The time to bust out all of the developers heavy artillery is finally upon us. From this point on gamers will see a flood of games being released, and many of them are AAA quality games that many people have been looking forward to for a couple years now. EA has decided to create a sequel to their original game: Ty the Tasmanian Tiger game. Is this game better than last years game, and have what it takes to compete with the “heavy hitter’s” coming out over the next few weeks? Read on to find out!

This game takes place shortly after the first one, with someone trying to break Boss Cass out of prison so they can run amuck around the world. To help players prevent any damage that Boss Cass can do upon the world, the Bush Rescue is formed. This means that players will have access to a variety of different vehicles and many other things to help you out in your quest. Players will receive their missions though a PDA like device called: the Digital Rescue Assistant. When there is a new mission players will receive a message outlining what has happened and what you need to do to help out.

Punching always works!

This game has a very interesting mission scheme that never gets boring or repetitive. For instance, during the course of the game you will take on missions that might require the use of different vehicles, Bunyips, or on foot. The vehicles that you will have access to are the Fourbie, Helicopter, and Car. The Fourbie is an off road vehicle that lets players get around the land really quickly. The Helicopter lets Ty take to the sky, an example of a mission that requires this is the transportation of dynamite from one place to another that is far away. The cart opens up more of a “mini game”, where players take on other AI characters to see who is the best racer in the land.

Bunyips are mechanical devices that help you take on some of the harder things throughout the game. The Battle Bunyip, think of a Gundam, allows players to punch enemies with great force. The Sub Bunyips allows players to explore the underwater. Thermo Extreme allows players to swim though volcanoes and put out fires. The Lifter allows players to lift heavy objects that are in their way, which might uncover some secret passage to get to new parts of the game.

That fires hot!

Now lets discuss Ty’s main weapons. First and foremost he can bite objects, and his bite is way bigger than his bark. His jaws are so strong that he can even bite though solid wooden crates. Ty’s real signature weapon is his boomerangs, and in this game it is all about upgrading them to do bigger and better things. There are a slew of upgrades for TYs boomerang, which includes: fire, ice, thunder, and many others. Each boomerang opens up a new gameplay feature and allows you to go places that you couldn’t before. For instance if you need to melt a block of ice then the Fire one will allow you to simmer it down in no time.

The graphics for this game are pretty nice, but the problem is if you compare it to other platforming games already released and those coming out in the next month, this game can not really compete head to head with them. What I am not saying is that this game is ugly, but it could have looked a lot nicer, especially since the game was made this late in the Playstation 2’s life cycle.

The music for this game fits it really well, as it has a real “Australian” theme going for it. The sound effects also work with the game as well. There are the appropriate bangs, explosions, and other little sounds that one might expect from a game like this. The first time I heard the voiceovers I was not impressed, but after I listened to them for a while they grew on me. This voices feature an Australian accent, and even various slang words thrown in to make it really have that Australian theme.

No one will take the lead from me!

When I first loaded up this game I was shocked to see a Cart Racing section. I thought that when I clicked on it, I would get a warning telling me that I first have to beat the game or do “such and such quest” before it becomes unlocked. To my surprise I was able to play this “mini game” from the get go. The cart game plays just like any other cart racing game that you might have played. There are many different characters to choose from, and during the race there are “turbo” spots to speed you up and power ups to help give you the edge during the race and take out the leader. What’s even better is that you and a friend can go head to head in this mode for some real fun. This is a real treat that the developers put in for gamers, and it is greatly appreciated.

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue E for Everyone for violence. It requires up to 69kb on your memory card for game saves.

Graphics: 7.9
The game doesn’t look great, but it is far from ugly looking. The problem is that there are so many other games that look so much better. The problem really shows with some of the other characters as they are not as detailed, texture wise or polygonal wise, as the main characters. One of the better points in the game is the smooth animation that Ty has, he moves really well.

Sound: 7.8
The music for this game is adequate. The sound effects provide the usual flare one might expect form a game like this. The voiceovers are pretty decent and fit the game pretty well, having Australian accents and slang thrown in to make it feel more authentic.

Difficulty: Medium
I found that this game was extremely easy to play and beat. The boss battles can get a little challenging, but it is nothing that any mediocre platforming fan can’t beat.

Concept: 7.7
This is a pretty good platforming game, that is not a clone of all the other ones available. I like all of the available vehicles that players will have access to and the upgradeable boomerangs.

Multiplayer: 7.5
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue includes a cart racing game that is immediately available when you load it up on your system. It is a decent mode that has plenty of characters to choose from, but it isn’t as fleshed out as many other cart racing games.

Overall: 7.8
One of the best things about Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue is that it is on a discounted price. Another thing that this game has going for it is that it is extremely “kid friendly.” If you are looking for a game for the kids to play that doesn’t feature a lot of violence, this game should be on your list. Also if you are on a limited budget and are looking for a good platforming game that has a cart racing game added on, than look no further!