9 Tips and Tricks for Beating Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker on the Nintendo Switch

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker was one of our favorite titles on the Wii U, so we're super excited that it's been ported to the Nintendo Switch.

The game centers around Toad and Toadette, who can't jump because their treasure tracker backpacks make them too heavy. Instead, they must carefully navigate treacherous diorama-like levels to collect stars and save one another from a diabolical giant bird called Wingo.

It's a big departure from other Mario games, and it doesn't control quite the same as it did on the Wii U. If you're having trouble, just follow these tips to get back on the path to success.

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(Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker via Nintendo)

 

Start Each Level By Getting a Lay of the Land

While it can tempting to jump right into each Captain Toad level, it's wise to start each area with a thorough examination. From your starting point, you can move the usually rotate the level to get a view of the top and sides of the level. Before you get moving, scope out the locations of pathways, doors and ladders, and familiarize yourself with enemy locations as well as any sprouts ripe for the picking. If you know the level even before you set off on your journey, you'll be setting yourself up for success.

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(Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker via Nintendo)

Clear Out Enemies to Create an Easier Path

Some enemies are particularly tricky because they're packed with enemies. Unless you can locate Super Mushrooms to power back up, you'll only be able to take two hits before you lost a life. That's why it can be a really good idea to clear out any enemies you come across whenever you have the chance.

Whenever you can pluck turnips out of the ground, there are usually enemies nearby who can be defeated with them. The Super Pickax is also an amazing tool for getting rid of bad guys, as well as breaking down heavy blocks. We also like using keys as a weapon. They can be thrown at enemies, just like the turnip, and if you happen to lose it off the edge of the level, it'll reappear at its spawn point. It's basically a regenerating turnip.

You can also manipulate enemies to defeat each other. Little round birds called Flaptors pound the ground whenever you walk under them, so you can use them to smoosh enemies with good timing. You can also bait football helmet-wearing Charging Chucks into destroying enemies on your behalf before leading them off a cliff to get rid of them.

But our favorite method for dispatching enemies follows a classic Mario formula. If you're on a tall platform above an enemy, you can walk off to fall onto their head and crush them, emulating Mario's jump.

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(Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker via Nintendo)

Find Out Your Preferred Playstyle

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker on the Nintendo Switch plays pretty differently between the docked mode and the handheld mode.

When you're playing the game in handheld mode, you can interact with the game using the touchscreen. While you're playing, you can turn wheels, move platforms and tap blocks and enemies by touching the part of the screen you'd like to affect.

It's quite a different experience from when you're playing on a TV. Here, a cursor on the screen is controlled by the gyroscopic motion in the controls, and you interact with the screen via a button press.

While this is our preferred way to play (all of that playing Splatoon 2 has made us masters of the Switch's gyroscope), we think not everyone will feel the same way. You should try both to find out what feels more natural to you.

 

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(Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker via Nintendo)

Stop Enemies in Their Tracks

One of the reasons it's so critical to know which way you prefer to play is that tapping the screen is super helpful in enemy-heavy levels. Tapping on most enemies will cause most enemies to stop in their tracks. Certain baddies, like piranha plants, will even retreat and clear a path for you once you've tapped them. If you can master these moves, you'll have a much easier time making it through each course.

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(Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker via Nintendo)

Keep Your Eye Out for Oddities

Touching the screen isn't just for stopping enemies. In addition to uncovering coins, touching different areas of each level might help you find secrets that'll help you further your progress in the game. Whenever you're not in immediate danger, don't be afraid to try to interact with everything to see what happens.

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(Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker via Nintendo)

Collect Those Gems

Each level in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker has three gems carefully tucked away within it. Early on, these gems are all easily accessible, but as you progress, they get tougher and tougher to locate and grab. If you do go out of your way to get these gems whenever you can, you'll get the most out of these intricately crafted levels—and you'll need the gems to unlock boss levels as you continue the game.

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(Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker via Nintendo)

Turnip Cannons Are Your Friend

Whenever a turnip cannon shows up, make the most of it! From the safety of these cannons, you're totally invulnerable and have as many turnips to fling as your little heart desires. Not only are they good for hurling at enemies, but they can also break blocks and collect coins and gems for you. Before you're done with the cannon, make sure you've used it to its fullest potential.

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(Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker via Nintendo)

Find Pixel Toad to Change Your Perspective

If you're struggling with a level or just can't get a certain gem, try returning to a previous level and doing the Pixel Toad challenge. Essentially, this hides a 2D image of Toad somewhere in the level, and it's up to you to play hide-and-seek with it. It serves as a nice break when levels are getting extra challenging and allows you to focus on something else, giving you a fresh perspective when you return to that tough area.

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(Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker via Nintendo)

Be Patient

Captain Toad isn't a game you can breeze through in an hour. There are more than 80 levels, and many of them will take time and patience to play properly—but that's not a bad thing. You'll get more enjoyment out of the game if you don't rush through it, as there are tons of amazing little details to soak in and observe as you play. Some levels will take a while, and will punish you if you're impatient. Just stick with them and you're be rewarded for it.

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(Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker via Nintendo)

 

If you love Mario titles on the Nintendo Switch, click HERE for the definitive ranking of every costume from Super Mario Odyssey.

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