Nikoderiko: The Magical World – Director’s Minimize is a platform journey recreation developed by VEA Video games and printed by MY.GAMES. This title was initially launched in fall 2024, with the director’s minimize launched in spring 2025. Fortunately, the director’s minimize is a free replace for anybody who already owned the sport.
Should you already owned and performed Nikoderiko: The Magical World, then transitioning from that to the director’s minimize needs to be a breeze. You may switch all of your progress over with out dropping something. The director’s minimize additionally brings improved graphics, voice appearing, a tough mode (along with the already simple and regular modes), and a brand new world to discover.
It seems like glorious upgrades for many who already loved the sport. Nonetheless, the director’s minimize was my first expertise with Nikoderiko: The Magical World, so let’s get to the evaluate.
You play as Niko or Luna, two mongooses on a quest to save lots of the island by defeating the Cobring military. They steal an historic relic from the island, and it’s as much as Niko and Luna to save lots of the day. This recreation may be performed in single-player mode or sofa co-op. Whether or not you’re by your self or with a pal, you may play as both Niko or Luna. Apart from their bodily look, nothing is totally different between the 2.
Aesthetically, this recreation is superb. The soundtrack is a bop, the graphics are crisp and colourful, and the character designs are simple on the eyes. To not point out the minimize scenes and voice appearing are top-notch.
Nonetheless, regardless of the general feel and look of the sport, the precise gameplay mechanics and ranges missed the mark for me. The degrees are comparatively brief. Should you don’t take your time to discover, then you may simply get by a degree inside eight to 12 minutes. Every world has three ranges after which a last boss battle.
Every degree in Nikoderiko: The Magical World is crammed with basic platforming methods. You may leap from one platform to the following, wall-jump or maintain on to ledges for a short while, slide beneath tight areas, and, in fact, discover hidden secrets and techniques. It sounds nice, however the controls weren’t as fluid as I’d have preferred. The characters had been floaty, if you’ll. For instance, there have been occasions I’d leap from one slender platform for an additional, and Niko would both barely leap or he’d overshoot it utterly. Fortunately, there aren’t any lives within the recreation or else I’d have gamed-over so much.
When my sister performed with me, we regularly misplaced our personal characters or the digicam would utterly overlook one in every of us was taking part in. If I made it too far forward, typically the digicam would comply with me, thus killing my sister’s character. Different occasions, the digicam would keep together with her, thus killing my character. I believed the digicam favored me since I used to be participant one, however that wasn’t the case; the digicam had a thoughts of its personal. We nonetheless had fun taking part in collectively, although.
The degrees themselves had been various sufficient. The worlds ranged from jungles to treetops to beneath water. Not one of the ranges obtained repetitive. You’re operating from left to proper more often than not, however the ranges would typically change to Niko and Luna needing to maneuver ahead, away from the display, or towards the display. It was a intelligent change of tempo. To not point out, there are many secrets and techniques to search out with bonus mini-games, similar to accumulating all the celebs or defeating all of the enemies inside a sure time restrict. Should you succeed, you’ll earn one of many many collectables Nikoderiko: The Magical World has to supply.
These collectables embody the letters N-I-Ok-O, purple gems, and extra. The keys unlock ranges within the secret world, however the whole lot else goes towards shopping for chests. Sadly, the chests don’t offer you something to assist out Niko or Luna. You may’t earn extra HP or something of the like. The chests offers you a personality or setting from the sport. Primarily, you’re constructing the codex. You may then go to the treasury to see what you’ve earned up to now, however…nicely, that’s it. Should you get an enemy, for instance, you’ll see the enemy as it’s in-game. There’s no particular animation or sketch. There’s no description of it or codex entry of any form. After some time, I ended bothering with the collectables and targeted on simply getting by the degrees.
The bosses on the finish of every world had been fascinating sufficient, however inconsistent. The primary world boss had two battle phases whereas the second world boss had an motion sequence after which a one-phase battle. The third world boss solely had a one-phase battle and that’s it. I’m not saying the boss battles weren’t good. I died throughout every one in every of them as a result of it’s trial and error on the way you’re imagined to defeat them. I preferred that. Nonetheless, I simply thought it was odd when some bosses went on for some time and others got here to an abrupt finish.
Lastly, the sport had some glitches. The loading screens had been usually over a minute lengthy, and typically I’d get caught in a spot and wish to attend for an enemy to kill me so I may restart. When my sister and I performed co-op, I obtained caught in a sure spot in a degree and she or he wanted to maneuver on with out me. As soon as I used to be off-screen for some time, it killed my character and she or he may revive me. Besides, we each died shortly after and wanted to start out over. Then she obtained caught in the very same spot I did. So, I needed to transfer on and let her die off-screen.
Nikoderiko: The Magical World – Director’s Minimize is a enjoyable recreation whereas it lasts. It’s fast to get by and positively extra enjoyable with a pal. Nonetheless, there will likely be moments of frustration because of the motion and glitches. However no less than you may bop to its killer soundtrack.
