Genre: Puzzle
Developer: Two Tribes B.V.
Publisher: Two Tribes B.V.

From Sierra's 1994 Lode Runner remake to the 3DO port of The Incredible Machine, puzzle games have a long history of fidelity updates that more or less leave the actual mechanics intact. Toki Tori, a modern adaptation of the classic "Eggbert" MSX title, takes this tradition to new heights, featuring fantastically drawn stage tiles, incredibly high resolution characters, and some really neat post-processing effects.

Much of Toki Tori's soundtrack is the sort of bouncy, zany in-your-face style of music one might expect from a Saturday morning cartoon. It's all orchestral though, and the more subdued tracks-- such as the sewer world's tune-- are fairly memorable. Sound effects fit the game's sense of humor and polished aesthetic.

Like the aforementioned Lode Runner, Toki Tori's gameplay consists of traversing 2d platforming stages, complete with ladders and other navigable props, while collecting items. Most of the stages are splendidly designed mind benders, in that the player must utilize the various tools at his disposal in exactly the correct manner while "rewinding" the gameplay Braid-style to fix mistakes.

Toki Tori makes use of a simple premise, and utilizes that premise well through a plethora of extremely challenging stages. On top of it, the game's graphics are marvelously sharp, making good use of modern GPU features while simultaneously staying true to the title's MSX roots. It's not one of the Wii U's most ambitious games, but is a great "filler" entry in the platform's ever growing library.