Toodee and Topdee [Nintendo Switch] | REVIEW

With its clever perspective-shifting gameplay and charming presentation, Toodee and Topdee is sure to keep gamers pleasantly perplexed as they switch between the titular duo to save the universe.

Check out some screenshots down below:

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Toodee and Topdee’s tale tells of a universe that has lost balance after the all-powerful Semicolon is stolen. Yep, that sentence alone will probably leave readers baffled, but you don’t need to know too much to follow the tale – just that Toodee lives in a world seen from a 2D perspective and Topdee from one with a top-down 3D perspective. Those worlds end up clashing together and merging, meaning the pair will have to work together by shifting between the perspectives they live within if they hope to recover the Semicolon and bring stability to the universe once more.

You’ll play as both characters throughout the game with the player able to shift between them on the fly. When playing as Toodee, players navigate across a 2D plane that feels like your typical 2D platformer – you know, jumping between platforms, avoiding hazards, dodging enemies… all that stuff. Whilst playing as Topdee, the game shifts to a top-down perspective, with the 3D plane allowing players to move around freely, create new pathways, and move blocks around.

On its own, it’d be pretty simple. However, Toodee and Topdee has players shift between both characters within the same level in order for them to help each other out, with Toodee and Topdee navigating it from their own perspectives. Is a block slightly out of reach for Toodee to jump towards? Switch to Topdee and move it. Are enemies harassing Toodee when trying to reach the end of a level? Have Topdee lure them to the other side of the map, switch back to Toodee, and watch them fall into a confined area. Each character can interact with each world and the creatures that inhabit them in different ways, so it’s up to you to take advantage of that in order to reach your goal.

“I got so hooked in I managed to beat it in one session, with the game’s roughly three-hour runtime bringing with it the perfect balance of creativity, difficulty, and fun to keep me glued to my Nintendo Switch screen.”

There are SO many different ways that the two can help each other out throughout levels, with different elements introduced within each world that ensure that the puzzles remain perplexing and that the experience is varied enough to keep players on their toes. You’ll be blocking water drain holes, utilising teleportation blocks, and navigating trap-filled mazes by the end, with each new element of gameplay demanding a different approach from the player.

It’s all very clever in design. The way that the game manages to make both Toodee and Topdee’s roles within a level feel important never failed to impress me, whilst the intuitive level design brings with it a fair level of challenge where you’ll really have to think things through carefully if you hope to succeed. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a hard game, but Toodee and Topdee does demand some clever planning, quick reactions, and platforming prowess if you hope to reach the credits. Admittedly, there were a few levels that felt challenging for the sake of it and that barely gave you enough opportunity to react quick enough to the problem at hand, but they were few and far between.

Add some cool boss battles that challenge everything you learnt within each world as well as the charming yet simplistic visuals and music to the mix, and it becomes clear that Toodee and Topdee REALLY has a lot going for it. Whilst I’ll admit that some minor imprecisions with the controls could make some levels feel a little more difficult than they needed to be, there’s generally a high level of quality to just about everything in the game.  

Check out some screenshots down below:

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I got so hooked in I managed to beat it in one session, with the game’s roughly three-hour runtime bringing with it the perfect balance of creativity, difficulty, and fun to keep me glued to my Nintendo Switch screen. I suppose some might argue it’s a bit on the short side (and I’m sure a lot of players could beat it quicker than I did), though the variety and quality seen within those hours will ensure players won’t feel like they didn’t get enough bang for their buck when playing.

There’s also co-op play on offer that sees two players controlling a character each, though I haven’t tried it yet. In fact, I don’t know if I will – now I’ve solved Toodee and Topdee’s puzzles, I don’t feel the need to go back to them, especially since I know the solution. It doesn’t feel like the sort of game that brings plenty of replayability, but instead one of those ‘one and done’ puzzlers. It’s not a bad thing by any means and the time you spend with it will be memorable, but it is worth noting that if you’re planning on playing co-op, you’re probably better off not playing through solo beforehand just to keep the experience fresh.

Developer: dietzribi
Publisher: dietzribi
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PC
Website: https://dietzribi.com/