‘Takoyaki Surprise’ Review (PC)
“Takoyaki Surprise!” – this is the exclamation that greets players as they load up Red Triangle’s action clicker.
Takoyaki Surprise has nostalgia in spades for anyone who grew up gaming in the 80s and 90s (or avid fans of early tabletop or cabinet arcade machines). Red Triangle has put a lot of effort into capturing the essence of early-generation gaming, from the “oh-so-cheesy” voiceover to composing unique monophonic loops suited to each level; I felt like I was back in London’s Trocadero.
Takoyaki (Grilled Octopus) follows the story of Tako and Sakana, two samurai who fight through hordes of different enemies to stop the evil Chef Shefu from grilling Princess Octopus on live TV!
In truth, the game’s narrative is nothing we haven’t seen before because it is essentially Mario saving Princess Peach, but what I did like about it was that the game not only puts its slant on a familiar formula but, to my delight, commits to it wholeheartedly. But, because of its conviction, I had wracked up about three hours of gameplay before remembering I had to write a review about it.
Takoyaki Surprise comprises eight levels of increasing difficulty set in various themed restaurants, starting at a burger joint where you battle evil sliders, hotdogs, and onion rings until you graduate to the perilous Italian restaurant where you are pitted against dastardly pizzas and spaghetti! I managed to get up to the Mexican restaurant before being mercilessly flatlined by a torrent of guacamole projectiles.
However, it made me think about the games of yesteryear and how unforgiving they could be. Takoyaki Surprise certainly draws inspiration from games such as Pac-Man and Defender. It has developed a challenging control system which requires the player to manage the imminent threats that befall Tako and Sakana simultaneously. This is something that modern gaming typically shies away from (save any of From Software’s titles), so it was refreshing to have this return to form.
Graphically, Takoyaki Surprise adopts a 16-bit look but gives it some additional polish to avoid the game feeling outdated. Even the cutscenes felt satisfying to watch as it embraced its anime nature. However, because of the artistic choices and overall game design, I do not see it falling into the mainstream, but equally, I don’t think that is what Red Triangle has set out to achieve. Takoyaki Surprise is a niche game that will undoubtedly do well among its niche target audience because it is a fun and challenging game.
By no means is Takoyaki Surprise without its flaws. Take the level design; depending on where you escape from in one section, you may find yourself trapped in another and have to restart the entire level if you’ve not reached a checkpoint. Then, there are other issues, such as the AI programming resulting in some enemies getting stuck behind various objects. Or, if you find a particular nook in any given level, you can prevent the enemies from damaging your health bar because, for whatever reason, they cannot attack you. This has advantages because you can activate your power-up strike and cleave through multiple enemies at once, but sadly, it detracts from the fun and overall challenge. On one level, you come across long-range enemies but can easily prevent them from firing if you remain out of their strike range. That kind of detail is great in more realistic open-world games but not in an arcade clicker where the relentless onslaught of attacks is half the fun.
In my opinion, Takoyaki Surprise is a love letter to 1980s/1990s gaming, and while I don’t think it will be everyone’s cup of tea, I’m sure it will find a welcome home within its target demographic. I do hope Red Triangle patches the flaws because it has the potential to be a really solid game.
*** 3/5
Takoyaki Surprise is available on Steam now.
