Got a need for speed? There is something so satisfying about showing off how fast your reaction time can be; and something that scratches that very part of the brain when you’re able to pull off quick maneuvers within video games. There’s nothing that combines speed and platforming quite like the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.
Siactro, an indie developer spearheaded by Marcus Horn, enjoys taking inspiration from classics. He has stated that he enjoys making snack-sized games that are simultaneously inexpensive yet fun and easy to play, wanting to capture the “unpolished charm” that 90s platformers typically had. His Kiwi 64 was inspired by Rare’s Banjo-Kazooie, and released on August 8th of 2025, Siactro issues another installment of their Toree series: Toree Saturn. This title is evidently influenced by the Sega Saturn. It’s a short, sweet, simple 3D-platformer that comes close to capturing the dynamism that the Sonic Adventure games had.
Toree Saturn can be played on Steam, PC, and the Nintendo Switch.
The coolest chick
Players control a little, round and yellow bird named Toree, who dotes hot pink sunglasses and a backpack. He gives off this cool, cutesy, and ultimately “good” vibe, like basic protagonist virtue signaling. He kind of reminds me of a mix between the characters Sonic and Kirby.
The plot is insanely simple and to the point. You can select the story mode to play all levels in order and watch the mini cutscenes. Once you’ve played through the levels, players have the option to freely “level select” to go back and reply certain stages at will.
The antagonist is Toree’s complete opposite: Hawkee, a pinkish bird with green shutter shades and a mohawk of the same color. He is incredibly jealous of Toree’s speed and coolness, and becomes a sore loser when Toree wins the race in the initial level. Hawkee resorts to joining a criminal organization and stealing ice cream – quite literally the worst crime ever! He then wears an evil purple cape and bears a scythe.
Oh, and at some point this shadowy, angelic humanoid of death will show up. They’re . . . a good guy.
Gotta go fast!
All 12 main levels are bite-sized and are over in a flash, unless you’re a player like me who horrifically lacks platforming precision. The goal is to make it to the end of the level as fast as you can and collect stars and ice creams along the way.
Toree can run, jump, double jump, slam downwards and briefly roll like a ball. He feels more like a bowling ball with the latter maneuver rather than the lightweight Sonic.
You are graded depending upon how fast you make it through a level and how many items are collected. Players can receive up to shiny S ranks, that is, if you are a menace. You could play like me instead and receive straight Cs on every level due to falling off the map every ten seconds!
Playing through Toree Saturn honestly takes about an hour more or less. If you collect a set amount of stars and ice creams and achieve consistently higher rankings (A or S rank), there are three bonus levels to unlock: Glamour City, Beeny World, and Kiwi World.
The Bonus Hub
A cool feature of the game is the bonus hub. There, players can do a variety of things such as the Freestyle level. In this open stage, you accrue points based on cool tricks, skateboarding-style. Players can also unlock other activities, like a Waves Race-like game and a 2D demo of a minigame featuring Pengu.
At the hub, multiple costumes for Toree can be unlocked (although changing costumes will not affect your move set). You can also roam around and talk to NPCs like Macbat.
Vaporwave manic daydream
Inspired by the 90s Sega Saturn aesthetic, Toree Saturn has a retro look and a vaporwave color palette. It is a bit much on the eyes sometimes, but very nostalgic for those 90s to early 2000s kids.
The soundtrack is phenomenal, but it can range from sounding like lounge mall music to absolute bangers. Some of the best tracks include “Blackbird Down” and “Rings of Saturn” featuring Johnny Gioeli.
Sega Saturn callback
The Bonus Hub was broken at first. When I would try to access any of the minigames, my screen would become permanently blank. As far as it goes now, the issue seems to be resolved, at least on the Nintendo Switch version.
There’s a Sega Saturn sound test machine within the hub. It does not do much, but it certainly emits blissful nostalgic feelings.
Final thoughts
I do wish that there was a bit more to this game, perhaps some more unlockable levels. It was almost too short. Otherwise, the basic nature of Toree Saturn gives off a specific charm. It is easily digestible, fun to play, cheap, and satisfying all the while. This title is definitely one of the stronger entries in Siactro’s Toree series!
