Disney's Treasure Planet
Posted March 20, 2003
"Treasure Planet" was not a commerical success for Disney animation, even thought it was one of the studio's more visually stunning efforts in recent years. While one might think that the film's visuals (and story - based upon the Robert Louis Stevenson novel) would translate well to a video game adventure, they do - to a point. "Treasure Planet" is generally a somewhat above-average platformer, but when put to comparison with some of the other games in the genre ("Sly Cooper"), the game comes up short.
As with the movie, the game features Jim Hawkins (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who also voiced the character in the film). As with the movie, Jim has found a map that will lead him to the famed "Treasure Planet", which is said to contain "the loot of a thousand worlds". Part of the game contains the usual platforming levels - Jim jumps, kicks and punches his way through a series of enemies, while also collecting energy, coins and various power-ups (cyborg arm, etc.)
There's a couple of sides when considering any game that's rated "E" and clearly targeted towards kids. Younger viewers will likely find this game fun and enjoyable, as the graphics are crisp and clear, while the game moves along at a decent pace and isn't terribly difficult. Teen and adult players will likely notice the game's faults more quickly - the camera is awkward at times (which doesn't help with all the jumping in the game) and the tasks that the player must complete are generic and start to become repetitive - find this, get 10 of these - after a while. The story is also edited together in a rather mediocre way, making it somewhat difficult for those unfamiliar with the movie to get a handle on who everyone is and what's going on.
The game's other, better half involves Jim getting on his solar surfer (essentially, air surfing). These levels are graphically more pleasing and although the options on tricks and other things Jim can do during these levels could have been less thin, the result is moderately entertaining.
Overall, "Treasure Planet" was simply okay. The game is clearly aimed towards the younger set (it seems less intense than the PG rated movie, which makes for a less exciting experience than I had seeing the film on an enormous screen), but it also could have been more inspired - there's too much collecting and not enough exploring or adventure.
Gameplay:
The game's controls are fine and not particularly complex, but the camera does irritate, as it makes some aspects of the game (jumping) needlessly difficult.
Graphics:
The game's graphics are fairly enjoyable, although the game doesn't seem quite as colorful as the movie. The character designs are crisply rendered, the character animation is generally decent and the solar surfer levels look visually pleasing. There's also no choppiness or slowdown, although some shimmering and jagged edges are occasionally seen. Backgrounds are fairly sparse at times, too. Generally, some positives and some negatives in the graphics department.
Audio:
The game's box lists a "Pro Logic II" soundtrack, meaning (I'd guess), that the game's Dolby Surround track is optimized for PLII playback. Playback in Pro Logic II didn't impress, mainly because there's really not a great deal to this particular game's soundtrack. Although there is some fine voice work in the few cut-scenes (and if these aren't the actors providing the voices, they've gotten people who sound remarkably close), there's very few lines from the characters mid-game. Sound effects are also fairly minimal. Surrounds come in briefly for a couple of sound effects and reinforcement of the score, but overall, this isn't a particularly enveloping soundtrack.
Conclusion:
The game is rated "E" (Everyone). It offers some very basic action and certainly nothing that will scare younger players.
Final Thoughts: "Treasure Planet" will likely provide moderate entertainment as a rental for younger viewers who've seen the movie or are familiar other games in the genre. However, it won't be long before older players notice the camera issue and start to find the tasks rather tedious. Had this been directed at a slightly older audience and presented the story with more energy and a sense of adventure, this could have been a terrific game instead of a very average one.
As with the movie, the game features Jim Hawkins (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who also voiced the character in the film). As with the movie, Jim has found a map that will lead him to the famed "Treasure Planet", which is said to contain "the loot of a thousand worlds". Part of the game contains the usual platforming levels - Jim jumps, kicks and punches his way through a series of enemies, while also collecting energy, coins and various power-ups (cyborg arm, etc.)
There's a couple of sides when considering any game that's rated "E" and clearly targeted towards kids. Younger viewers will likely find this game fun and enjoyable, as the graphics are crisp and clear, while the game moves along at a decent pace and isn't terribly difficult. Teen and adult players will likely notice the game's faults more quickly - the camera is awkward at times (which doesn't help with all the jumping in the game) and the tasks that the player must complete are generic and start to become repetitive - find this, get 10 of these - after a while. The story is also edited together in a rather mediocre way, making it somewhat difficult for those unfamiliar with the movie to get a handle on who everyone is and what's going on.
The game's other, better half involves Jim getting on his solar surfer (essentially, air surfing). These levels are graphically more pleasing and although the options on tricks and other things Jim can do during these levels could have been less thin, the result is moderately entertaining.
Overall, "Treasure Planet" was simply okay. The game is clearly aimed towards the younger set (it seems less intense than the PG rated movie, which makes for a less exciting experience than I had seeing the film on an enormous screen), but it also could have been more inspired - there's too much collecting and not enough exploring or adventure.
Gameplay:
The game's controls are fine and not particularly complex, but the camera does irritate, as it makes some aspects of the game (jumping) needlessly difficult.
Graphics:
The game's graphics are fairly enjoyable, although the game doesn't seem quite as colorful as the movie. The character designs are crisply rendered, the character animation is generally decent and the solar surfer levels look visually pleasing. There's also no choppiness or slowdown, although some shimmering and jagged edges are occasionally seen. Backgrounds are fairly sparse at times, too. Generally, some positives and some negatives in the graphics department.
Audio:
The game's box lists a "Pro Logic II" soundtrack, meaning (I'd guess), that the game's Dolby Surround track is optimized for PLII playback. Playback in Pro Logic II didn't impress, mainly because there's really not a great deal to this particular game's soundtrack. Although there is some fine voice work in the few cut-scenes (and if these aren't the actors providing the voices, they've gotten people who sound remarkably close), there's very few lines from the characters mid-game. Sound effects are also fairly minimal. Surrounds come in briefly for a couple of sound effects and reinforcement of the score, but overall, this isn't a particularly enveloping soundtrack.
Conclusion:
The game is rated "E" (Everyone). It offers some very basic action and certainly nothing that will scare younger players.
Final Thoughts: "Treasure Planet" will likely provide moderate entertainment as a rental for younger viewers who've seen the movie or are familiar other games in the genre. However, it won't be long before older players notice the camera issue and start to find the tasks rather tedious. Had this been directed at a slightly older audience and presented the story with more energy and a sense of adventure, this could have been a terrific game instead of a very average one.