Nikoderiko: The Magical World – Director's Cut Review
Nikoderiko: The Magical World is a polished 2.5D platformer that will remind you of some of your favorites in the genre.
Nikoderiko: The Magical World - Director’s Cut. VEA Games / Knights Peak
After its original release in December 2024, developer VEA Games and publisher Knights Peak have released an updated version of Nikoderiko: The Magical World, dubbed the Director’s Cut. The game is a polished 2.5D platformer inspired by classics Donkey Kong Country and Crash Bandicoot.
When mongooses Niko and Luna discover a treasure on a magical island, the reptilian Cobrings steal it. Now they must recover their treasure and save the island from the greedy reptilian army. The story isn't exactly Donkey Kong Country, but it’s easy to imagine replacing the treasure with a banana hoard and Cobrings with Kremlings.
Nikoderiko: The Magical World - Director’s Cut. VEA Games / Knights Peak
Thanks to the game’s tight controls, the platforming gameplay is great. Niko and Luna can jump on enemies, ground pound, slide, and throw objects; they can also perform context-sensitive actions like swinging from ropes, grabbing floating handholds, or firing themselves out of floating barrels canons. The game has even more similarities to Donkey Kong Country, such as rideable mascots and even mine cart action sequences. The 2D sidescrolling is broken up with brief segments featuring full 3D movement, like in Crash Bandicoot, with the player often running toward or away from the camera.
The level designs are inventive and full of surprises, with memorable, unique set pieces. Secrets are hidden throughout, with bonus mini-games and collectibles—including the letters NIKO, not far removed from KONG—to find in every level. Nikoderiko is tough but fair in normal mode. The player has 3 HP but spawns with only 2, making things challenging, though the game does mercifully let you keep collectibles you’ve found if you die. There are also easy and hard modes, which I didn’t try.
Nikoderiko is most fun when played in co-op, with one player as Niko and the other as Luna. Like some of the more recent Super Mario games, if one player dies, they reappear in a floating bubble that the remaining player can pop to revive them. It’s easy to exploit this to survive tough situations, but I’m not complaining. When in co-op, players can jump off each other’s heads to reach higher places, which is an excellent idea on paper, but unfortunately, difficult and unpredictable to pull off when playing. An update to address this would be nice.
The game’s 3D graphics are colorful and cartoony. Overall, the polish and detail in the game’s art and animation make it feel like it could have been a Nintendo first-party game, a feat not easy to pull off. VEA Games expertly mimics Nintendo’s house 3D style, down to the rim lights on the chunky, elastic character models.
Nikoderiko: The Magical World - Director’s Cut. VEA Games / Knights Peak
Nikoderiko: The Magical World - Director’s Cut is a fun, family-friendly game that combines the best parts of the classic platformers that inspired it. I had a great time playing it in couch co-op, and it’s easy to recommend to mascot platformer fans.
Nikoderiko: The Magical World - Director’s Cut is available now on Steam, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One / Series X|S.
Overall Score: 8/10
Played on: PS5
