Tarzan Untamed |
GameCube |
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Review by Matt Paprocki |
Adventure |
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Graphics: 8 |
Sound: 8 |
Gameplay: 7 |
Overall: 7.5 |
This is one of those games you'll most likely call a "guilty
pleasure" in a few years. Tarzan Untamed is an old-school, 2-1/2D platformer
mixed in with surprising variety that you're nearly embarrassed to admit you enjoy. The
whole package has a childish look and appeal, yet underneath that barrier lies one hell of
a solid game.
The camera rarely provides any difficulties, a rarity in today's platformers. Most of the trouble comes when making a jump and you're not exactly quite sure how far you need to go. This does make for some infuriating leaps of faith, but the behind-the-back view is generally sufficient. Green jungle provides the majority of the game's backdrop, occasionally switching to swamps and rivers. All the characters have been rendered wonderfully in 3-D and kids will eat this up, even if they continue to fall to their bloody doom because of missed jumps. The voice acting is also above par and the cinemas, although grainy, keep the spirit of the movie alive.
This is a game that will most likely get passed over by the majority of gamers, believing it's standard kids fare. It's not. Well, it is in a sense, but the gameplay can keep any platforming fan happy. It's very easy to look like a pro swinging from vines, rescuing monkeys, and taking out poachers with arrows, even if you've never played it before. That's a sense of accomplished bigger-budgeted titles have trouble achieving. |