Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a 2014 puzzle-platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. The game was re-released for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS in 2018 with additional content. It is a spin-off of the Super Mario series and a prequel to Super Mario 3D World. The game stars Captain Toad and Toadette as they complete levels, defeat enemies and save each other from the antagonist Wingo. Each level is contained within a miniature diorama-like environment that requires puzzle-solving and platforming challenges to complete. The player also uses the Wii U GamePad to rotate the camera and reveal new information and interact with the environment.
The game originated from the Captain Toad levels in Super Mario 3D World, which started as a prototype concept and were included as side levels in the final product. Captain Toad was selected as the main character because his large backpack would justify the lack of jump controls. The developers had wanted to make the concept levels into a full game since the start of 3D Worlds development, and upon Shigeru Miyamoto's request, development began after the release of 3D World. Plucking as an action was implemented for additional gameplay variation, and bonus challenges and collectibles were added to help with difficulty. The goal throughout development was to make the game enjoyable to as broad of an audience as possible, and help normalize the use of camera control in video games.
Treasure Tracker was announced at E3 2014, releasing November 13 in Japan, December 5 in North America, and the following January in PAL regions. The game received generally favorable reviews, being praised for its graphics and concept but criticized for its camera control and never fully leaning into its gimmick. The 3DS and Switch versions were praised for their utilization of hardware, though the multiplayer was considered lackluster. The Wii U version sold over 1 million copies, making it one of the highest-selling games on the console. The Switch version sold over 2 million copies, placing it inside the top 50 best-selling games for the system.
Gameplay
In Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, the player controls Captain Toad, a Toad, or his companion Toadette, attempting to safely navigate through various obstacles and reach a star at the end of each level. As in Super Mario 3D World, Captain Toad and Toadette can walk and run, but cannot jump due to their heavy backpacks. They are able to pull plants out of the ground to use as projectiles, a feature that is also used to interact with other items in the level.Each level is contained in a small environment, requiring the player to solve puzzles or complete platforming challenges to complete the level in a linear fashion. By using the thumbsticks or motion sensors on the Wii U GamePad, the player can rotate the diorama-like level to different orientations, revealing new paths and parts of the environment. The GamePad can also be used to interact with the environment in some levels, such as using the touchscreen to move platforms, blowing into the built-in microphone to move moving platforms, and using the motion controls to aim and throw objects at enemies. The player has two hitpoints that can be lost by being hit by enemies. If the second hitpoint is lost, the player must restart the level. However, if all lives are lost, the game is over. Mushrooms are hidden in levels that will restore a lost hitpoint when collected.
Collectibles are hidden in each level, and once a level is beat it can be completed with special conditions, such as completing the level without taking damage. When a Toad Amiibo is scanned the player is put into a random level and tasked with finding a hidden pixel art of Toad. In the Nintendo Switch port, the hide-and-seek pixel Toad challenges do not require a Toad Amiibo to play. The re-release for the Nintendo Switch in included co-op multiplayer; the second player controls a pointer that can interact with enemies and toss turnips. Additional Amiibo released featuring Super Mario Odyssey characters were also released and compatible with the Nintendo Switch version that unlock four bonus levels based on locations found within Odyssey. The levels can be unlocked by scanning the Amiibo or are made available after completing the game. 18 additional levels were also released the following year as paid downloadable content. With the removal of the Wii U GamePad the Nintendo Switch still retained some of its features when being used portably; if the player is playing Treasure Tracker while docked, a cursor will appear on the screen that the player controls using motion controls.
Plot
The game opens with Captain Toad and Toadette ascending a tower together to claim a star. The villainous giant crow Wingo appears and steals the star, taking Toadette along with him when she grabs hold of it. The player guides Captain Toad as he tracks Wingo down to his lair and rescues Toadette. Each following chapter sees one of the two captured, and the player controls the other Toad on their way to save them. In the final scene of the game, they defeat Wingo, and the introduction to Super Mario 3D World plays out, and Captain Toad is seen following a falling star into the glass pipe. For the Switch/3DS versions, the final scene shows Captain Toad following the Odyssey.Development
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker was developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo. Shinya Hiratake, the lead level designer of Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World, served as the game's lead director, while Koichi Hayashida, who was a director for 3D World, served as a producer. Despite being in a position that was less hands-on, Hayashida said he was more involved with Treasure Tracker in its latter half than he was 3D World.''Super Mario 3D World'' levels
Among the many prototypes of what would become 3D World was a level that Hayashida described as a "little diorama stage using Mario"; the game's camera would look at the level from the outside. They found that allowing Mario to jump would result in the level needing to be much larger than intended, so the idea as the game's base concept was scrapped. However, they knew the concept would work if the player character was unable to jump. An idea was pitched to the creator of the Mario and The Legend of Zelda franchises Shigeru Miyamoto that featured Link as the featured character. The concept was rejected because to him, Link would traverse the environment and fight enemies with his sword, which took focus away from the puzzle gimmick. While considering other characters that would justifiably be unable to jump, the developers settled on the character Captain Toad from the 2007 video game Super Mario Galaxy because of his large backpack. Captain Toad would be included in a series of levels within 3D World that featured this original concept, which released in 2013. Since the beginning of the concept's conception they wanted to create a standalone game using it, and limited the amount of Captain Toad levels in 3D World because of it. Miyamoto asked them to make it a full game due to his enjoyment of the Rubiks' Cube, wanting to create a game that featured mechanics similar to it, which the staff were happy to do.Design
Each level was designed to be its own unique environment with a linear path to completion. The developers wanted camera control to be required to teach new players or those unfamiliar with the concept to use it, both in Treasure Tracker and other future Nintendo games. Small tunnels and pillars were used to emphasize camera rotation. A camera alternative where the player viewed the game in first-person was explored but was too complex to include. At the start of development the team designed 100 levels and played through them together. One of their first problems was stale gameplay; since the game lacked jumping they relied on only walking, which became repetitive. To fix this they added a second mechanic, plucking, where Captain Toad could pull items from the ground and interact with objects in the environment. With the addition of plucking they were able to diversify the level mechanics. To make the level selection less overwhelming for the player, the levels were split into three groups called "episodes" that increased in difficulty. Bonus challenges and collectibles were added to give an additional challenge for more experienced players, and a time limit wasn't included so less experienced players could have however much time is needed to solve the puzzles. Various level designs were inspired by Arabian Nights.A two-player cooperative multiplayer mode was considered and explored but ultimately scrapped from the final product, though the idea was revisited in the Switch version of the game. The game's story was made to be connected to that of 3D Worlds; the developers also considered connecting the story to Super Mario Galaxy, as a story being read by Rosalina. Captain Toad was designed to be a treasure hunter to justify his reason to explore, so much that it almost becomes a negative character trait. Hiratake described Captain Toad as "a crow that loves shiny things or a moth to a flame. He just loves treasure so much that he can't think about anything else". Hiratake ensured that Captain Toad had as much character as possible, emphasizing that he was an unlikely hero with personality. They included details to his character to show this, such as making him dizzy if he is interacted with on the Wii U GamePad, or being scared when approached by enemies. Miyamoto also pitched in with this idea, giving suggestions, such as how Captain Toad should never defeat enemies directly, only accidentally in attempt to save himself. Toadette was made playable further down the line to offer gameplay variance, and Hayashida noted that the two were "adventure pals" in the game.