Toree 3D

Toree 3D is a short and simple platformer that only costs a dollar, but it shows a lot more quality than you'd initially expect.

Toree 3D's story is pretty much non-existent. You play as Toree, a cute duck with sunglasses, who has had his ice cream cone taken away by an eldritch monstrosity (so basically a Kirby game). You have to dash and jump through nine short platforming stages in four different worlds to get the cone back. Toree 3D feels great to play. The controls feel fluid and responsive, and while the game is momentum-based, you never feel like you're not in control. My only real gripe is that you can't invert the camera control, though that could be an easy chance in a patch. The levels are also a ton of fun, each focusing on a core concept that all comes together in the excellent final level.

If you're playing Toree 3D just to finish it, you'll probably be left a bit unsatisfied. Even for its price, there are only nine levels in this game. However, Toree 3D isn't meant to be played normally, it's a speed run game. The controls are perfectly tuned for you to dash through these levels and you get a rank for how quickly you finish it. There are also a ton of collectible stars to find in each level as well if you prefer exploration. Getting all the A-ranks or all of the stars will net you a secret character for each task. The A-Ranks get you Tasty, who can run really fast and is great if you really want to break these levels. But even cooler is that getting all of the stars nets you Macbat, who has infinite jumps. This means that if you want, you can just fly around the level looking for Easter eggs and otherwise inaccessible areas, pretty much breaking the boundaries of the game. This is such a cool mode and I wish more games would do something like that.

Toree 3D feels like a love-letter to the PS1 and it shows in the art style. All of the characters and levels have that charming pixelated low-poly look that you'd come to expect from the system, but the game also doesn't limit itself to these standards. Toree 3D also has really excellent draw distance and runs far better than any game of this caliber would on the original system. The music is also much more complex and high-quality as well, though I definitely got a Chameleon Quest vibe from some of the themes. There are also a few creepy moments (distorted levels, giant low-poly monsters) scattered throughout the game that might catch you off guard at first, and while I think they stick out from the game's otherwise happy aesthetic, it was definitely an interesting surprise.

Overall, Toree 3D is a (mostly) cute title with a charming low-poly art style and a fluid control scheme. It's definitely worth getting for a buck, just don't expect something insanely long or ground-breaking.

3/5 Stars