Revisiting classic 3D platformers can be a double-edged sword - if you're familiar with the game. However, I dived into Croc 2: Kingdom of the Gobbos as a complete newcomer to the franchise. When I booted up the game on my Switch 2, I didn't have nostalgia goggles clouding my opinion. I went in completely clueless, and I was pleasantly surprised by how charming and fun the game was.
Right out of the gate, Kingdom of the Gobbos charms you with its bright, cheerful aesthetic. When you set up your game, you get three setting options: the 1999 version, the 2000 version, and the 2026 Remastered version. I chose the latter, as it promised the most polished visual experience alongside an autosave system. If you're curious about how players experienced it back in the day, you're able to toggle back to the classic tank controls and visuals in the settings.
Even though I chose the Remastered version, the art style retained that blocky 2000s charm, and I loved it. It was giving totally cozy and retro vibes. The character design is also really cute. The poor Gobbos are always finding themselves in trouble, and seeing the panicked cutscenes made me wonder how these creatures were even alive before Croc stepped in.
I also need to acknowledge Croc's little "Yippees!" and the bright, joyful soundtrack. It was pure, feel-good energy.
The core premise of Croc 2 is straightforward: venture across four distinct villages and rescue Gobbos over the course of over 40 levels. Each stage follows classic platforming rules. You'll time your jumps across platforms that crumble under you, you'll swing from ropes, and you'll try to avoid environmental hazards.
At the start of the game, you get four hearts (lives). If you lose a life, you can replenish your hearts by tail-whipping gongs or picking up hearts. You can also buy heart packs from Stinky Pete with crystals you collect across the levels. He also sells jump-buffing items, though I found myself not needing them.
For the platforming levels, precision and timing are everything. I spent most of my time jumping over gaps, swinging across ropes, and trying to manoeuvre my cart to get diamonds. The level design isn't anything groundbreaking, but I appreciated that there's plenty of variety in the objectives. You might have to rescue trapped gobbos, or you might have to retrieve stolen items. If anything, I continued playing to see what mess the Gobbos got themselves into rather than because I enjoyed the platformer aspect.
To prevent you from drowning in back-to-back platformer levels, there are some mini-games scattered around the areas. Croc will be able to ride minecarts, build snowmen, steer speedboats, and more. While these add variety, they all felt pretty basic. None of the vehicle racing mini-games felt compelling - in fact, Croc stays at a leisurely pace even when you hold B to accelerate. They're cute, sure, but it's nothing exciting.
One thing I want to applaud Croc 2: Kingdom of the Gobbos for is its controls. In older 3D platformers, you have to wrestle with the camera and fixed directional controls, which make movement difficult (and failure imminent). In the Remastered settings, running, turning, and jumping felt fluid and natural. Since they adopted the modern twin-stick camera controls, it was easy to judge distances and avoid falling from a platform. Being able to freely rotate the camera to make sure I'm not falling into a spiked pit reduced the anxiety I would have felt if it didn't have this feature.
The controls themselves are also extremely simple. On the Switch 2, B is used to jump, Y is used to tail whip (attack), and X is used to use an item. If you double-press B, Croc will do his signature tail stomp.
The Switch 2 performance was solid throughout my playthrough. I didn't experience any input drift, frame drops, or lag. If you wanted to get the game, I would recommend getting it on the Switch 2 so you can enjoy Croc 2 on the go.
Though the controls were easy, the underlying level design felt pretty dated. I know it's based on a game from 1999, but I thought the levels would be more exciting. Some stages just feel like small obstacle rooms lazily strung together rather than expansive, interconnected worlds. There was nothing that made me gasp over how good it was, and it didn't feel like I was playing a game that would be groundbreaking. Instead, it felt like a typical platformer.
One of my favorite things about the game wasn't even the levels - it's the Croc2pedia. As you play through levels, you unlock concept art, promotional material, and more historical goodies centered around the game's original release. If you're a fan of gaming history or just love seeing the behind-the-scenes of game development, there is a goldmine of content to dive into.
As a first-timer to the franchise, I found that Croc 2: Kingdom of the Gobbos isn't trying to reinvent the platforming genre. I also didn't think it was an addictive, high-stakes game you'll feel compelled to grind late at night.
Despite that, it's charming, breezy, and wonderfully straightforward. If you're someone who wants a nostalgic-feeling platformer to relax with over the weekend, Croc 2: Kingdom of the Gobbos is an adventure worth experiencing.
