| INFO | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Sega (Team Aquila) |
| Genre | Platformer |
| Platform(s) |  |
| Release date | 1994-12-09 |
Almost a full year before Toy Story, Sega released this 2.5D platformer about toys coming to life when their owners aren't around. It was one of the Saturn's launch titles in North America and Europe. Could it be considered a good letter of introduction?
The truth is that it's one of the mildest releases of the year, a game that is well made but doesn't add anything new to the genre (or gaming itself). The childish setting, the short length and the lack of challenge make it suitable for the little persons in your household (the ones that still play with toys), but it's not of much interest for the rest of us.
The plot goes like this: your character, with an unpronounceable name (let's call him "Pepper"), is a clumsy but well-meaning toy soldier in love with the Clockwork Fairy Princess, who every night makes all toys come to life with her singing. When she's kidnapped by a mysterious figure, he sets out to rescue her by confronting his toy buddies, who have been brainwashed into aggressive henchmen.
The gameplay is basically 2D, with the third dimension being used only for graphical detail in the environments and some enemies; sprites are still used heavily for the rest, rendered from 3D in a manner similar to Donkey Kong Country. It has a cute and colorful aspect but nothing stands out to the eye in particular. You can walk, run, jump and attack with Pepper's key, plus toss stuff around. Your goal is to reach the level exit before time runs out, and every once in a while you fight bigger honchos which attack with their own unique pattern.
Like I said, the game's not really hard to grasp and you can make quick work of it in two hours flat or less. The house is divided in four main rooms with only two levels each plus the boss fight, and they tend to be short, as the initial countdown begins at 5 minutes (4 in hard mode), though this can be increased by picking up clocks. You can tune the difficulty and the amount of lives before beginning a new session.
Don't misunderstand me, one can't say Sega did a bad job here, but certainly the amount of risk and innovation they took is zero. But, being short and kind of pleasant (relaxing even, except a few jumps and bosses), that's the same amount of risk you'll run of not enjoying it one silly afternoon.
Playing
Not available in digital stores. Buy it second-hand or use an emulator.