Captain Toad Treasure Tracker takes the Nintendo platformer into a novel twist.

Captain Toad Treasure Tracker is Nintendo's newest platformer, with novel ideas to offer. Nintendo also finally gives credit to an underrated character, giving it an entire game to own.

Captain Toad on Wii U may seem familiar to players who've finished Super Mario 3D; the game offered a glimpse of Treasure Tracker, with a few levels dedicated to Toad as the only playable character. Nintendo is taking the concept and offering a complete game out of it, though.

The game plays similar to Super Mario 3D, with a striking difference in the dynamics: Toad can't jump and can't attack baddies. This limitation seems like a deal-breaker for most players, but is actually appropriate to the levels' designs. Toad maneuvers through levels and reaches goals as the player manipulates the environment using the controller.

The goal of the game is to collect crystals in each level, also the all-too-familiar yellow star. Toad has a sidekick in Toadette, who helps him clear out side-missions like collecting all the coins or defeating all the baddies in a level.

The scale of Captain Toad Treasure Tracker is a bit smaller compared to other Super Mario games, but it compensates with playability and reasonable repeat value. The game is a puzzle box of sorts, but a bit too short for those looking for a challenge.

There's Captain Toad Treasure Tracker cheats in store for those with save files out of Super Mario 3D. This unlocks a bonus option on the main menu, allowing players to explore levels in Super Mario 3D using Toad as the default character.

Early reviews of the game consider it short for a Nintendo game, especially compared to the Super Mario franchise. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker is fun to play nonetheless, capitalizing on the dynamics that made Angry Birds and Cut the Rope successful in the mobile platforms (ew.com).