Disney's Tarzan

Review

by Colin Williamson

Back in the days of the 16-bit Genesis, a number of lusciously animated side-scrollers were released, including the brilliant Disney's Aladdin, Disney's The Lion King and Earthworm Jim. While these games broke new ground in terms of 2D sprite-based animation quality, none of these superior animation techniques ever filtered down onto handheld systems like the Game Boy.

Until now. Obviously based on the Disney movie of the same name, Disney's Tarzan is one of the first color-specific titles for the Game Boy Color, meaning those owning a monochrome Game Boy or Game Boy Pocket are plum out of luck. This is a game that will make you want to upgrade, however: it's a luscious combination of tight gameplay and mind-blowing graphics that hearkens back to the glory days of the 16-bit systems.

Disney's Tarzan offers several modes of play -- you'll get to control the frail Baby Tarzan, the beefed-up Adult Tarzan, the buxom Jane and the playful ape Terk through a number of colorful stages inspired by the movie. Some of these levels are traditional side-scrolling stages where the goal is to load up on bananas, while others are extremely impressive bonus rounds that use a 3D effect to great measure.

Control is extremely tight across all of the levels -- Tarzan leaps from vine to vine with grace and ease, and attacking, running and jumping are easy as pie to pull off with the standard directional pad. The only problem comes with some extremely "cheap" hits when fast-moving monkeys attack from off-screen -- but memorization of the level alleviates this. Still, it's a pain in the loincloth to accidentally drop from a platform onto a rampaging beast!

Other Game Boy Color developers should take a long, hard look at this game, which seemingly exploits every graphic trick in the book. Switch on the game and you'll be treated to an opening cut-scene that's followed by FULL-MOTION VIDEO. You read that right. This is complemented by some of the most fluid animation and detailed backgrounds seen in any Game Boy game to date. Get ready to drown in as much eye-candy as can be shoveled into a two-inch reflective LCD square.

Unfortunately, the soundtrack simply doesn't do the graphics justice. The pounding jungle drums are headache-inducing, and you'll desperately wish for some way to turn them off. On the other hand, there are a few sampled sound effects that sound quite good. There are also plenty of extras included -- there's a two-player Hide 'N Seek mode you can play with a link cable, and you can print out black-and-white jungle backgrounds on the overpriced and underpowered Game Boy Printer.

Though it won't win any prizes for revolutionary gameplay, Disney's Tarzan is a great looking and decent playing side-scroller with plenty of levels, characters and pretty graphics to please the eyes. If you enjoyed the film -- or want a game that flexes the graphical muscles of the Game Boy Color -- there's no way you can go wrong with Disney's Tarzan.