When I booted up the Toree Saturn, it felt like someone had pulled a prank on me from the long-lost Sonic the Hedgehog prototype from 1997, starring a yellow canary with a backpack and sunglasses. This game is a retro 3D platformer runner in the spirit of the Sega Saturn era, fast, colorful and without too much philosophy. Toree doesn't come to talk, he comes to run.
Who is Toree?
Honestly, I've never heard of this little bird runner, but after a little digging around I discovered that there's a whole franchise of low-budget, bite-sized games behind it. Each sequel costs less than a euro, lasts about an hour, and guarantees a dose of pure, undemanding fun.
The cute protagonist of this story, Toree!
Jump, run, fly over
The premise of the game is crystal clear: Toree sprints through linear levels from point A to point B, trying to get to the finish line as quickly as possible. There is no idling, and there are neon stars that catapult you into the air, boosts that launch you over precipices, and lines that test your precision and timing. The controls are minimalistic, but precise: Toree runs and jumps, he can do a double-jump, and using the ZR button we center the camera behind him.
After a bunch of C grades, it feels good to finally secure an A.
Bizarre story about stolen ice cream
The game offers a dozen different levels that take us through neon city nights and desert temples, through floating vaults and industrial zones. All this is accompanied by a bizarre, cute "story" that I don't understand at all. Toree rests until the news pops up on the neon screen: a new flavor of ice cream has been stolen, and it's by a criminal organization led by his nemesis, a purple bird with a mohawk named Hawkee. Sound like a joke? Absolutely.
This is where my understanding of this story ends, which later turns into passing through a portal in an Egyptian temple to the heavens where we encounter a demon who seems to have fallen out of the Persona games, but is actually a good guy who will help us. Honestly, I didn't try too hard to understand all that, the main dish of this game is the gameplay.
Fear not, Toree…the purple evil will help us. Or they will damn us forever
Short, sweet, and ready for replay
Each level is only a few minutes long, but the replayability is what makes the game last longer. At the end of each level you get a grade (from C to S), and you can also collect hidden ice creams that unlock new skins for Toree. The difficulty is just right: everyone will eventually pass the game, but you will still struggle a little for good timing and score. The game also offers bonus levels after completing the main campaign, as well as a special skate-park hub where you can freely perform tricks on a time-limited map in a Tony Hawk atmosphere.
The evil Hawkee plots to steal that perfect ice cream – the first step to world domination
Audio-Visual Identity: Sega Saturn rave party
Grafički, igra cilja na onu šarmantnu, low-poly estetiku iz lateh '90's – oštri rubovi, žarke boje, i glatki frame rate koji ni u jednom trenutku ne posustaje, A Toree svojim okruglim dizajnom daje savršeni contrast okolini i jasno se ističe cijelo vrijeme. Soundtrack kombinira synthwave, chiptune i lagani arcade rock, stvaparadiseući dojam da ste zapeli u 2001. WITHvaka pjesma potiče da daand more jedan pokušaj, još jedan savršeni run.
Toree deserves his 15 minutes of fame
Toree Saturn is exactly what it promises: a short, explosive retro adventure of a cute little bird. It doesn't want to change your life, but it will definitely brighten up your afternoon.
For the price of a coffee (and less!), you get a polished, fun and fluid platformer that doesn't pretend to be something it's not. In fact, I sincerely hope that one day this little yellow racer gets a full-blooded platformer title. There is no shortage of potential, and I would gladly support the developers again.
A copy of the Nintendo Switch version of the game was provided by publisher Diplodocus Games for review purposes
