Toy Story was the franchise that put Pixar on the map in 1995, and in 1999 the world got a sequel and a new game. Like the first game, Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue follows the sequence of events that take place in the movie. Developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Activision, the Playstation version came out in November of 1999, about a week after the movie hit theaters. You play as Buzz Lightyear on his way to Al's Penthouse to save Woody, unlike the movie there is no Mr. Potato Head, no Rex, and no Hamm to accompany you in a party. Although all three do make appearances in the different levels.

Graphics (7/10)- This game tries to do too much with their graphics, everything seems choppy and the polygonal characters, models, and even map elements change shape at different distances. This is mostly due to the fact that each level is just one large area, as opposed to several smaller sub levels most other platformers had. The animations in character movement and environmental effects are fluent with very little slowdown. Before and after each level there is an FMV sequence taken straight from the movie that slightly spoils the movie for those who didn't see it before the game's release. The sequences are typical late 90's quality, 240p at a 4:3 frame versus the frame used in theaters, not a disappointment, only average by the standards back then.

Sound (7/10)- The game's soundtrack wasn't developed by Randy Newman (Who did the music for the movie) but instead was done by Andy Blythe and Marten Joustra. Hardly strangers to Disney/Pixar games as they previously worked on Mickey Mania, Toy Story 1, and A Bug's Life. The music isn't bad, but in the later levels it's hardly noticeable. I keep thinking I turned the volume down when I didn't. The FMV voices sound alright and character voices are rather short; only one or two words accompanying a dialog box which is probably a good thing.

Addictiveness (2/10)- Although I enjoyed this game to a certain degree, the game got progressively difficult and I lost interest right around level 5. With 15 levels, I wonder if anyone actually completed this game as it is long, somewhat tedious, and the controls get somewhat confusing at times.

Story (5/10)- As I said earlier, this game follows the events that happen in the film Toy Story 2; Woody gets kidnapped by a toy collector at a yard sale at Andy’s house, and Buzz sets off to find and rescue him. I’m sure we’re all aware of the movie nowadays so I shouldn’t have to go any further. It’s a good story and was used in an interesting manner early in the game, leaving Al’s Toy Barn in the second half of the game.

Depth (5/10)- This game offers five zones consisting of three levels each. In each level there are five objectives to complete before considering a level to be truly done. Those five tasks include collecting 50 coins for Hamm, finding five lost items such as Bo Peep’s Sheep in level one, completing a time trial event such as five wrenches in level four, solving a puzzle such as reaching a difficult location, and defeating a mini-boss. Completing one of these tasks will result in you gaining a Pizza Planet token, which is the equivalent of a star in Super Mario 64. You need to collect a certain number of tokens to access the boss levels (3, 10, 18, 28, and 40). Every three levels or so following level one, Mr. Potato Head will have an item that could be of use to Buzz. Such as an orb to maneuver around sludge in the basement in level one. He’ll give you the item in exchange for a missing piece of Mr. Potato Head, pieces like an ear, an eye, an arm, a foot, and his mouth. These are nice little side tasks that keep you on your toes and give you more objectives while working around the massive level.

Difficulty (9/10)- Good grief this game is difficult. I couldn't beat it as a kid and I probably can’t beat it now. The furthest I ever got in this game was level eight and most times I was stuck on level six. The boss battles are going to make you or break you, and with a limited number of lives, be sure to save often and expect anything and everything. The difficulty keeps you on the edge of your seat and is ready to tear you apart if you mess up.

Contrary to things I might have said, this is a good game but suffers in terms on control and increasing difficulty. If you like games that make you think and really challenge your skill set, by all means give this game a try. Despite the issues, I give it an 8/10. A classic game from my childhood for reasons both good and bad.

Not a bad review, and I would agree with you wholeheartedly on this game. The boss battles are tough; it gets too confusing and all that, and I wish they did more levels with more platforming instead of the exploration element. The fact that you have to find some really tricky hidden things can definitely be a pain. I did complete the game by getting to the end (without saving, I might add) but I did lose interest several times. I will say that you just barely missed the good level nine, the space area (at least I think that was the level that it was on.) Overall, this was a good review!

Thanks Faith, happy to hear you enjoy my review. I bought TS2 on the Playstation Store a couple years ago and tried going through it again, that's when I stopped at level eight. Hopefully I can find the patience to try again.