If you’re at all familiar with my writing, then it should be pretty obvious that BAKERU was going to be of particular interest to me. As CGM’s resident Ninja, there was no way I wasn’t going to play the spiritual successor to the Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon series—with the president of Good-Feel Etsunobu Ebisu being one of the key figures behind that game.
BAKERU had caught my eye a little while back actually when I was inquiring into whether Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon was on the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Switch Online service before I purchased it. At the time, BAKERU was a Japan-only game, but the minute it got a Western release I jumped on the opportunity to review it and I’m so glad I did—BAKERU is an insanely fun game that feels fresh and modern while capturing the heart of the classics.
BAKERU takes place in a fantasy Japan where legendary folklore heroes are real! However, someone named Oracle Saitaro and his Festival Troops begin using a bizarre festival to brainwash these heroes and take over Japan. Our story begins when a tiny girl named Sun bumps into a young Tanuki named Bakeru while being chased by a bug.
When Sun informs the Tankui Elder of this plot, he sends Bakeru on a journey to restore peace to Japan, bestowing him with their clan’s treasured Haradaiko Drum—its mystical rhythms said to be able to restore the hearts and minds of those brainwashed. Together, Bakeru and Sun set off across Japan to free the heroes and put an end to Oracle Saitaro’s festival once and for all.
“BAKERU is an insanely fun game that feels fresh and modern while capturing the heart of the classics.”
It’s an incredibly quirky and fun plot that bears some similarity to Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon but establishes its own identity as both a loving tribute and comedic representation of Japanese culture. It’s a fairly straightforward plot, told mostly through manga-style cutscenes that add humorous asides to the game’s lighthearted nature.
But where BAKERU really shines is in its gameplay. Put simply, this game is just non-stop, uncomplicated FUN. I genuinely cannot think of a single moment where I wasn’t enjoying playing it, and I’m struggling to think of any moments when it doesn’t work on a technical level. At its core, it’s a mixture of simple platforming and Beat ‘Em Up action that evokes that era of classic N64 and PSX-era games like Brave Fencer Musashi, Crash Bandicoot and, of course, Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon.
Every level is unique and varied, ranging from wide open spaces full of enemies to pummel to more tricky platforming challenges with obstacles to avoid, but it never stays the same for too long. One minute, you’re running through a forest beating up bad guys, the next, you’re racing in a mechanical dog, and then, suddenly, you’re in a giant mech battle.
BAKERU’s combat is simple yet incredibly nuanced due in large part to its unique controls. Utilizing the style of the Haradaiko Drum, Barkeru attacks enemies with the two Taiko Drumsticks—attacking with which are mapped to the L and R buttons. Players can attack with either button singularly for simple combos, alternate button presses to string together long combos or press them together for powerful attacks.
It creates a really interesting rhythm to the combat as players try to time their inputs to defeat several enemies sequentially or stack combos against bigger single enemies. The combat is expanded further by Bakeru’s “Henge Abilities.” As a Tanuki, Bakeru is able to shapeshift—taking the form of any hero who grants them their Henge license.
“BAKERU’s combat is simple yet incredibly nuanced due in large part to its unique controls.”
The Kintaro Henge gives Bakeru huge fists to deal massive damage and create huge AOE attacks, whereas the Urashima Taro Henge equips Bakeru with dual fishing rods that give him weaker but quick long-range attacks. This gives players a wide range to diversify combat in fun and unique ways.
And aside from a few minor hiccups—like not being able to block or dodge mid-combo—the controls are just so fluid and responsive that controlling Bakeru always feels good. The platforming is that perfect amount of floaty, the movement speed is moderate without being sluggish, and there’s a whole bunch of little extra tricks players can do just for fun, like a Mario 64-style side-jump.
Plus, every level has a bunch of fun collectables, from little trinkets to fun facts about Japan and other things from an adorable little poop-joke named Scoop. Additionally, for the Western release, Good-Feel added two new special attacks that players unlock at relatively early levels and an additional boss fight.
Visually, BAKERU looks amazing. It’s impressive to me how crisp the visuals are playing both on and off the dock—even in handheld you could believe this was running at 1080p. Bakeru and all the enemies have unique, incredibly memorable designs, and every level is brightly coloured and incredibly detailed. Audio fares equally well with a plethora of great Japanese-inspired tracks that range from intense to silly fun. I particularly like the way striking enemies with the has a really powerful, resonant Taiko Drum sound that adds to the rhythm of attacking.
BAKERU may be one of the best games you play this year. Its simple yet nuanced combat, impeccable controls, wide variety of gameplay and lighthearted story make it something gamers of all ages and skills can enjoy. BAKERU never slows down, and it NEVER stops being fun.
