Super Kiwi 64

Genre: 3D Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

Super Kiwi 64 is a 3D Platformer released on PC and Nintendo Switch in 2022. As the title implies, Super Kiwi 64 is a throwback to the 3D Platformers of the Nintendo 64 era, and it is clearly aimed at nestling right in the comfy nostalgia zone. This game also seems to be a prequel of sorts to Macbat 64, though it was released years after that game.

In keeping with the game’s nostalgic theme, the presentation here is decidedly old-school, which is to say that the game features low-poly 3D visuals with low-quality, blurry textures. It does sufficiently put one in mind of the Nintendo 64 era of videogames, but even so, it feels like something is missing – there’s a lack of polish present here that’s well beyond what we saw in the Nintendo 64 games that Super Kiwi 64 evokes. These visuals are joined by a whimsical, repetitive, and largely forgettable soundtrack that manages to evoke the same style as seen in games like Banjo-Kazooie without being anywhere near as catchy.

For the gameplay, Super Kiwi 64 is a pretty simple Platformer. There aren’t really many enemies to contend with, and while there are collectables to find and… er, collect… doing so feels more than anything like busywork rather than the developer’s way to get you to fully explore the level. These levels are extremely simple and abstract in a way that generally fails to capture the imagination, and they’re also spread out over somewhat large, empty areas to the point where what little there is in this game feels like it’s spread extremely thin. Also, this game’s camera is pretty terrible… yes, even by Nintendo 64 standards, and oddly it’s even worse than what was in Macbat 64.

If there’s one thing that Super Kiwi 64 does better than Macbat 64, it’s that Super Kiwi 64’s move set is more interesting than Macbat 64’s. However, that’s not going to make up for the way the game just plops you down into its big empty levels without any sort of direction or engaging gameplay beyond “now go and collect a bunch of stuff”. Hardly inspiring.

Is it worth the $3 price tag? Honestly, probably not. If you’re looking for a nostalgia trip, I think Macbat 64 did a better job at it, and if you want a good platformer in the style of Banjo-Kazooie, you’re better off getting Yooka-Laylee, or you can just go on the Nintendo Switch Online Nintendo 64 app and just replay Banjo-Kazooie. But Super Kiwi 64 simply isn’t well-designed enough to hold the player’s interest, and even the nostalgia will fade before long.

tl;dr – Super Kiwi 64 is a 3D Platformer designed to evoke nostalgia over classic Nintendo 64 games like Banjo-Kazooie. Unfortunately, poor level design and a terrible camera make it hard to appreciate the few positive qualities this game has, and the nostalgia can’t just make up for how spread thin and empty this game is.

Grade: D+

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