Ty the Tasmanian Tiger (PS2)
Ty The Tasmanian Tiger
We go back to the early 2000's with this one, the first of it's franchise (spawning three sequels). This platformer takes us to fictitious Australian island where Boss Cass seeks to become the ruler of Australia. He is in search of five ancient talismans which will aid him in his rise to power. However, he's stopped by a family of Tasmanian tigers wielding boomerangs. Cass opens a portal, entrapping the family in another realm called "The Dreaming".
Just a baby tiger at the time, Ty's father throws his boomerang at the portal, destroying it and causing the talismans to become scattered. Ty grows up thinking he's the only one of his kind, until he stumbles across a cave by accident. Inside, an elder reveals to him the truth, along with details that Cass intends to take the talismans again. He surfaces from the cave with his own personal mission. Set forth to find the talismans first, stopping Boss Cass's thirst for power, and locating the rest of his kind.
Jump, Bite, and Rang
Ty is a third-person platformer, with controls that feel extremely familiar if you've played any other platforming giants from around the same time. If you've thrown in Ratchet & Clank for even five minutes, you know how to control Ty.
Through the game, you'll travel to levels in a style very similar to Crash Bandicoot. Ty meets a scientist named Julius who has a portal machine which can bring the talismans to it. In order to locate the talisman, Ty needs to visit a few different worlds and find Thunder Eggs, which power the machine. Once enough of these have been found, the machine will locate a talisman, pushing Ty into a small boss fight, before moving on to the next area.
Each level will give you eight different tasks for earning Thunder Eggs. This includes completing a timed challenge (generally a race), finding 300 opal (the games main collectible item) locating five missing bilbi (the race of creature that raised Ty from a young age) or stumbling across them as you explore the world and completing specific tasks.
To do all this, you'll need to master Ty's short list of moves. He can perform a single jump, after which he can also use his dual boomerangs to glide. Ty can also bite, and throw said boomerangs, these two moves being his only form of defense and combat. Again, if you've played Ratchet or Crash, enemies go down in a single hit. The only real strategy you'll need is the fact that some enemies can't be killed with the boomerang, so you'll have to find a way to flank so you can bite them.
The game let's you play how you want as well. You'll travel to each hub area, and instantly have access to the three worlds for where you'll need to find the Thunder Eggs, so you can bounce back and forth as you please. No matter what, you'll need to find a total of seventeen eggs before unlocking the boss area and the talisman. Rinse and repeat a few times and you just might get to stop Boss Cass.
Difficulties Down Undah?
I honestly didn't have too difficult of a time playing Ty, but it wasn't too easy either. The combat was a lot of fun and not all that difficult. All enemies go down in one or two hits, and to be fair the two-hitters are just ones that need to be flanked or distracted so you can get in close enough for the kill. Ty's boomerangs travel a decent amount of distance, and as long as you're aimed in the generic direction of an enemy you'll hit them no problem.
Combat against bosses is a bit more difficult, but not overly so. These are meant to be longer multi-hit fights, meaning you'll need your thinking cap for a bit of strategy. While they're a bit tougher, I found them to be mostly enjoyable. I say mostly because Ty is lacking one or two moves (or isn't taught them in time) to be as effective as he could be against these bosses.
The games platforming is moderately difficult is well, but this is more due to the wonky camera issues than any actual difficulty. The camera is extremely sensitive to move, and is one of those game cameras that starts maneuvering itself depending on how the character is moving. Some platforming sections require you to jump to a lower area and these issues can make it frustrating to aim precisely.
I might not label this one as a "must own" game, but it did spawn three sequels so it obviously did something right. You can find this one for around $10 in-box on all three platforms it's available on (PS2, Xbox, GameCube), cheaper for a loose disc, and close to $40 if you're looking for sealed. You might not be thirsting for multiple playthroughs of it, but Ty the Tasmanian Tiger will give you a decently fun time even if it is just for a single play.
Combat against bosses is a bit more difficult, but not overly so. These are meant to be longer multi-hit fights, meaning you'll need your thinking cap for a bit of strategy. While they're a bit tougher, I found them to be mostly enjoyable. I say mostly because Ty is lacking one or two moves (or isn't taught them in time) to be as effective as he could be against these bosses.
The games platforming is moderately difficult is well, but this is more due to the wonky camera issues than any actual difficulty. The camera is extremely sensitive to move, and is one of those game cameras that starts maneuvering itself depending on how the character is moving. Some platforming sections require you to jump to a lower area and these issues can make it frustrating to aim precisely.
Final Thoughts
I never heard of this game until the last year or so. What I got for picking this up was a lot more than I expected. The "issues" this game has are far from ground breaking, and can be chalked up to just how the game has aged (it has been 16 years after all). The game's story does a great job of presenting itself and teaching you most mechanics in a timely manner. Like, when you reach the games first water-focused world, you're locked in on a beach area until you talk to one of the characters who teaches you how to swim.I might not label this one as a "must own" game, but it did spawn three sequels so it obviously did something right. You can find this one for around $10 in-box on all three platforms it's available on (PS2, Xbox, GameCube), cheaper for a loose disc, and close to $40 if you're looking for sealed. You might not be thirsting for multiple playthroughs of it, but Ty the Tasmanian Tiger will give you a decently fun time even if it is just for a single play.
