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Monday, December 30, 2013
A
Description
I've never been a Disney fan. I think at some point I got into the whole animation resurgence somewhere around the Little Mermaid,
but then again, so was everyone. It was a time of free animation, and
everyone was experimenting with new and wild forms of cartoonage. With
so much animation flowing everywhere now though, I've grown tired of the
same formula, the same "goofy" sidekicks, and the cross-marketed adult
contemporary R&B single. Tarzan looked incredible, but felt like a
finely honed formula -- so much so that when it was over, it was hard to
tell what made it any different from the Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, or Herbie Goes Bananas. The Tarzan Action Game is the same way -- beautiful to look at, fun to play, but not all that new. Fortunately, it gives you enough thrills and spills during it's short set of levels to make the ride almost worthwhile.
Tarzan is basically your chance to get in some Crash Bandicoot/Pandemonium style console thrills on your PC, with enough graphic flair to make you feel guiltless in the process. Levels scroll from left to right in 21/2D, which is used in a fancy enough way that you almost forget that you aren't free roaming. Tarzan can jump, swing, and climb rocks (only in specific areas, of course), and can also use a variety of explosive fruits, as well as a knife. Fruits, if you didn't know, are naturally explosive in the jungles of Africa.
The graphics are clean and dense, with flying animals and moving creatures filling in almost every corner of the screen. Tarzan lacks a bit of detail, but he makes up for it with graceful movement, speed, and a variety of cohorts that more than convince you that he fits just fine in the environment. Branches take Tarzan on winding paths, breaking up the flat context of the levels, and taking advantage of the 3D environments. The designers have kept things at a quick pace, and you'll find yourself swinging from branches, riding on birds, running from charging elephants, and even doing some inner-tubing as Terk. The familiar "awoo-ah-ay-ah-ay-ahhh" is intact, and topped with Tarzan's odd "D'oh!" and surfer-esque "wuuoaohh" -- all other sounds are kept to the chirps and quirks of the jungle, which are done in a really nice, movie-sized way. Depending on how well you like the music from the movie, you may either be humming your way to happiness, or hurling your way to hell at the instrumental versions of Phil Collin's songs. Either way they're done quite well, and fit in perfectly with the action.
The game follows the path of the movie almost exactly, which means that you get a lot of running, a lot of jumping, and a bit of tree surfing, which ends up being one of the best moments in the game. Most of your time is spent running as quickly to the right as possible, while trying to collect Tarzan letters (you'll get to see movie clips for every set you collect) and sketch pieces (which unlock bonus rounds). The action take a few turns, such as free-roaming ship level, and swimming in the river, but for the most part the game covers very familiar platform territory. You also get a chance to take on a level as Jane, and as Terk. Jane runs from a hoard of baboons in a very, very Crash like level, while Terk gives you a chance to take over the camp monkey-style, while avoiding... your other pals. We didn't say it made sense. Speaking of which, though you'd assume that Tarzan would overpower his enemies, he Tarzan spends most of his time attacking enemies with fruit -- and not just any fruit, dangerous fruit. Find special fruits, and you can get a super-explosive blast, or even an edible melon which explodes with deadly shrapnel. Did we mention that Tarzan has the amazing ability to bounce off of nests? Let's not even talk about the natural growth of floating coins that seem to be everywhere the forests of Africa.
The most disturbing aspect of gameplay is Tarzan's obsession with killing -- evil baboons are one thing, but what did those innocent Lemurs ever do to you, Mr. "King of the Jungle"? In Disney's Tarzan Action Game, Tarzan is basically a tribal killing machine, and your job is to slay any and all innocent animals that cross your path. Armadillos, cockatoos, boars, frogs... you name it, and Tarzan has it on his death list. With most games, you can leave behind logic when you're attacking walking mushrooms and alien menaces from hell, but little monkeys? It's a little disturbing, even if they do transform into a bunch of butterflies when they explode.
The game is a fun ride, and despite the lack of logic, grabs a lot of the flavor of the film -- including it's length. The thirteen or so levels fly by in a heartbeat, and though each one is slightly different than the last, none left a strong enough impression that I felt like re-visiting them. I found myself on the second-to-last level in a little over two hours, and that's with most bonuses accomplished. Younger players might want to replay levels in order unlock all the bonus games and movie clips, but most gamers will find the prospect of tackling identical levels a little tedious. Still, it's a fast, frenetic piece of gaming that will have you entertained, even if it isn't for more than an afternoon. I hate to say this, but this is really one of those games that will definitely appeal to younger gamers (who it's marketed for) than older brats like me, who've been raised on the classics, but like their action and adventure games dense, fat and full of brainpower. This is one of the better movie-to-game translations to come along in a long while, and for kids obsessed with the ape-man's adventures, this is a perfect addition to their budding game library. For grown-ups though, it feels a bit too small to be an entire meal, but could serve as a nice appetizer. In the end, it feels just like the movie it's based on -- a lot of flash, but not that much depth.
