GENRE
	Platformer
	DEVELOPER
	Krome Studios
	PUBLISHER
	EA Games
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1
	CONNECTIVITY
	no
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Platform games abound and Ty the Tasmanian Tiger from EA Games is yet another addition to this popular genre. How exactly does an extinct species receive its own videogame? Will we soon see Robert the Dodo in action soon? In any case, with a genre this big, Ty fits in easily with the large number of titles available. This title, however, is generally geared towards more of a younger and more casual crowd, but thanks to the tons of items to collect along the way, older and more experienced gamers can appreciate its charms as well. On the downside, even though the title features monstrously large levels and several unlockables, after collecting the wealth of items required for 100% completion, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger soon becomes just as dead as its species.

visuals

Although Ty the Tasmanian Tiger is your usual platforming title, it has its own distinct look, both in level and character design, especially in cut scenes. Looking akin to the long gone art of Claymation, the CGI cut scenes show some of the anthropomorphized characters such as Ty and his friends, Maurie the cockatoo and Julius the koala. The look of these cut scenes is great and really shows off what developer Krome Studios can do. The in-game graphics look nicely put together, but the visuals really shine in the level design. Moving through each level is sort of like going on a ride above a theme park after you’ve been walking through it all day, sort of like sitting down at the Blue Bayou in Disneyland and watching the boats in Pirates of the Caribbean float by. You’ll keep noticing new things that you want to go check out. It’s quite a rare feeling in a videogame.

audio

All the sound effects and music in Ty the Tasmanian Tiger is nicely produced and add a lot of character to the title. The splashing water and boomerang sound effects are some of the highlights in the sound department. The voice acting is superbly done, although Ty himself needed a lot more depth rather than saying such repetitive Australian idioms as “You Ripper!” and “You Beauty!” Ty’s friends Maurice, Rex, and others are entertaining and offer a few chuckle-worthy lines.

gameplay

Players take Ty across enormous areas, gathering up Thunder Eggs in order to power up portals to travel to other areas. While it sounds a lot like Spyro the Dragon, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger is a lot more entertaining than Vivendi’s latest flop attempt at the Spyro series, Enter the Dragonfly. There are many more things to collect besides eggs, like Golden Cogs which let you create new, more improved boomerangs (Ty’s main weapon). There are several boomerangs to collect and they all have their purpose. Some allow Ty to break down elemental hazards while some simply upgrade Ty’s ability to kick some lizard butt. The play mechanics are smooth and the controls aren’t completely burdensome. However, as with nearly all platform titles, the camera poses the greatest threat. It is helpful by pointing you in the right direction while traversing dangerous environments or vertical puzzles. In the meantime, the camera can get stuck behind certain obstacles, making it that much more difficult to see which way you need to go. While it doesn’t incur any unnecessary deaths, it can still be rather annoying.

multiplayer

N/A

overall

Aside from its problems, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger is a fun platforming game with great promise for developer Krome Studios. Unfortunately, with a total of nine levels and three boss battles, the total runtime of Ty is about ten hours flat. More casual gamers can finish it in nearly five to six hours. While it’s short, it’s still a blast to play through for a weekend rental. Add in some cool DVD-type features like a Making of feature and 250 unlockable pieces of concept art, and this title is a great game for anyone looking for a fun platformer after being thoroughly disappointed by Nintendo’s Super Mario Sunshine. With a PS2 sequel already on its way, Krome Studios gives us a lot to anticipate.

8.1/10