Eduardo the Samurai Toaster Review

This game has quite possibly the best VG title ever. Released on June 15, 2009 exclusively for Nintendo WiiWare, Eduardo is a side-scrolling run and gun game developed by Semnat Studios. In this homage to past genre classics such as Contra and Gunstar Heroes, you take control of a toaster named Eduardo who also happens to be a samurai. Don't think too hard about this...

This is no story in this toasterrific action game, just kill everything before they kill you. Enemies range from possessed pastries to maniacal mangoes to crazy carrots. Oh, and some kind of flying UFO thing that shoots sparkles at Eduardo. How rude!

The graphics in this game are a mix of many different visual styles from cel shaded to what can only be described as scratchy (kind of like arthouse animation). The visuals change with each level, giving the game a distinctive look.

Besides the visual flair, Eduardo and his foes are well rendered and visually expressive, even though they don't have much animation to them. As before, Eduardo is a toaster whose samurai attire varies in color with which weapon he is using. Basic enemies include pastries of many different colors, what looks like really fat bees, and other weird things.

The different weapons that can be obtained from defeated enemies are also homages from the spreader like red pastry to the shotgun like pastry. My favorite is the explosive pastry, which can take out multiple foes on contact. There are also rapid fire and ground saturation bakery staple ordinance to round out the offensive package.

The music in this game has been praised by many for its oriental feel. The first few levels didn't do much for me, being strictly functional. I think the tunes picked up most around level 6 with a more somber occidental type of tune. The shump levels had a bit more of a beat to them, good for variety.

Unfortunately, the game has little to no sound effects. There is no death knells from the enemies, even a simple ugh would have been better than nothing. Aside from the weapon sound effects, the only sound is when the enemies hit Eduardo.

This Toaster's gameplay is reminiscent of the great action games of the past, as mentioned above. It is the utter simplicity of the game that works best in its favor. The only thing you need to know is to keeping pressing the fire button if you want to survive. Eduardo has many different kinds of pastry ammo and a melee attack for enemies that get too close; just like Gunstar Heroes.

Besides the standard side scrolling levels, there are 2 levels that play like Gradius, complete with unlimited ammo and Eduardo donning a samurai helmet and goggles. My favorite levels, mostly because you can't rely on throwing to succeed, so you better watch where those projectiles are going.

Many reviews have failed to mention a key element of the gameplay, the throwing mechanic. Eduardo can throw the enemies and their projectiles, which is not only good for offense but also key to a proper defense when the screen gets really crowded in the later levels. Throwing is executed with the B button on the Wiimote or shoulder buttons on the classic controller. Learn to use the throw well; it makes things a lot easier and more fun!

It should be mentioned that the boss variety is a bit lacking, having the same bosses at the end of each level, sometimes also in key parts. They consist of the UFO's, the mangos, and the flying ship thing. I would liked to see unique foes for each stage, but this is what sequels are for (Please!) Also, let us remember something: Super Mario Brothers 3, one of the greatest games ever made, had Boomer as the boss of every single fortress in the game, with few changes throughout the game. I don't think anyone complains about that...

Eduardo's challenge is selectable, ranging from easy to crazy hard. You can also select the number of lives from 1,3,6 and unlimited (don't pick the last one unless you want a very dull time). Crazy hard is most like Contra in that you die in one hit. A challenge worthy of hardcore gamers. As for the other difficulties, enemy number doesn't seem to increase, just the amount of hits Eduardo can take before he loses a life.

Replay value is limited, as you can do handicap runs. All weapons have limited ammo. An unlockable feature for unlimited ammo would have been sweet. Multiplayer is an option, of which I have yet to try out. I have heard that you can cooperate with up to 4 players or just annoy each other. Sounds like a unique experience.

In summation, Eduardo the Samurai Toaster is just the kind of game that WiiWare needs. It is not only a fun game, but a tribute to video game genres of the past, be it with its gameplay or its kooky characters. I hope people check this game out and support the continued efforts of Semnat Studios. Remember, greatest title ever!

- Ugly Bob

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