Review: Croc: Legend Of The Gobbos (Switch)

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)Back in the mid to late ‘90s when the fifth generation of consoles was still going strong, mascot platformers were all the rage. Hoping to take advantage of the then-growing trend, Argonaut Software—best known for its work on Star Fox and the Super FX chip for the SNES—made a pitch to Nintendo for a new 3D platformer starring Yoshi.

Nintendo shot them down, but Argonaut wasn’t ready to give up on the concept, so the team retooled it into an original game called Croc: Legend of the Gobbos that saw release on other platforms. Now, the studio has decided to bring Croc back for new audiences with a fresh remaster, and while this release is certainly showing its age, it’s still an enjoyable romp.

Croc takes a level-based approach to its gameplay, guiding you through themed worlds packed with obstacles to overcome and collectibles to ferret out.

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)
The goal of each level is simply to make it to the end and give a gong a good swat with your tail spin attack, but there are also six of the titular gobbos hidden throughout each stage, as well as five coloured gems that unlock access to a sixth gobbo. Collecting them all is technically optional, but the only way you’ll get to challenge the final boss and see the true ending is if you manage to grab them all.

Level designs are relatively linear and lack the size seen in contemporaries like Super Mario 64 and Spyro the Dragon, but there are still plenty of secrets and rabbit trails to distract you from the main path. That said, it can sometimes feel like obstacles are haphazardly placed and the levels tend to be somewhat meandering—Croc is still an enjoyable platformer, but the levels don’t ‘flow’ nearly as well as some genre peers.

Then there’s the matter of stages tending to get too homogenous over time, especially when you’re going through a succession of levels in the same world. There are only so many times you can beat up the same foes and interact with the same obstacles before you start to recognise how few new ideas Croc has to bring to the table; this is the kind of game that’s more content to simply remix the same basic elements than to introduce novel gameplay concepts over time. This isn’t strictly a bad thing, but it does mean that Croc tends to run out of steam faster than you’d hope.

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)
Still, there’s something charmingly simple about Croc’s approach to 3D platforming which makes it feel worthwhile. Each stage only lasts a few minutes, lending a brisk pace to the overall gameplay, and the straightforward approach to Croc’s moveset keeps the moment to moment action from feeling too complicated, unlike the infamous case of Donkey Kong 64. It won’t stick out in your memory for very long due to its general lack of creativity and spectacle, but the solid underlying mechanics make it feel worthwhile.

This being a modernised remaster, the visuals have naturally received a significant boost in fidelity that improves the moment-to-moment gameplay considerably. By default, the world has all the updated models and textures on display, but with the tap of a button, you can also toggle the retro models if you want a more old-school look. This can be further enhanced by activating filters that simulate a CRT screen. Regardless of your visual choice, everything runs at a buttery smooth 60fps.

The gameplay enhancements don’t stop there, as Croc now also features full analogue control to bring things more in line with expected platforming standards. Though the original game did have Dualshock support added late in development, it was ultimately designed around D-pad input, and thus went with a very hokey tank-like control approach in which you couldn’t both move forward and change direction at the same time.

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)
If you’re particularly fond of that approach, this remaster still allows you to use the old D-pad controls, but the analogue option feels much more natural. The only drawback here, and this is a bit of a nitpick, is that the game not being designed around this can make some sections a lot easier than they were intended.

Wrapping up the additions for this remaster is a robust museum section that offers a comprehensive look at various marketing materials, concept art, and other resources from the time of the game’s original release. Croc was originally planned to be a more expansive multimedia franchise, and while this ultimately never quite panned out, it can be really interesting reading through things like the series bible or scripts for the cartoon that was being considered.

There are also numerous interviews to watch with key development staff, as they reflect on the design and development process. We were quite pleased by the museum content on display here; it doesn’t have any direct involvement with the gameplay, but it gives a lot of great insight into the development process and stands as a meaningful contribution to the ongoing struggle of video game preservation.

Conclusion
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos wasn’t exactly a revolutionary entry in the 3D platforming genre even back when it released, and though it still doesn’t necessarily ‘wow’ us today, it certainly is an entertaining and worthwhile adventure. Things like the new controls, enhanced presentation, and extensive museum content are satisfying additions, and the core adventure itself is still good retro 3D platforming fun, warts and all. We’d give this a strong recommendation to any fans who have fond memories of playing this on a CRT back in the day, and even if this would be your first time playing it, we’d still suggest you give it a shot if you’ve been through the best 3D platformers the Switch has to offer and still want more. Croc is a solid, if unspectacular retro adventure, and stands as a worthwhile addition to the Switch library.