It's time for an adventure, Toads and Toadettes! Nintendo's revival of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker on the Switch was bound to garner new fans (especially me), and since we're all diving into a whole new world, here are some tips you should know before you start tracking down that treasure.
Touch and motion controls will stop enemies
Let's get this really basic mechanic out of the way, since I didn't discover it until an hour into the game: You can not only move objects using the touch (handheld) and motion (docked) controls but also stop enemies dead in their tracks with a simple click.
If you want more of a challenge, I recommend not using this feature, since it is possible to get around enemies with carefully timed struts of Toad's little nubs. However, this mechanic is featured heavily in the two-player mode and essentially gives the second player unlimited turnip-throwing power. When my co-worker gave it a shot, he murdered every single enemy in the level within seconds. If you're looking to fly by some really annoying levels, this is your shot.
Collect coins and Super Gems
Super Gems serve a purpose aside from being shiny objects to add to your hoarding collection. There are some levels that act like thresholds, which will require you to have a certain number of gems to proceed. For example, the first threshold is in Episode 1-10, The King of Pyropuff Peak, which requires you to have 12 Super Gems.
So keep an eye out. Super Gems could be located under Pluck Patches or even handed out by other friendly Toads around the kingdom, but you shouldn't just skip them. Coins, on the other hand, don't necessarily have a purpose aside from bragging rights. However, there are occasional bonus objectives that require you to collect a certain number of coins, so collecting as many as you can wouldn't hurt.
Track down Pixel Toad
Upon sniffing out that golden star in each level, you'll unlock the Hide-and-Seek version of that same level where you have to find Pixel Toad and click on him via the touch or motion controls. Sometimes you don't even have to move and you'll find him within 2 seconds, but other times, that 8-bit, sneaky little Toad won't even be on a wall.
In a certain lava level (no spoilers), I found his little speck of a body just jumping out of the lava over and over again; it took me a good 15 minutes to find him. You aren't completely in the dark though; Pixel Toad does make noise when you're near him. The frequency and volume will increase the closer you get, and after you find him, you're awarded with a stamp. So if you want to collect them all, good luck.
Bonus objectives
Speaking of stamps to add to your collection, each level has a hidden bonus objective in the game, and once you complete it for that level, you will also get a stamp. To save some time, check out a list of all the bonus objectives here. Either way, if you're going in blindly or even if you know what to do, there's still some info you'll need.
For example, collecting a mushroom when you're at full health will give you 10 coins; this may be necessary for some coin challenges. Make sure you always pull Pluck Patches, as there may be coins, Super Gems, turnips or even Super Pickaxes, which could be used to kill enemies as well as break structures for a specific challenge. The gray brick blocks usually lead to a hidden path with a Super Gem, or bonus challenges like the Golden Mushroom and 1-Up Mushroom. There are some things to avoid, like killing enemies or breaking structures, that you won't be able to watch out for unless you know it, since we Toads can get kind of destructive and murdery.
amiibo will save your life
If you can't handle the struggles of treasure tracking, have no fear — amiibo are here! If you are the lucky owner of a Toad amiibo, you can use it in the menu to receive an invincibility mushroom, which lasts through an entire level.
If you don't have a spare Toad amiibo, don't worry — regular amiibo get some love as well. Each regular amiibo will grant you 1-Up Mushrooms, and sometimes you'll get two from one amiibo. You can redeem it throughout the day as well; mine refreshed about an hour or so after use. But if you're aching for lives, you can simply reset the Switch's clock (we won't tell anyone). Then there are the Coins Galore levels, which let you accrue a few extra 1-Ups.
If you happen to own a Super Mario Odyssey amiibo, you'll unlock the Odyssey bonus stages early, as opposed to at the end of the game. These stages include trips to the Sand Kingdom, Cascade Kingdom, Metro Kingdom and Luncheon Kingdom, all from Odyssey (yes, that's how Captain Toad got there).
We hope these tips help you on your adventure, treasure trackers.
Credit: Nintendo
