Game Reviews

Save Toshi

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Save Toshi
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| Save Toshi

There's little that is new under the sun, just different ways of reflecting its rays.

Still, Save Toshi, from Israeli outfit Nitako, demonstrates that even when it comes to physics-based puzzlers, there's plenty of opportunity to catch the eye of the most jaded observer.

The set up of the universal game for iPhone and iPad is fairly conventional though. Created using the Unity engine, you're placed in a simple 3D level, in which you control the camera by sweeping your finger around the screen. You can also pinch to zoom in. Direct interaction is via tap; a ball firing out in the direction wherever you tap.

The goal of the game's 60 levels (another 40 are promised in future updates) is much more imaginative.

Toshi, the zany dancing anime hottie, finds herself placed somewhere within a colourful 3D structure consisting of different materials such as wooden, rubber, stone, ice etc; some breakable, some moveable, some solidly static, some very slidey.

Girl's gotta do...

Your mission is to get Toshi onto the disco dancefloor that's located somewhere on the level, by firing balls to break, move and generally manipulate the scene in front of you to get the girl into place.

The only thing you're not allowed to do is directly hit Toshi with a ball or drop her into the water that acts as each level's landscape. If you do so, Toshi gives a plaintive cry and then a comedy drowning noise, while the legend 'Oops.. Toshi is Dead!' appears on screen.

And it's the girl who really gives the game its kick.

Once you get her onto the dancefloor, it lights up, j-pop beats out, and she starts pulling some really cheesy shapes. Indeed, while she's waiting for you to work out how to complete each level, she'll start to complain, shouting 'Come on, come on' in a high pitched moan, before whining 'Faster, faster. You're so slow.'

When a level restarts after you've dunked her, Toshi shakes herself, even coughing as if she's expelling some water your clumsy ways have lodged in her lungs.

We all fall down

What's also impressive about Save Toshi is the level design. Even early, quite simple-looking examples can prove tricky, often because you have to be precise about exactly where you fire your balls. On other occasions, you have to be aware of the sequence of making your moves or the timing of dynamic objects.

It's not all engineering tolerances though as there's a playful design approach on display too with rotating platforms, giant man-shaped objects and Indiana Jones-style rolling balls employed. Sometimes, you even get to fire Toshi into the air by dropping a large weight on the other end of a lever.

And in terms of progression, you're rewarded with up to three stars depending on how few attempts and balls you required to complete each level; something that's combined with a hint system, as well as the ability to skip levels you get stuck on. Achievement and leaderboards are enabled using OpenFeint.

So, as well as providing a rock solid physics simulation, the fun of playing with the demanding dancing queen all combines to makes Save Toshi an imaginative and highly enjoyable experience.

Save Toshi

Colourful and novel, Save Toshi is a fresh breath of anime-style gaming in the 3D physics puzzler genre
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Jon Jordan
Jon Jordan
A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon can turn his hand to anything except hand turning. He is editor-at-large at PG.biz which means he can arrive anywhere in the world, acting like a slightly confused uncle looking for the way out. He likes letters, cameras, imaginary numbers and legumes.