After downloading Eduardo: the Samurai Toaster off of the Wii store, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Just hearing the title, I reasoned it would be some disgustingly cutesy game about flailing your arms around as if there was a samurai sword in them. Well, when the game started up I was pleasantly surprised. There are no gimmicky Wiimote flailing sections to be found, the presentation is sweet and simple, and best of all it calls to mind old school side scrollers like Metal Slug. Yes; Eduardo the Samurai Toaster is Metal Slug, as a toaster, with 4 player co-op. Interested?

Tap 1!!!

The gameplay in Eduardo is extremely simple. Blow through each level, and the crap-load of enemies they contain, as a toaster. The Wiimote is held horizontally, just like in titles such as Super Paper Mario. Use the D-pad to move, use the 1 button to shoot your unlimited toast, and 2 to jump. Also, the B trigger can be used to throw just about everything. This includes enemies, arrows, and your friends in co-op mode. I don’t have any problems with the throwing mechanic, but tapping it at the right moments essentially makes you invincible to all projectiles. That means that, unlike Metal Slug, the game is pretty darn easy. The only other problem with the control scheme is that it gets pretty tough to shoot the flying enemy types with only 3 upward directions to shoot in.

There is a nice variety of enemies in the game, and Semnat Studios took a page from Kirby titles by allowing players to upgrade their weaponry for a limited time after killing certain foes. Each enemy type has a distinct weapon upgrade, ranging from a spread gun-esque card throw to a cluster card that explodes into a bunch of tiny projectiles.  Unfortunately, the strategy you use (regardless of weapon) remains the same: spam the 1 button. Yes, clearing a stage amounts to nothing more than moving left to right, jumping occasionally, and tapping the ever-living hell out of that little bugger. This makes for an experience that is little more than an interactive mash-fest. Add to that the unfortunate fact that you could beat the entire game in less time that it takes to watch Twilight on DVD (ew).  This makes the game seem to be a bit of a stretch as an 800 point purchase, but luckily some of the repetitiveness can be forgiven in light of the simply awesome artistic presentation and co-op play.

Eye Candy + Deja Vu

I’ll start this section out by saying Eduardo has some of the finest hand-drawn-looking graphics I’ve ever seen. The game is a funky mix of Flash-esque animation with stunning backgrounds and environments. Each level is different than the last in terms of art design, with one level taking place in a jungle, and another apparently taking place in A-Ha’s Take On Me. The little artistic changes between levels are a nice remedy for the aforementioned repetitiveness, however most of the time the level’s look have nothing to do with how it plays.

In fact, the only level that is affected by the visual change (and consequently my FAVORITE level) takes place in a volcano. During the stage, you will occasionally jump over rolling boulders and avoid pits of lava. It isn’t much difference at all from the other A-B levels, but having the gameplay affected by the art should have been included in EVERY level. The only exception to this being the 2 flying stages, and those are my other favorites (catch the pattern?) Ultimately, the art work is inspired and hopefully enough to distract from the same old shoot happening on screen.

Toasters on Parade

Ever wanted to role-play as toasters with 3 of your closest friends while shooting the bajeesus out of waves of enemies? You are in luck, because Eduardo allows you to play through the campaign with up to 4 people. There is no difference between the single player and multiplayer levels, but the added fun of throwing your friend repeatedly into a bunch of enemies and laughing like a hyena afterwards is worth the effort of getting the gang together to play. Also, because of the games laid back difficulty, you should consider cranking up the difficulty when playing co-op. You know, because the other players need something to do as well.

The bottom Line

Eduardo the Samurai Toaster is a pretty mixed bag. On the one hand it is a great throwback to games like Metal Slug, the presentation was very nice and varied, and co-op is ALWAYS a good thing. However, the game is EXTREMELY short and VERY repetitive, which mixes together to cause the gameplay to feel very tiring after a while. Also, I would have loved to see what kind of story they could have come up with, but alas there is none to be found. The game is a reluctant reccomendation at 800 Wii points, but if you love side-scrolling shooters and have a couple of friends, Eduardo the Samurai Toaster is right up your alley.