Ty the Tasmanian Tiger

Review

by Gavin Frankle

Bereft of originality or even a semblance of inventiveness, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger is a redundant platform adventure that adheres to every convention established in the genre since the landmark releases of Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie. As Ty, your typical anthropomorphous protagonist with attitude, you'll embark on an adventure to save the Outback from the diabolical machinations of Boss Cass. To do so, you're thrust into a knot of familiar themed environments (snow, water, fire, swamp, jungle) with the singular objective of obtaining ten Thunder Eggs within each area. For each Thunder Egg, Ty is expected to perform a particular task or errand for the local populace; be it rounding up a Koala's lost children (twice), a Seahorse's lost children, protecting characters as they go about their business (usually in the form of some rudimentary mini-game), or simply surmounting natural hazards to get to hard-to-reach areas. Other, purportedly more important tasks -- such as rescuing Bilbies, accumulating 300 Opals, or competing in leg races -- are consistent across each environment.

Then, of course, there are the Golden Cogs tucked away in each world that are needed to obtain new Boomerang variants such as the Flamerang and Frostyrang, and the 25 Rainbow Scales. Suffice to say, the game has you collecting a great deal of "stuff" with little incentive to do so other than being perpetually reminded of their so-called importance. And just in case you haven't yet tired of hoarding items, the developers have seen fit to scatter Picture Frames throughout the game world that, once acquired, unlock hidden extras, such as a Gallery and Movie mode. Aiding you in your journey are Julius, a book-wormish scientist who utilizes your Thunder Eggs to power his Talisman Machine and who provides you with the various Boomerang upgrades, and Maurice, a wise-cracking cockatoo who dispenses advice and explanations on your journey.

Compounding the tedious nature of the gameplay is the exceptionally low difficulty of the title. Thanks to the liberal placement of restart points, dying (which is itself hard to do given the copious supply of health items strewn about) is often of little consequence. Resistance, too, is ineffectual at best, as henchmen of various guises are felled by a mere blow or two from Ty's boomerangs. Later in the game it becomes possible to utilize the different 'rangs to first weaken or disarm an enemy before finishing them off, but even this modicum of strategy is soured by the fact that it's often easier to simply get close enough to use Ty's bite attack instead. That's to say little of the yellow markers that guide you through the main path of a level, or the map that conveniently displays where the various Thunder Egg challenges are located. The lack of challenge negates much of the enjoyment, what little there is, to be derived from completing the various quests and only contributes to the tedium of having to collect 2700 Opals, 90 Golden Cogs, 45 Bilbies, 373 Picture Frames, 25 Rainbow Scales, 72 Thunder Eggs, and five Talismans.

An integral part of any 3D adventure, the camera system seldom hinders gameplay. Though, given the fact that much of its functionality is left to the player, this can hardly be considered a boon. Mostly, the camera just rests behind Ty, requiring the player to swivel it around via the right thumbstick in order to find the best view possible or to better ascertain your whereabouts. Perhaps the most accomplished aspect of the title, the visuals are good, if nothing entirely exceptional: The CG cut-scenes are nicely done, the character design is entertaining, if not inspired, and the animation, while rudimentary, serves the intended purpose well enough. However, these commendable aspects are mired by poor texture work, and a game world best described as "rough around the edges."

The sound, like much of the title, is a mixed bag. The voice-acting is a cut above the usual drivel, and combined with the fairly humorous writing, is by far and away the most enjoyable aspect of the title. Ty's exclamations of "You beauty," "Bonza!," and "No worries" can grow tiresome, but never overly so. On the flip side however, the music and effect work is severely lacking, the latter more so. Incidental sounds, such as those made when Ty runs across various surfaces, are horrible. Running on a metal grating or platform produces an awful "clicking" sound, while making your way across a wooden surface, like a rickety boardwalk, or felled tree generates only a single hollow sound, whether the underlying surface is or not.

Average in every definition of the word, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger offers few redeeming qualities, and those are often negated by poor implementation and limited design. Although technically adequate, it offers nothing new to the genre or its fans. A middle-of-the-road title that adheres so closely to convention it chokes the life out of what could have been a charming, fun platform title.