I’m a bit shocked I’m reviewing BAKERU. Fans have clamoured for more Goemon for ages on social media. You can see it on posts, threads, and other online venues. Yet, there is a lack of content available outside of Japan. So it’s a bit of a surprise that Good-Feel and Spike Chunsoft have decided to create a spiritual successor and port it to the West.
I remember renting Mystical Ninja Goemon from Blockbuster before I inevitably scored my copy for Christmas. If you’ve never played it, it may not hold up as well as other titles today, but it’s an absolute gem worth experiencing at least once, if not for its humour.
Bakeru Meets World
With Etsunobu Ebisu at Good-Feel, he would go on to create the spiritual successor to Goemon in BAKERU. Ebisu was the basis for Ebisumaru, one of Goemon’s friends, so it’s great to see him return to the series he helped develop. Without infringing on any copyright protections, Bakeru is about as close as the iconic thief Goemon can be. He shares many elements from his colour scheme —bold red and yellow, sporting a wild mane of bright, slicked-back blue hair, and wielding a Japanese drum instead of an ancient pipe.
Instead of being a thief, Bakeru is a cunning little tanuki, a mythical, mischievous mix of raccoon and dog. With his shapeshifting powers, Bakeru manages to wriggle in and out of trouble with style. Bakeru embarks on an adventure to set things right when a menacing villain starts wreaking havoc across Japan. He picks up new transformations, bumps into some delightfully oddball characters, and pilots a giant fighting mech disguised as a flying tea kettle.
The story starts with Bakeru on a mission to liberate Japan from the clutches of Oracle Saitaro. Bakeru embarks on a journey across Japan after disaster strikes the country. With Bakeru the Tanuki encountering Sun from the Issun clan, he is caught up in a situation that requires him to bring peace back to the country. To do so, he’ll journey with Sun to free Japan of evil spirits across 47 prefectures. The stakes aren’t world-ending, and frankly, they don’t need to be, as the narrative does enough to keep you entertained at all times. Bakeru’s journey takes him across a fairytale-like version of Japan, where he accidentally collects Henge Licenses—essential items bestowed by the heroes he meets. As his quest expands, so does the scale of his challenges.
He’s not precisely asking to be a hero, but he doesn’t grumble too much about it. The allies and heroes he meets are similarly straightforward—don’t expect much in the way of complex character arcs here. They serve their purpose: to keep the plot moving and give Bakeru the tools he needs to succeed.
It is a fair challenge, if not a bit on the easy side
You’ll be beating on an assortment of enemies as BAKERU. If you’ve ever played any adventure game before, then this will feel familiar as you maneuver through levels filled with enemies, collectibles, and obstacles to work through. You can’t beat a tried classic formula, and thankfully, Good-Feel knows how to do just that, given they’ve made some great games for Nintendo in the past. Using both shoulder buttons, Bakeru strikes enemies with his drums as you alternate between button presses. It’s fun, if not fundamental, and you can hold L and R, respectively, to charge your attacks, too. Overall, the gameplay isn’t challenging, and this feels like a game geared toward a younger crowd — thankfully, there are difficulty options in the Western release, so you can increase the challenge if you wish to do that.
Bakeru’s got a lot of agility to match his combat prowess, and many levels do a great job of showcasing his skills. I can comfortably say that I had a lot of fun making my way through the open-ended levels, which offer a more satisfying challenge in later stages. You also gain transformations to use in stages, and while they serve a purpose, I completed many of the stages without using them as much because many feel catered toward combat more than platforming.
Each level has three Evil lanterns you must find, and they can be hidden with an enemy or somewhere on the level itself. As you find the lanterns, the Festival Tower begins to weaken, removing the barrier needed to finish the level.
Verdict
BAKERU might not be Goemon, but it’s exciting to see the original team find a way to pursue the games they want to work on with some ingenious ways to sidestep legal hurdles. In all but name, the wacky humour and Japanese flavour are centre front, with tons of moments filled with slapstick and puns. There are also tons of levels with enough variation to keep you entertained throughout the campaign — and each level has tons of collectibles and challenges to pursue to keep you busy.
[The publisher provided a copy of the game for review purposes.]
Reviewed on: PC
