| Introduction
The original Tarzan game on the GBC caused something
of a sensation and received critical acclaim for its
ground-breaking graphics, fluid animation and streaming
audio. It was, if I'm not mistaken, the only game at
the time to actually use FMV, a feature many thought
impossible on the GameBoy. Digital Eclipse, however,
pulled it off nicely and to date, Tarzan for the GBC
has sold over 750,000 copies.
Well, as you'd expect, it's time for a sequel, and
what better way for Tarzan to 'Return to the Jungle'
than on the GBA. This time around, Tarzan has to protect
the jungle first from the mysterious Queen La, then
from some unwelcome visitors in search of a prehistoric,
hidden world. So hang on tight, we're swinging in...!
GamePlay
You start by playing a younger version of Tarzan
armed only with your 'ape-like' reflexes and a simple
boomerang. You can deal with most enemies easily, but
will discover that avoiding them is the better option,
especially if you're low on health. By contrast, the
adult Tarzan uses spears for defense, but is limited
to carrying ten at a time, so discovering refill points
is essential.
What this version of Tarzan really gives you though
is freedom of movement. In addition to swinging from
vine to vine and hanging upside down, you can also bungee
jump and 'surf' down trees. There's even help available
when you're in an impossible situation--a simple shout
to the wilderness will bring friends to your aid; for
example, an elephant to knock down a wall or an eagle
to fly over danger.
Unlike the first GBC outing, Tarzan doesn't have
to collect bananas to complete a level. The bananas
are still there, and collecting all of them will reward
you with an extra life, but they're by no means essential.
Rather, he must work through various tasks linked to
the story line.
The tasks themselves are far from original, but the
manner in which they're seamlessly woven into the fabric
of the game makes for an incredibly satisfying experience.
Things start out pretty basic like collecting keys for
doors, but very quickly become more challenging, with
a race against time to save Tarzan's friend Trek from
a dangerous waterfall. You'll occasionally have to deal
with an end of level boss, and while some of the earlier
ones are relatively easy to defeat, the latter ones
can pose quite a problem since they're tougher, not
to mention you'll also have to discover their weak point.
There's no multiplayer option; the developers must
have used all their energies to bring a truly innovative
single player gaming experience to the GBA. Tarzan doesn't
appear to suffer though, due to its large and well-designed
levels.
Finally, to finish off a seemingly perfect package,
the level save is all done via a battery. With three
slots you may even let one of your friends have a go
and more importantly, high scores are saved, thus making
the incentive to collect everything even greater.
Controls
This could be a little tricky to decipher as Tarzan
has a whole range of moves at his disposal. Fortunately
your friend Trek is there every step of the way, to
introduce new moves or important items, and the first
level is even a tutorial. It's all been really well
implemented, and the collision detection is near perfect,
banishing those age-old platforming frustrations. Some
moves do take a little practice, so you may occasionally
lose health or even a whole life while attempting to
perform a seemingly simple maneuver.
Graphics
Visually, Tarzan is absolutely beautiful. Digital
Eclipse has produced a stunning looking GBA title with
absolutely no compromise on speed. Everything's here,
from the stunning and varied environments, to some of
the best sprite animation I've seen for some time. It
all kicks off with some generous FMV clips (there are
five in all which can be unlocked) pulling together
a package with production values closer to a first generation
PlayStation title than a humble GBA game. A final mention
must go to the new Digital Eclipse logo, which has also
been given the animated treatment. As soon as we saw
this, we knew we were in for something a little special
and we certainly weren't disappointed.
Sound & Music
The audio aspects match the high production values
evident in the visuals, and this is yet another title
where headphones are a must. Each of the levels has
a wonderful jungle-inspired score playing throughout,
with spot effects dependent on the onscreen action.
One of the most remarkable improvements is the sampled
sound that accompanies the FMV, which is usually of
poor quality as developers endeavor to save space. Whether
Digital Eclipse have sampled the sound at a higher rate
or utilized a clever compression routine is not clear,
but the results are really very good.
Final Comments
Although I was a fan of the original, this new version
is a considerable improvement on the GBC version, as
the developers appear to have enhanced the gaming experience
in every department. The major improvement is in the
variety and sheer amount of gaming types available here,
which will keep you puzzled and entertained for some
time. There have been too many average platformers in
the GameBoy's lifetime and few manage to combine the
ingredients required to reach the dizzy heights of gaming
perfection. Digital Eclipse have managed to come as
close as we've seen, and the GBA version of Tarzan really
is a title every platforming fan should own.
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