Bakeru
| Bakeru | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Good-Feel |
| Publisher(s) | Spike Chunsoft |
| Director(s) | Tadanori Tsukawaki |
| Producer(s) | Etsunobu Ebisu |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | Nintendo Switch
|
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Bakeru[a] is a 2023 action video game developed by Good-Feel and published by Spike Chunsoft. It was released in Japan for the Nintendo Switch on 30 November 2023. It was later released internationally for Nintendo Switch and Windows on 3 September 2024. Bakeru has been described as a spiritual successor to the Ganbare Goemon series.[1][2]
Gameplay
The player controls Bakeru, a tanuki boy disguised as a human who performs action with his taiko.[3]
Development and release
Bakeru was developed by Japanese developer Good-Feel. It was directed by Tadanori Tsukawaki and produced by Etsunobu Ebisu, both of which were lead creators of Konami's Ganbare Goemon series.[4] The development team focused on keeping the game design simple and intuitive, forgoing complex management system.[5]
The game was released first in Japan for Nintendo Switch on 30 November 2023, both physically and digitally.[3] Spike Chunsoft published the international version in the west, which added the Windows port, on 3 September 2024.[6] The western release made adjustments to improve gameplay and added extra contents, such as Bakeru's new actions.[4] A physical edition in North American and Europe was made available on 25 February 2025.[7]
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | NS: 81/100[8] |
| OpenCritic | 85% recommend[9] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Nintendo Life | 8/10[10] |
| Digitally Downloaded | 9/10[11] |
Bakeru received positive reviews on release. The game received "generally favorable" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.[8] 85% of 34 critics recommended the game according to OpenCritic.[9]
Notes
References
- ^ Plante, Chris (26 September 2024). "20 years later, an N64 cult classic gets a killer spiritual sequel". Polygon. Valnet. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ White, Lucas (23 August 2024). "Bakeru review: Mystical raccoon dog, starring Not-Goemon". Shacknews. Gamerhub. Archived from the original on 24 August 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ a b Romano, Sal (31 August 2023). "Otogi Katsugeki Mameda no Bakeru: Oracle Saitarou no Sainan!! launches November 30 in Japan". Gematsu. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ a b Vogel, Mitch (20 August 2024). "Feature: New Attacks, More Speed, Bigger Challenge - Good-Feel On Bringing 'BAKERU' To The West". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ Bicknell, Coop (14 October 2024). "A Bright and Colorful Adventure: An Interview with BAKERU Director Tadanori Tsukawaki". Anime News Network. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
- ^ Romano, Sal (13 August 2024). "BAKERU coming west on September 3 for Switch, PC". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 23 September 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ Romano, Sal (7 October 2024). "BAKERU physical edition for Switch launches February 25, 2025 in the west". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ a b "BAKERU critic reviews (Nintendo Switch)". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Bakeru Reviews". OpenCritic. 3 September 2024. Archived from the original on 21 March 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ Vogel, Mitch (24 August 2024). "BAKERU Review (Switch)". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 17 June 2025. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
- ^ Matt (24 August 2024). "Review: Bakeru (Nintendo Switch)". Digitally Downloaded. Retrieved 20 June 2025.