-- Vincent Lopez
Copyright of IGN
Tarzan is basically your chance to get in some Crash Bandicoot/Pandemonium style console thrills on your PC, with enough graphic flair to make you feel guiltless in the process. Levels scroll from left to right in 21/2D, which is used in a fancy enough way that you almost forget that you aren't free roaming. Tarzan can jump, swing, and climb rocks (only in specific areas, of course), and can also use a variety of explosive fruits, as well as a knife. Fruits, if you didn't know, are naturally explosive in the jungles of Africa.
The graphics are clean and dense, with flying animals and moving creatures filling in almost every corner of the screen. Tarzan lacks a bit of detail, but he makes up for it with graceful movement, speed, and a variety of cohorts that more than convince you that he fits just fine in the environment. Branches take Tarzan on winding paths, breaking up the flat context of the levels, and taking advantage of the 3D environments. The designers have kept things at a quick pace, and you'll find yourself swinging from branches, riding on birds, running from charging elephants, and even doing some inner-tubing as Terk. The familiar "awoo-ah-ay-ah-ay-ahhh" is intact, and topped with Tarzan's odd "D'oh!" and surfer-esque "wuuoaohh" -- all other sounds are kept to the chirps and quirks of the jungle, which are done in a really nice, movie-sized way. Depending on how well you like the music from the movie, you may either be humming your way to happiness, or hurling your way to hell at the instrumental versions of Phil Collin's songs. Either way they're done quite well, and fit in perfectly with the action.
The game follows the path of the movie almost exactly, which means that you get a lot of running, a lot of jumping, and a bit of tree surfing, which ends up being one of the best moments in the game. Most of your time is spent running as quickly to the right as possible, while trying to collect Tarzan letters (you'll get to see movie clips for every set you collect) and sketch pieces (which unlock bonus rounds). The action take a few turns, such as free-roaming ship level, and swimming in the river, but for the most part the game covers very familiar platform territory. You also get a chance to take on a level as Jane, and as Terk. Jane runs from a hoard of baboons in a very, very Crash like level, while Terk gives you a chance to take over the camp monkey-style, while avoiding... your other pals. We didn't say it made sense. Speaking of which, though you'd assume that Tarzan would overpower his enemies, he Tarzan spends most of his time attacking enemies with fruit -- and not just any fruit, dangerous fruit. Find special fruits, and you can get a super-explosive blast, or even an edible melon which explodes with deadly shrapnel. Did we mention that Tarzan has the amazing ability to bounce off of nests? Let's not even talk about the natural growth of floating coins that seem to be everywhere the forests of Africa.
The most disturbing aspect of gameplay is Tarzan's obsession with killing -- evil baboons are one thing, but what did those innocent Lemurs ever do to you, Mr. "King of the Jungle"? In Disney's Tarzan Action Game, Tarzan is basically a tribal killing machine, and your job is to slay any and all innocent animals that cross your path. Armadillos, cockatoos, boars, frogs... you name it, and Tarzan has it on his death list. With most games, you can leave behind logic when you're attacking walking mushrooms and alien menaces from hell, but little monkeys? It's a little disturbing, even if they do transform into a bunch of butterflies when they explode.
The game is a fun ride, and despite the lack of logic, grabs a lot of the flavor of the film -- including it's length. The thirteen or so levels fly by in a heartbeat, and though each one is slightly different than the last, none left a strong enough impression that I felt like re-visiting them. I found myself on the second-to-last level in a little over two hours, and that's with most bonuses accomplished. Younger players might want to replay levels in order unlock all the bonus games and movie clips, but most gamers will find the prospect of tackling identical levels a little tedious. Still, it's a fast, frenetic piece of gaming that will have you entertained, even if it isn't for more than an afternoon. I hate to say this, but this is really one of those games that will definitely appeal to younger gamers (who it's marketed for) than older brats like me, who've been raised on the classics, but like their action and adventure games dense, fat and full of brainpower. This is one of the better movie-to-game translations to come along in a long while, and for kids obsessed with the ape-man's adventures, this is a perfect addition to their budding game library. For grown-ups though, it feels a bit too small to be an entire meal, but could serve as a nice appetizer. In the end, it feels just like the movie it's based on -- a lot of flash, but not that much depth.
-- Vincent Lopez
Copyright of IGN
System Requirements
Pentium : 166 MHz
RAM : 24 MB
Video Card : 2 MB
Hard Disk Space : 50 MB (Approximate)
Images of this game
