Toy Story 2
(Activision for the Nintendo 64)
by Eric Johnson
Toy Story 2 does a very good job of creating a game simple enough to engage children, but complex enough to stand on its own with an older audience. Based on the animated film of the same name, players get to control Buzz Lightyear on his epic quest to save former-rival-turned-good-buddy Woody, the lanky cowboy doll voiced by lovable two-time Oscar-winner Tom Hanks. Buzz is an action figure with plastic wings and operational laser beam cufflinks and the voice of popular Norm Abrhams wannabe Tim Allen. As a ten-inch tall action figure, this adventure takes place in a scaled up suburban neighborhood, so that exploring various houses, pizza restaurants, and back yards is at the heart of the action. The overall effect is very cool because with the exception of bathroom facilities, the houses and backyards are rather everyday and realistic but surreal because of their increased scale. Buzz must collect Pizza Planet tokens by performing tasks, such as helping Mr. Potato Head find his ear, or finding coins for the emotional piggy bank. A sliding scale of complexity ensures entertainment for adults as well as kids, because despite the fact that there are ten tokens for every level, only a single one is needed to advance to the next stage; so the game is only as challenging as the player chooses to make it. Confrontations are, for the most part, optional, and the plastic Tyranosaurus is always happy to drop a hint or two if some confusion exists as to what should be done next. Because everything is so wide open, the world of Toy Story 2 is fun to explore and laid back without being boring. Although the Nintendo is capable of rendering far more solid 3D graphics, and the camera is totally hyperactive, often rotating around Buzz with an irritating Matrix-like intensity, these fairly minor drawbacks do not interfere with the enjoyment of this game. What they do stand in the way of is direct competition with the big 3D all-ages Nintendo titles like Donkey Kong 64, Banjo & Kazooie, and Mario 64; which is a shame. Nonetheless, Toy Story 2 is at the top of the pile so far as film oriented E-rated game titles available for mass consumption go.
