Toki (video game)

{{Short description|1989 video game}} {{More citations needed|date=July 2008}} {{Infobox video game | title = Toki | image = Toki arcade flyer.jpg | caption = North American arcade flyer | developer = {{collapsible list|title=TAD Corporation|Ocean Software<br>{{small|(Amiga/Atari ST/C64)}}<br>Daiei Seisakusho {{small|(NES)}}<br>Santos, Sega {{small|(Genesis)}}<br>Atari Corporation {{small|(Lynx)}}<br>Magic Team {{small|(iOS)}}<br>Golgoth Studio {{small|(Win/PS4/Switch/Xbox One)}}}} | publisher = {{collapsible list|title=TAD Corporation|'''Arcade'''{{vgrelease|NA|Fabtek}} Ocean Software<br>{{small|(Amiga/Atari ST/C64)}}<br>'''NES'''{{vgrelease|JP/NA|Taito}} '''Genesis'''{{vgrelease|WW|Sega|BRA|Tectoy}} Atari Corporation {{small|(Lynx)}}<br>'''iOS'''{{vgrelease|WW|Magic Team}} '''Nintendo Switch'''{{vgrelease|NA|Microïds|KOR|H2 Interactive|PAL|Anuman Interactive}} Anuman Interactive {{small|(PS4)}}<br>Microïds {{small|(Win/Xbox One)}}}} | designer = Haruki Kitahara | programmer = Akira Sakuma | artist = Hiro Kakiuchi<br>Jun Fujisaku<br>Jun Matsubara | composer = Yukihiko Kitahara | platforms = {{collapsible list|title={{nobold|Arcade}}|Amiga, Lynx, Atari ST, Commodore 64, iOS, Macintosh, Windows, NES, Switch, PlayStation 4, Genesis, Xbox One}} | released = {{collapsible list|title={{nobold|8 December 1989}}|'''Arcade'''{{vgrelease|JP|8 December 1989<ref name="ah1">{{cite web|url=https://www.arcade-history.com/?n=juju-densetsu&page=detail&id=1235|title=JuJu Densetsu|website=arcade-history.com|accessdate=2019-10-01}}</ref>|NA|22 February 1990<ref name="ah2">{{cite web|url=https://www.arcade-history.com/?n=toki&page=detail&id=2919|title=Toki|website=arcade-history.com|accessdate=2018-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923162833/https://www.arcade-history.com/?n=toki&page=detail&id=2919|archive-date=2018-09-23|url-status=live}}</ref>}} '''Amiga'''{{vgrelease|EU|1991}} '''Atari ST'''{{vgrelease|EU|1991}} '''Commodore 64'''{{vgrelease|EU|1991}} '''NES'''{{vgrelease|JP|19 July 1991<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tk-nz.game.coocan.jp/gamedatabase/software/DB_NTC1_FC1991.html|title=FAMICOM Soft > 1991|publisher=GAME Data Room|accessdate=2018-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020234346/http://tk-nz.game.coocan.jp/gamedatabase/software/DB_NTC1_FC1991.html|archive-date=2016-10-20|url-status=live}}</ref>|NA|December 1991}} '''Genesis'''{{vgrelease|JP|31 January 1992<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tk-nz.game.coocan.jp/gamedatabase/software/DB_SGC2_MD1992.html|title=MEGA DRIVE Soft > 1992|publisher=GAME Data Room|accessdate=2018-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923200508/http://tk-nz.game.coocan.jp/gamedatabase/software/DB_SGC2_MD1992.html|archive-date=2018-09-23|url-status=live}}</ref>|NA|1992|EU|March 1992|BRA|1992}} '''Lynx'''{{vgrelease|NA|1992|EU|1992}}'''''Remake'''''<br>'''Nintendo Switch'''{{vgrelease|NA|4 December 2018|KOR|20 December 2018|PAL|4 January 2019}} '''PlayStation 4'''{{vgrelease|NA|6 June 2019|PAL|11 June 2019}} '''Microsoft Windows'''{{vgrelease|WW|7 June 2019}} '''Xbox One'''{{vgrelease|WW|17 June 2019}}'''Amazon Luna'''{{vgrelease|WW|13 October 2022}}}} | genre = Platform | modes = {{cslist|Single-player|multiplayer}} }}

