Captain Toad Treasure Tracker

Genre: 3D Puzzle-Platformer

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local)

The Nintendo Switch 2 Difference

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Review:

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a clever little character-based puzzle game where each level is like a little self-contained puzzle box you need to navigate through without jumping in order to get to the star at the end, and find as much treasure as you can along the way. Originally on the Wii U, and then the 3DS, this game made it to the Switch with a few other features and even new paid DLC content, making this arguably the definitive version, although there are points in favor of the other versions as well, such as how this game unlocked content in Super Mario 3D World (which at this time has yet to appear on Switch).

However, details aside, what we have here is a well-polished title with a great presentation and some clever puzzles. Toad confronts many standard Mario enemies, but lacking the ability to jump, he often has to evade them or find more creative ways to dispose of them, such as falling onto them from a higher platform or chucking a vegetable at them a la Super Mario Bros. 2.

That’s not to say that confronting enemies is the main challenge here though. These little self-contained levels are wonderfully well-designed, each with its own little secrets and creative inner-workings, and the puzzles here really will get you thinking about how to tackle the challenges in the game.

The visuals and sound are on par with a quality Mario title, which makes sense, as this is basically a full-release version of the same sort of puzzles that were present in a such Mario title, the aforementioned Super Mario 3D World. I would add a minor caveat that’s Toad-specific though: Some might find the character’s voice (and the main theme) a tad grating. However, besides this, the game looks and sounds great.

My biggest gripe about the game is Toad’s movement, which even beyond his lack of ability to jump, is frustratingly sluggish, even when holding down the “run” button. Since you’re often cris-crossing levels back and forth to use switches or explore secrets, it can be frustrating to have to wait for him to plod over to where you need him.

In the end, Captain Toad Treasure Tracker is a solid puzzle-platformer with Mario-quality presentation and some good puzzles. It’s not without its annoyances as well, but for the most part, this is a solid title that fans of puzzles would do well to pick up.

tl;dr – Captain Toad Treasure Tracker is a game where players guide the titular non-jumping character through numerous levels that are each like little puzzle boxes. The puzzles are clever, and the presentation is solid, and this is overall a fantastic puzzle game, although it’s not without a few annoyances.

Grade: A-

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The Nintendo Switch 2 Difference

Captain Toad Treasure Tracker

Genre: 3D Puzzle-Platformer

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local), GameShare (Local Wireless / Online)

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Review:

One of the initial batch of games to receive free updates on Nintendo Switch 2 when it launched in 2025, Captain Toad isn’t exactly the first game to mind when you think of games that really need a Nintendo Switch 2 update… but apparently Nintendo feels differently.

This update improves the game’s resolutions and adds HDR support, which updates a game that already looks quite nice. However, I think the real value added here is the other upgrade – GameShare support for 2-player co-op play through the entire game’s campaign. While this game’s 2-player support seems a bit tacked-on, it is nevertheless wonderful that you can now share the experience of the game from start to finish with a friend who doesn’t even own the game.

All in all, this is a solid update to a very good game, or at least a solid update for something that costs nothing extra to get, as long as you own the game and a Nintendo Switch 2.

tl;dr – Captain Toad Treasure Tracker is a game where players guide the titular non-jumping character through numerous levels that are each like little puzzle boxes. The puzzles are clever, and the presentation is solid, and this is overall a fantastic puzzle game, although it’s not without a few annoyances.

Grade: A-

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