Toki

• Release Date: 1992
• Genre: Action
• Style: Side-Scrolling Platform
• Similar Games: Toki: Going Ape Spit (Sega Genesis), Viking Child (Atari Lynx), Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo Entertainment System), Kid Chameleon (Sega Genesis), Vs. Super Mario Bros. (Arcade)

Game Description

The evil Vookimedlo decided to make the beautiful Princess Miho his bride, so he kidnapped her and arranged for a marriage within three days. The valiant warrior Toki planned on rescuing Princess Miho from Vookimidlo's palace, but the wizard king turned him into an ape! Now Toki vows to continue his pursuit, save the kingdom and reverse the spell.

Toki for the Lynx is based on the 1989 arcade game of the same name. Players must guide Toki through the lands leading to Vookimedlo's palace, defeating any enemies standing in the way. Toki can either use his powerful breath or jump on top of creatures to vanquish them, and he can eat objects to increase the damage of his breath attack.

As Toki makes his way across the levels, he'll be able to climb vines, jump across platforms, or use devices such as springboards to fly high into the sky. While you start with four lives, an additional Toki can be earned for every fifty coins collected. Besides the coins, players can also find and use helmets for protection and rabbit boots to jump higher. At the end of each level, you'll face one of Vookimedlo's Master Guards. Defeat each one to continue your adventure!

Review: Overall

If you could imagine a platform game where every good point is balanced by a bad point, Toki for the Lynx would be it. The game has its ups and downs, but in the end somehow manages to be utterly average.

Toki's premise is original, at least. You play a warrior-turned-spitting monkey out to rid yourself of your curse and save a princess. There are some humorous points in the game, like when you pick up the football helmet power-up. But the actual gameplay isn't anything that you haven't seen a hundred times before in a hundred other platformers. You'll run a little, shoot some, run more, shoot more, maybe jump and climb a little, then run and shoot some more. The gameplay is thoroughly average in every way. The controls are acceptably responsive, though you'll notice an occasional instance of slightly slow response here and there.

On first appearances, the graphics are quite good looking. The colors are lush and the visuals have an unusual, slightly blurred look, which gives you the impression that the sprites are pre-rendered. In screenshots, Toki is impressive. But all that breaks down when you start to move around. Character animations are poor, so that virtually all movements end up looking stilted. Additionally, the screen scrolling is anything but smooth. When you move your character around, the camera seems to jerk individual steps to follow you instead of gliding along smoothly.

Toki's music is rather good. You'll be treated to a nice set of songs that are in keeping with the game's jungle theme, but that's counterbalanced by the game's disappointing cookie-cutter sound effects. Like the graphics, Toki's good points in the sound department are negated by its bad points.

Toki isn't a bad game by any means, and if you can't get enough platformer action, then Toki might be for you. But there are definitely better games on both the Lynx and other systems.

Review: Enjoyment

Toki is a squarely average platformer, without any gameplay innovations or perks but also without any problems.

Review: Graphics

Great use of colors but choppy screen scrolling.

Review: Sound

Good music but below average sound effects.

Review: Replay Value

The game is pretty much a one shot affair, as there's little in the way of secrets or divergence.

Review: Documentation

Even the game's manual is average.