'''''Toki'''''{{efn|Also known as {{nihongo|'''''JuJu Densetsu'''''|JuJu伝説|''JuJu legend'' or ''Legend of Juju ''||lead=yes}} in Japan.}} is a run and gun platform game released in arcades in Japan in 1989 by TAD Corporation. It was published in North America by Fabtek. Designed by Akira Sakuma, the game has tongue-in-cheek humor mixed with the action. The player controls an enchanted ape who must battle hordes of jungle monsters with energy balls from his mouth. The ultimate goal is to destroy the evil wizard who cast a spell on the title protagonist; thereby transforming him from an ape back into a human, and rescuing the kidnapped princess. The game was ported to several video game consoles and home computers.

==Gameplay== The player must traverse several levels with a miniboss at the end. Despite his apparent handicap, his slowness as an ape, and the fact that almost any attack can kill him, Toki is able to spit powerful shots that will help him in defeating enemies and obstacles that try to slow him down in his mission.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alec |date=2018-03-23 |title=Retro Revisited: Toki (Arcade) |url=https://www.vintageisthenewold.com/retro-revisited-grab-your-spittoons-as-we-review-toki-a-classic-arcade-coin-op-by-tad-corporation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613144458/https://vintageisthenewold.com/retro-revisited-grab-your-spittoons-as-we-review-toki-a-classic-arcade-coin-op-by-tad-corporation/ |archive-date=2021-06-13 |access-date=2022-04-01 |website=Vintage is The New Old |language=en-US}}</ref> There is a timer for each stage.

Toki can make use of items such as power-ups for his spit; lucky rabbit feet which can give Toki bursts of superhuman agility and jumping skill; clocks which add extra time to the countdown; fruit which can add to Toki's bonus points; keys which unlock bonus areas; a special helmet that protects him from upwards attacks (the helmet rather comically resembles an American football helmet); extra lives; and magic coins (food in the Genesis version) which when collected in abundance can obtain Toki an extra life.

==Plot== The protagonist of the game is a muscular, loincloth-wearing, Tarzanesque tribesman named Toki (known in Japan and in some ports as JuJu), who up until recently lived a primitive yet contented life in the jungles of a vast and wild island in the South Seas.

This all ends tragically when the beautiful Miho, princess of Toki's tribe of jungle men, and a potential suitor to Toki, is kidnapped by the treacherous witch doctor Vookimedlo. Miho is taken to a vast golden palace at the summit of the island, which Vookimedlo has conjured up for himself to reside in. The wicked shaman then casts a spell to transform all the human inhabitants of the island into various animals and beasts, before they can defend themselves against the evil magic.

Toki himself is transformed into a Geeshergam, one of the ape-like minions of Vookimedlo, although in his primate form, Toki more resembles a gorilla. Fortunately, the great warrior discovers that he is still in control of his own faculties and as an unexpected side effect of the spell cast on him, he can breathe fire and shoot forth various projectiles from his mouth.

Toki then sets off on a quest to pursue and defeat Vookimedlo, rescue princess Miho, and undo the curse which has befallen the island. However, to reach Vookimedlo's golden palace, Toki will have to travel through murky lakes, steep canyons, over frozen ice-capped mountain ranges and lava-spewing volcanoes alike. To progress in his quest and be ultimately victorious, Toki will have to battle all manner of dangerous wild animals and various mutants of Vookimedlo's creation; not to mention Vookimedlo's own abominable guardians who act as level bosses.

==Ports== Within the next two years ports were released for home systems. Ocean Software published versions for the Amiga, Atari ST, and Commodore 64, They advertised versions for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC and the Spectrum version was previewed in issue 90 of ''CRASH'', but neither port materialized. Taito published ports for the Lynx and the NES. The latter version was slightly altered and has a health bar so that Toki doesn't die after one hit.

