Save Me Mr Tako: Definitive Edition has recently re-appeared on the Nintendo eShop. Initially released with some unfavourable reviews back in 2018, the Developer Christophe Galati set out to work hard on the feedback and “fix” the game. Galati then went his separate ways with the original Publisher and has now re-launched the Definitive Edition, published by Limited Run Games. 

This game lands itself in a competitive sea of platforming indie titles on the Nintendo Switch and those seeking a quality platformer may easily miss this title. With the re-launch, is it sink or swim for our little Octopus friend Mr Tako?

Mr Tako is part of an Octopus civilisation caught up in the middle of a war on land between two human nations. The Octopus population find themselves at odds with each other. Plenty hate the human race for their destructive tendencies of their own environment and the sea, they seek revenge and want to wipe them out. Others are more level minded, like our titular hero Mr Tako, who wants to work with humans in his peacekeeping mission. 

What is a war story without a deeply driven family conflict? Not everything is as simple as it seems, as you will find Mr Tako’s brother, Bako, sides with the population of Octopuses who seek to destroy the human race and strive for a world without them. Although the gameplay strongly outweighs the need for a gripping story, the Developer has poured their heart and soul into this and the game is oozing lore in every corner. Those who enjoy a story with a deep rooted background will find plenty to sink their teeth into in-between levels. 

Controlling Mr Tako is fairly straightforward as you would expect in this kind of game. He simply walks, jumps and attacks. Each movement performs as you would expect and I found no frustration in any of the controls, only held back by my own skill set at points.

Upon starting the game, players will have the opportunity to decide on a difficulty level, Heart, Standard or Classic. Basically your Easy, Medium or Hard. I sampled the game on every difficulty and I found myself pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the game on each degree. There truly is something for gamers at all skill levels.

Levels are divided in a healthy mix of regular start – end stages, with a few puzzles here and there and some scrolling stages to keep you on your toes. Mr Tako also meets his fair share of Boss battles which are usually a nice breath of fresh air. 

As you might expect, the fundamentals of this game play the same as most platformers. As you proceed through the game, you will discover that you can unlock hats for Mr Tako, which grant him additional abilities such as faster speed, an extra heart to allow additional hits from enemies, or changing his standard attack from spitting ink to shooting arrows or swinging a sword. In total there are 50 hats to unlock, each providing a different power-up. 

Taking inspiration from the GameBoy era, Save Me Mr Tako is a nostalgic treat for both the eyes and ears of those who grew up in the 90’s and early 00’s yet should still be considered an unmissable platformer for fans of the genre.