Since it is getting colder outside, people know that it is that time of year again. Yes, the floodgates of games is about to come down upon gamers who have been waiting to play their favorite franchises all year long. For the past couple of years a new platforming game has emerged, and each one has been better then the others. The game I am referring to is Ty, last year’s game really helped expand the franchise, and this year the developer’s continued on that trend.

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3: Night of the Quinkan takes place shortly after the events of Bush Rescue. Boss Cass has been put back in jail and the land has remained peaceful. One day the Bunyip Elder appears and tells Ty that he needs his help. Evil creatures known as the Quikan have infected the sacred land of The Dreaming. Ty helps banish all of them, but accidentally sends them back to his world. It is now up to Ty to reunite Bush Rescue and defeat these Quinkan before they completly destroy the land. Are you up to this challenge?

One of the nicer things about this game is the variety of vehicles that players will get the chance to control. Many times a lot of these different vehicles will have to be used to get to different destinations on the world map for Ty’s adventure to continue. The first thing players will get to control is the Shadow Bunyip which is a huge mech-like device that has really good firepower that is used more for ground combat. Next is Extreme Bunyip which is used when you are doing battle on lava to prevent Ty from becoming a crispy critter. If you want to go under the sea the Crabmersible is the vehicle for you. A personal favorite of mine is the Gunyip which is an airplane which allows you to do battle up in the sky. Last but certainly not least, is the cart racing which is a really fun diversion and controls similar to other cart racing based games.

Players will get their various missions by looking at the world map, and anything flashing will mean that there is a mission in that area. While on missions players will have to use Ty’s unique fighting abilities to help him. Besides the various vehicles that Ty will be using, Ty has two main ways of taking care of various enemies, first his strong bite and next his pair of boomerangs. The thing about the boomerangs in this game is that they are highly customizable, more so then in the previous games.

Players will always have to be on the look out for the various Bunyip Stones which are: fire, water, air, earth, chrono, warp, ultra, mega, zoom, multi, and magnet. Each of these stones offers a different special ability to Ty’s boomerang that will open up new game play features and helps get to places that you previously haven’t been able to, aka puzzle solving elements. The thing that players will have to be aware of is that they will have to use common sense when putting these stones in your boomerang as some can cancel each other out. For instance if you put a water and a fire stone on a boomerang, those special abilities will cancel each other leaving you with your plain boomerang once more. It was little details like this that made the customization of the boomerangs fun and a challenge to figure out the best combinations to get the most damage done.

The graphics for this game are pretty well done. The character models are decently detailed as well as the environments the players will transverse. The developers did a good job of making sure that the players get the feeling that they are in the outback throughout the game. One of the biggest problems with this game is that if you compare it to some of the other games in the same genre, and even a couple of older ones, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3: Night of the Quinkan doesn’t quite compare.

Since this game has a definite Australian theme going for it, it makes sense that the developers continue on with this in the sound section. The voiceovers in this game, while they are not overly impressive, really gets the job done and helps continue the feeling that you are deep in the outback fighting for the what is right. The music, while it isn’t perfect, does keep a good job with its pacing and doesn’t get too annoying when you are playing through it. As expected, all of the appropriate bangs, explosions, and other little sounds that one might expect from a game of this nature.

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 3: Night of the Quinkan is rated E for Everyone for violence. It requires up to 75kb on your memory card for game saves.

Gameplay: 7.8
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3: Night of the Quinkan has a really nice control scheme and plays really well. The platforming elements, racing, and combat are all really tuned well. The only thing that this game has going against it is that it has a “been there done that” feeling because this game really doesn’t offer anything new to the plate. Other then that this game will keep players occupied for quite sometime as they try to beat the game with a 100% competition.

Graphics: 7.7
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3: Night of the Quinkan is a decent looking game. The problem with this game is that there are many other games in the same genre that look so much better. The characters in this game are just not as detailed as other games of similar nature. Other then that fact the game does look nice and has some pretty smooth animations.

Sound: 8.0
Just like the previous games in this series, the music does an adequate job of keeping the gamers entertained. 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: 7.5
This is a pretty decent platforming gaming, even though it takes a lot from many popular platforming games. One of the best things about this game is all the upgradeable boomerangs.

Multiplayer: 7.5
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3: Night of the Quinkan 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: 7.7
Since many of the extremely popular platforming games are taking a genre break and trying something new, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3: Night of the Quinkan will satisfy gamers with their platforming desires. Even though this game really doesn’t offer anything new it is still a fun game that everyone, including smaller gamers, will enjoy.