Save me Mr Tako: Tasukete Tako-San

If you can deal with Game Boy-like graphics, you’ll find a very interesting game that reminds us of Kirby, but it is much more than that. Challenging and surprising, we think it deserves an opportunity.

For anyone that owned a Game Boy back in the day, Christophe Galati’s Save Me Mr Tako will very likely tug at the old nostalgia stings with its visual sincerity towards the long-reigning handheld console. While the gameplay itself can come across as a little humdrum at times, there’s no denying that there’s still a fun puzzle-platformer to be found here with plenty to see and do. If you’re looking for a simulated trip down memory lane, then Save Me Mr Tako happens to be one of the better replications of a new Game Boy game released for a modern day console.

You probably came for the retro nostalgia, but in Save me Mr Tako! you'll get something far more robust.

Save Me Mr. Tako is a lovingly crafted throwback to the days of the Game Boy. While we found some rough spots with the lack of side quest tracking and ropey collision detection, they weren't enough to take away from our overall enjoyment of the game. Tako is a lovable character in a quality platformer that would have been right at home on the system it pays homage to. If you love the Game Boy - flaws and all - then you'll absolutely adore this game.

A nostalgic video game that combines 2d platforms and adventure in a very successful way. A great work of the promising Christophe Galati that deserves great praise.

If you’re looking for a truly authentic retro experience, then you can’t go wrong with Save Me Mr. Tako! just keep in mind that it even comes with the negatives of that age of games. Despite those shortcomings though, it’s a charming romp through and through.

Don’t be fooled: seeing Tako’s quest through to the very end will test your platforming skills, patience, and perseverance to their absolute limits. I am thrilled to have completed what I can safely say is one of the most challenging video games I have ever played.

In these kind of moments it’s common to write about an ‘unfulfilled potential’ but after playing I can’t be bothered to do even that. Although it takes just one look at the game’s aesthetics to see how well and honestly the developer was able to render the Game Boy-pretend visuals. [13/2018, p.74]

If you enjoy stressful games, then Mr. Tako may just be your next best friend. [Issue #37 – January/February 2019, p. 18]

Save Me Mr Tako is a cheery delight with surprisingly thought-provoking dialogue, but I could only perform the same gameplay for so long. Ultimately, the experience wasn’t engaging enough to push me through to the conclusion, but I wish Mr. Tako the best in his efforts to end the tragic conflict between octopi and humans.

Save me Mr Tako successfully apes a period of gaming history, but I just wish it had shed a few of the more tiresome tropes from that time. If you're part of the niche audience that this is catering to, you'll find a fun romp down what feels like memory lane. For everyone else, I'd proceed with caution.

Save Me Mr. Tako is a decent 2D platformer with some great presentation and a loving throwback to the 2D platformers of the 90s, but unfortunately feels a bit too frustrating to enjoy for long periods of time.

Save Me Mr. Tako! succeeds in its aim of recreating a Game Boy game. Unfortunately, that is all that it succeeds in. It is a competent game but relies too much on cheap deaths to pad out its mediocre gameplay.

Gliding around while shooting ink to turn enemies into platforms is indeed fun but Save me Mr Tako: Tasukete Tako-San is still an old-school 2D platformer that could have done much more to stand out in such a crowded genre.

If you can look past Mr. Tako‘s frustrations, you’ll find a heartwarming story with various intricacies that call attention to the cruelty of the world. If you cannot, you will find that the game’s visuals, sound, and a tale of love and peace conquering hatred and war aren’t enough to save it from its myriad gameplay issues.

The game tries to take us back to the past, but it is a product lacking its own personality and full of elements that can be frustrating. Save Me, Mr. Tako! must correct many mistakes if it wants to offer a truly fun experience.

The charming Game Boy style sprites can only go so far until all that is left is a very mundane platformer.

Save me Mr. Tako! has all the elements to appeal to its target audience, namely those who are looking for an experience reminiscent of games made for the Game Boy. While it does part of its job correctly, there are several points that need to be addressed, such as its rather frustrating controls, the somewhat unnatural difficulty level and lack of inspiration in some of the levels.

Under its good looks as a true Game Boy hommage, Save me Mr Tako only delivers the bare minimum: its uninspired level design sometimes try to hide a story which you should not give too much attention to. Save me Mr Tako is simply way too classical to face the strong opponents it has to face.