Sega developed an exclusive version for the Mega Drive/Genesis: ''Toki: Going Ape Spit''.<ref>Gamepro, April 1992, page 58.</ref> This version lacks the non-spit power-ups, but it has additional levels and more detailed graphics compared to the NES version.

In some ports, Toki is named "JuJu", Miho is named "Wanda" and Vookimedlo is named "Dr. Stark". Also, in some ports it is not Vookimedlo who kidnaps princess Miho, but his chief henchman, the half-invisible giant known as Bashtar. In some ports Bashtar is the final boss of the game, and not Vookimedlo.

==Reception== In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Toki'' on their March 15, 1990 issue as being the sixteenth most-successful table arcade unit of the month.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)|magazine=Game Machine|issue=376|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=15 March 1990|page=25|lang=ja}}</ref>

''Toki'' won a Golden Joystick Award in 1992.

''The One'' gave the Amiga version of ''Toki'' an overall score of 88%, calling its gameplay "standard stuff", but praises the variety of gameplay that's outside of the norm, posing such examples as Toki's ability to swim, climb, and ride trolleys, stating that these "all help to make it stand out from the current crop of arcade conversions." ''The One'' praises ''Toki's'' gameplay, stating that "the gameplay is so well balanced, becoming gradually harder as you get into it", furthermore stating that this is "exactly the way it should be." ''The One'' also praises ''Toki's'' music and graphics, expressing that "it complements the action perfectly" and "[adds] greatly to the game's appeal", furthermore stating that ''Toki's'' animations add "instant appeal", and calls ''Toki'' "An enjoyable conversion that's as playable as it is pretty".<ref name=theone>{{cite magazine|title = Toki Review|date = July 1991|url = https://archive.org/details/theone-magazine-34/page/n53|magazine = The One|publisher = emap Images|last = Watsham|first = Jools|issue = 34|pages = 54–55}}</ref>

''Destructoid'' praises the game for the nostalgia it gave to the reviewer. Despite this, they still didn't see it as a great game at all, and stated that it "isn't a perfect game".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-toki/|title=Review: Toki|accessdate=8 April 2023}}</ref>

== Legacy == An platform game with similarly-looking simian characters was in development by Ocean Software for the Jaguar under the working title ''Apeshit''. It was renamed to ''Toki Goes Apespit'' at one point during development.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/ocean-power-02#page/n6/mode/1up|title=News: Jaguar - Watch the skies|magazine=Ocean Power|issue=2|publisher=Bastion Publishing|date=Spring 1994|page=7}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/Edge_UK_008#page/n31|title=Prescreen - Ocean Software|magazine=Edge|issue=8|publisher=Future Publishing|date=May 1994|pages=32–33}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Ripper|first=The|url=https://archive.org/stream/Gamefan_Vol_2_Issue_06#page/n131/mode/1up|title=Europa!|magazine=GameFan|volume=2|issue=6|publisher=DieHard Gamers Club|date=May 1994|pages=132–134}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Generation%204/generation4_numero066/GEN4%20066%20-%20Page%20014.jpg|title=News - L'ECTS: le fur en marche - La Jaguar montre ses crocs!|magazine=Génération 4|issue=66|publisher=Computec Media France|date=May 1994|page=14|lang=fr|access-date=2018-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923200745/http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Generation%204/generation4_numero066/GEN4%20066%20-%20Page%20014.jpg|archive-date=2018-09-23|url-status=live}}</ref> It was planned to be published in Winter 1994,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/Gamefan_Vol_2_Issue_07#page/n146/mode/1up|title=The Game Fan 32Bit System Shoot Out - Who Will Lead Us Into The Next Generation?|magazine=GameFan|volume=2|issue=7|publisher=DieHard Gamers Club|date=June 1994|pages=146–147}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Hackett|first=Tina|url=http://www.atarimania.com/mags/hi_res/atari-st-user-issue-101_69.jpg|title=Action Feature - The Jaguar: ready to pounce!|magazine=Atari ST User|issue=101|publisher=Europress|date=June 1994|pages=68–71|access-date=2018-10-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927001535/http://www.atarimania.com/mags/hi_res/atari-st-user-issue-101_69.jpg|archive-date=2018-09-27|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=The Laird|url=http://gameon.freeforums.net/thread/118/toki-goes-apeshit-atari-jaguar|title=Toki Goes Apeshit - Atari Jaguar|website=gameon.freeforums.net|date=July 17, 2015|accessdate=2018-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923235132/http://gameon.freeforums.net/thread/118/toki-goes-apeshit-atari-jaguar|archive-date=2018-09-23|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.janatari.de/atari-jaguar/jaguar-lost-games/|title=Atari Jaguar Lost Games|website=janatari.de|accessdate=2018-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906052745/https://www.janatari.de/atari-jaguar/jaguar-lost-games/|archive-date=2018-09-06|url-status=live}}</ref> but it was never released.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Ripper|first=The|url=https://archive.org/stream/Gamefan_Vol_2_Issue_12#page/n229/mode/1up|title=Europa!|magazine=GameFan|volume=2|issue=12|publisher=Shinno Media|date=December 1994|page=214}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/07/apeshit-atari-jaguar-unreleased/|title=Apeshit [Atari Jaguar – Unreleased]|website=unseen64.net|date=April 7, 2008|accessdate=2018-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923235108/https://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/07/apeshit-atari-jaguar-unreleased/|archive-date=2018-09-23|url-status=live}}</ref>

