in the stages of BAKERU is truly impressive, with everything from Oni filled volcanos to cruise ships represented across over fifty stages. The boss fights are a particular highlight thanks to their varied selection of attacks and ideal difficulty, and often by beating them you’ll gain access to their Henge.

Henge are special transformation powers in the world of BAKERU, which grant you all sorts of exciting abilities. The first of these you get gives you a hover jump and makes you small enough to enter tiny tunnels, but after that these abilities are more combat focused – replacing your drumsticks with yo-yos or guns. Swapping out your abilities for more powerful ones is always a blast, but the metre will run out fast if you don’t keep it topped up with glowing orbs.

As much as I loved my time with BAKERU it does have a handful of issues. The first of these was due to playing the game of Switch, where the performance is a bit of a mixed bag. Although not a problem for a lot of the game, some stages have some framerate issues that won’t be appreciated by everyone. There are also some particularly unenjoyable kart racing stages in the game that simply do not control well, and while I’d usually appreciate a bit of variety they would’ve been better left out of the game.

BAKERU is an exciting action platformer from start to finish, with a charming Japan focused theme and engaging combat. Exploring each world for facts and trinkets is an absolute joy, and the boss fights never disappoint. Whether or not you were a Goemon fan in your youth, you’ll find a lot to enjoy in this lovely game inspired by it.