Chico and the Magic Orchards DX Review (Switch eShop)

Though retro-styled games are all the rage among indies these days, it’s rarer to come across something that could have been released on the hardware it references. Chico and the Magic Orchards DX expertly blends old-school design philosophies and aesthetics with some slight modern touches to make for a compelling and enjoyable little experience that feels like a genuine Game Boy title.

Developer Daikon Games places you in the role of the titular chipmunk and tasks you with retrieving walnuts from various themed levels by rolling them each to the end goal. Gameplay mixes platforming and puzzle solving in a fashion that feels vaguely reminiscent of the GB(C) Zelda games, and we particularly appreciated how every stage introduces some new gimmicks or obstacles to overcome.

Whether you’re trying to carefully navigate water that rises and falls with the tide or a ghost house filled with false walls and disappearing blocks, there’s always something new to figure out as you try getting that stage’s nut to the end of the level. The nut itself makes for an interesting gameplay mechanic, too, as you often need to use it to activate switches you can’t reach with Chico and sometimes guide it from a distance using the environment.

Even though each level only takes a few minutes to clear, there’s a tremendous focus on the tight level designs. Every stage in some way feels like a mini Zelda dungeon—complete with keys to collect to unlock new paths forward—and there’s something delightfully simple and satisfying in solving another puzzle or obstacle course. Chico and the Magic Orchards DX does a fantastic job of emulating that kind of snappy, fun game design common to many of the handheld’s best titles. It really does feel like a lost Game Boy Color classic.

For completionists, every level has a few dozen collectible seeds scattered around like coins, and these can then be spent back in the hub on things like tracks for the music player and new colour palettes for the monochromatic Game Boy mode. Worlds can also be accessed from this hub in a non-linear fashion, with new ones being unlocked as you collect more seeds. It’ll probably only take you about two hours or so to clear everything out, but we appreciated the nice sense of momentum as you unlock new levels and snag more collectibles.

Chico really leans into its lost retro aesthetic with its visuals and sound, right down to providing the correct aspect ratio and putting borders on the side of the screen that match old Game Boy shells. You can opt for full-colour graphics, but if you want to take things really old school, you can choose the classic Game Boy pea-green screen.

Chico and the Magic Orchards DX is an excellent callback to simpler days, featuring authentic retro visuals, tight level design, and a surprising amount of variety for such a small package. It’ll only last you a couple of hours at most, but anyone who misses the days of the OG Game Boy will want to give this one a look. It’s lots of fun, plenty charming, and a great use of a fiver.