With Swap 2 now internet hosting Wind Waker, SoulCalibur and the like, have you ever received a case of GameCube fever? If that’s the case, Misc. A Tiny Story could be simply the soothing ointment that you must apply generously throughout your physique. Lead developer Michael Pearce has mentioned it was impressed by the video games of his youth, and it solely takes a look on the trailer to see that these video games should certainly have included GameCube favourites Chibi-Robo! and Pikmin. Taking that retro inspiration, Misc is a 3D platformer that includes a teeny-weeny robotic bobbling about and serving to individuals in a unusual post-human world.
The debut launch from Tinyware Video games, Misc was made by a core crew of three, profitable funding from the Australian authorities alongside the way in which. It was developed for Nintendo Swap (which is the model reviewed right here) and PC however, as reported on Nintendo Life final month, Tinyware took a punt on Swap 2’s method to backwards compatibility, that means the brand new console does ship a major increase in graphics and efficiency – however extra on that later.
The story revolves round an inch-tall robotic named Buddy and his buddy Bag Boy – a unicycle robotic with a paper bag on his head. Someday, they hear an explosion of their little backyard village, then set out on an journey to seek out out what it was. As they go, they go to different locales peppered with pleasant robo-characters to assist to, run errands for, or commerce with.
So simple as the story is, it’s good to go on a quest simply because one thing went bang, not as a result of the world’s ending once more – and it doesn’t maintain again on throwing in some dramatic moments afterward. That is supported properly by the music, which has a storybook high quality, some eerie moments, and even a number of songs for the emotional peaks.
Every village space you go to on Buddy’s odyssey has a locked exit gate and a scattering of collectibles. There’s not too many — no collectathon trinket fixation right here — and so they’re cut up between main golden cogs and minor steel nuts. The steel nuts are extra plentiful, left in brief trails to nudge you across the stage, whereas the golden cogs are the keys to opening the gates. Every space has ten cogs, with eight required for development. Somewhat icing on that fairly appetising collectibles cake is a feel-good “Distinction Made” system (suppose Chibi-Robo’s Comfortable Factors) which counts up your constructive affect on the world as you potter about litter-picking and scrubbing goop.
However gathering golden cogs is the spine of the sport. You primarily get them both by finishing duties for NPCs — discover a shiny trinket or full a set of sheet music — or by performing daring feats of platforming and exploration. The platforming is all low-stakes stuff — there are not any lives to lose or something like that — however if you fall, you’ll be left having to retrace your steps, which might typically be a little bit of a downer.
Alongside some retrying, the jump-feel takes a little bit of getting used to. It’s floaty by design, with Buddy having a propeller on his head to increase his air time, and the digital camera will want loads of guide nudging to get sight of each the place you’re aiming and the place your drop shadow’s going. It was resolution on Tinyware’s half to place essentially the most difficult leaping in separate underground sections — one on every stage — with none golden cogs driving on it. Tucking the ‘actual’ platforming away in break-outs like this jogged my memory of Mario Sunshine’s wooden-block programs – one other GameCube memory.
Whereas we’re with reference to controls, there are duck and dive manoeuvres which can be virtually by no means wanted, as in the event that they’d been forgotten, and a stamina gauge to throttle your sprinting that simply appeared pointless to me. Misc does management properly when you’ve clicked with it, however these particulars make it really feel just a bit bit saggy.
Many of the motion occurs in outside settings a bit paying homage to Pikmin. Nevertheless, a graphical comparability with Swap up to date Pikmin 4 shouldn’t be particularly flattering. The environments are assorted, significantly later within the sport, though they often appear slightly barren. Whereas most ranges don’t really feel like locations characters may really stay, their allure and creativity nonetheless come by means of.
Sadly, the Swap isn’t doing the sport any favours: it merely can’t render the sport at its finest. Decision is low, and distant property are onerous to make out, with plenty of shimmering. The default setting for focus blur is slightly heavy-handed — not a lot Vaseline on the lens as a custard pie — obscuring something at a distance and making it onerous to get your bearings. As soon as I found I might flip the blur off, it didn’t return on – for easy playability greater than aesthetics.
And that little little bit of navigation assist was actually wanted in some villages. I finally managed to border the degrees round distinctive landmarks, however scouring locations for the final couple of cogs typically led to strolling — albeit somewhat cutely — in circles. As I climbed up the identical stack of buckets for the fourteenth time, even Bag Boy beginning giving me humorous appears to be like. Add some invisible partitions and blocked gaps that appear like you would undergo them, and greater than as soon as I used to be prepared to maneuver on earlier than having the required cogs.
A check on Swap 2 advised a special story altogether. The decision at distance is nice, motion is way smoother, and cargo occasions are shorter. I nonetheless most popular to have the blur turned off, however the capability to survey ranges correctly from excessive vantage factors helped no finish find my means round. Once more, although, it’s the Swap 1 ‘model’ beneath assessment right here.
Conclusion
Misc. A Tiny Story is an enthralling and pleasant first effort from Tinyware – albeit with some wobbles in execution. It sticks very near traditional concepts and struggles with graphical constancy on Swap, however none of that may undo the allure of the characters and the retro vibe straight from the GameCube period. Till Chibi-Robo hits Nintendo Classics, it will serve all of your miniature robotic helper wants.