The original game, ported by Magic Team, was released for iOS on September 7, 2009 in the United States.

A remake was published by Microids in 2018 for Nintendo Switch,<ref>{{cite web|last=Reseigh-Lincoln|first=Dom|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/04/arcade_classic_toki_will_return_with_a_brand_new_remake_on_nintendo_switch|title=Arcade Classic Toki Will Return With A Brand New Remake On Nintendo Switch|publisher=Nintendo Life|date=April 5, 2018|accessdate=2018-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710010232/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/04/arcade_classic_toki_will_return_with_a_brand_new_remake_on_nintendo_switch|archive-date=10 July 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> followed by versions for Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Luna.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gematsu.com/2019/03/toki-remake-coming-to-ps4-xbox-one-and-pc-in-q2-2019|title = Toki remake coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC in Q2 2019|date = 28 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=New on Luna: Toki | date=13 October 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxnLENzpLQQ |language=en |access-date=2022-12-18}}</ref>

== Notes == {{notelist}}

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * [https://atariage.com/software_page.php?SoftwareLabelID=1886 ''Toki''] at AtariAge * [https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/arcade/564054-toki ''Toki''] at GameFAQs * [https://www.giantbomb.com/toki-going-ape-spit/3030-9823/ ''Toki''] at Giant Bomb * [https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=10133 ''Toki''] at Killer List of Videogames * [https://www.mobygames.com/game/toki ''Toki''] at MobyGames

{{Portal bar|1980s|Japan|Video games}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toki (video game)}} Category:1989 video games Category:Amiga games Category:Arcade video games Category:Atari games Category:Atari ST games Category:Atari Lynx games Category:Cancelled Amstrad CPC games Category:Cancelled Atari 7800 games Category:Cancelled Atari Jaguar games Category:Cancelled ZX Spectrum games Category:Fabtek games Category:Golden Joystick Award winners Category:Video games about shapeshifting Category:IOS games Category:Classic Mac OS games Category:Microïds games Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games Category:Nintendo Switch games Category:Ocean Software games Category:Platformers Category:PlayStation 4 games Category:Run and gun games Category:Sega video games Category:Sega Genesis games Category:TAD Corporation games Category:Taito arcade games Category:Video game remakes Category:Video games about apes Category:Video games developed in France Category:Video games set on fictional islands Category:Windows games Category:Xbox One games Category:Video games developed in Japan Category:Tectoy games