''Toy Story Racer'' is a 2001
kart racing game
A kart racing game, also known as cart racing game or go-kart racing game, is a subgenre of racing video games. Kart racing games have simplified driving mechanics while including unusual racetrack designs, obstacles, and vehicular combat. Though ...
based on the
''Toy Story'' franchise. The game was released in March 2001 for the
Game Boy Color
The (commonly abbreviated as GBC) is a handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on October 21, 1998 and to international markets that November. It is the successor to the Game Boy and is part of the Game ...
and
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
systems. The PlayStation version received "generally favorable reviews" according to
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
. In 2010, the PlayStation version was re-released on the
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital media store available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via the PlayStation Network.
The store offers a range of downloadable content ...
as a
PS one Classic.
Gameplay
The
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
and
Game Boy Color
The (commonly abbreviated as GBC) is a handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on October 21, 1998 and to international markets that November. It is the successor to the Game Boy and is part of the Game ...
(GBC) versions of ''Toy Story Racer'' are distinct from each other.
The PlayStation version of ''Toy Story Racer'' features 12 playable
characters
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
from the first film:
[
There are 200 ]soldiers
A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer.
Etymology
The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
to collect throughout the PlayStation version, gained by competing in the different types of races.[ Eight of the 12 characters must be unlocked by earning the required number of soldiers for that respective character. The initially unlocked characters are: Woody, Buzz, Bo Peep, and RC.][
In the Game Boy Color version, the unlocked characters are Woody, Buzz, Bo Peep, and Mr. Potato Head. The game includes two unlockable characters: a little green man and an army soldier.][
]
Racing types
The Game Boy Color version has only two race modes, Quick Race and Tournament, while the PlayStation version features the following race modes:
* Race - a regular race in which the player must finish in first place to be awarded a soldier (some races range in the number of laps and number of opponents).
* Race Tournament - a race tournament where each position is awarded points; the winner is the toy with the most points.
* Knockout Race - a knockout-style race, where the toy in last place on every lap is eliminated.
* Knockout Race Tournaments - a knockout-style tournament, where toys are eliminated at the end of every race.
* Lap Trial - completing the lap within the time limit to win.
* Endurance - completing a number of laps within a time limit.
* Collection - collecting the hidden clown weeble
Weebles is a range of children's roly-poly toys originating in the US in Hasbro's Playskool division on July 23, 1971. Tipping an egg (biology), egg-shaped Weeble causes a weight located at the bottom-center to be lifted off the ground. Once rele ...
s scattered throughout the track before the time runs out.
* Target - Finding and destroying the hidden dart boards with weapons scattered throughout the track before the time runs out.
* Countdown Mode - The player must complete a number of races within a time limit.
* Survival - Finishing a race in first place without getting hit by a weapon, which results in elimination.
* Super Survival - same as Survival, but the player ''must'' eliminate the other toys to win.
* Tag Mode - to win, the player must bump other players with their car.
* Smash Tag - same as Tag Mode, but players are eliminated with weapons, not by crashing.
* Smash - a race in which the player must defeat a specific group of opponents by using power-ups to knock them out.
* Smash Tournament - the player must knock out other racers by using power-ups. A point is rewarded for each character that the player knocks out.
Some of these game modes can also be played in reverse, in which the racers compete backwards on the course.[ The PlayStation version features more than 100 challenges, each of them utilizing one of the various game modes.] Challenges are gradually unlocked as the player collects more soldiers.[
]
Levels and items
The PlayStation version has 18 tracks:[ 11 race tracks and 7 smash arenas. Race tracks include ]Andy
Andy may refer to:
People
* Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds
* Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and pi ...
's house, Andy's neighborhood, a shopping mall, a pier, the Pizza Planet restaurant, an underground parking lot, and Sid's house. Smash arenas include a basketball court, a bowling alley, a cinema, a gas station, and an ice rink. A skate park level serves as both a race track and a smash arena. The PlayStation version includes eight items that can be used against opponents, including a spinning top
A spinning top, or simply a top, is a toy with a squat body and a sharp point at the bottom, designed to be spun on its vertical axis, balancing on the tip due to the gyroscopic effect.
Once set in motion, a top will usually wobble for a few se ...
, a rocket, electroshock
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a psychiatric treatment where a generalized seizure (without muscular convulsions) is electrically induced to manage refractory mental disorders.Rudorfer, MV, Henry, ME, Sackeim, HA (2003)"Electroconvulsive the ...
, and a speed booster. Items are found in four different coloured boxes located throughout each track, and two items are contained in each box.
The Game Boy Color version has 10 tracks across three locations: Andy's house, Andy's neighborhood, and Pizza Planet.[ The tracks in the GBC version are pre-rendered as ]full motion video
Full-motion video (FMV) is a video game narration technique that relies upon pre-recorded video files (rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models) to display action in the game. While many games feature FMVs as a way to present information duri ...
, allowing for a 3D effect. The character sprites are overlaid on the video and move forward automatically with the track, while the player controls the steering of the chosen character.[ Icons are located on the track and can be collected by the player, resulting in a random effect on the player's vehicle. The icons can slow down the vehicle, or can aid the player by providing abilities such as invincibility or temporary top speed.][ Coins are scattered on the track as well, and can be collected by the player to increase the high score.][
]
Release
In the United States, ''Toy Story Racer'' was released for PlayStation and Game Boy Color in March 2001. In 2010, the game received a downloadable PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
re-release through the PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital media store available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via the PlayStation Network.
The store offers a range of downloadable content ...
as a PS one Classic. The re-release was published in the United States on July 27, followed by a European release on August 25. The re-release became compatible with the PlayStation Vita
The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international territo ...
on August 29, 2012.
Reception
The PlayStation version received "generally favorable reviews" according to aggregator website Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, based on 8 reviews. The PlayStation version was generally praised for its graphics and appeal to people of all ages.[ '']IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
''s review stated: "''Toy Story Racer'' is aimed at young kids, but it's surprisingly adult in the level of detail, depth of gameplay, and its overall design", whilst Tim Tracy of ''GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' remarked that "it's no ''Crash Team Racing
''Crash Team Racing'' (stylized as ''CTR: Crash Team Racing'') is a 1999 kart racing video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. It is the fourth installment in the ''Crash Bandicoot'' ...
'', but ''Toy Story Racer'' provides plenty of challenge for young and old alike." Tracy also praised the controls for their simplicity. Kevin Rice of '' NextGen'', however, gave it a negative review, saying, "Clearly, this is aimed at the youngest gamers. More discerning consumers – say, over the age of 10 – will not be impressed."
Jon Thompson of ''AllGame
RhythmOne , previously known as Blinkx, and also known as RhythmOne Group, is an American digital advertising technology company that owns and operates the web properties AllMusic, AllMovie, and SideReel.
Blinkx was founded in 2004, went publ ...
'' praised the PlayStation version for its variety but considered the graphics and sound to be average,[ while Johnny Liu of '']GameRevolution
''GameRevolution'' (formerly ''Game-Revolution'') is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots ...
'' wrote that the game "force feeds you with endless repetition". Liu criticized the over-sensitive controls, but considered the music decent. Although Liu enjoyed some of the tracks, he considered it an average game and believed that ''Crash Team Racing'' was superior.[ Aaron Curtiss of the '']Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' praised the PlayStation version and considered it superior to the GBC version; he criticized the latter version as tedious and was disappointed by its reduced number of tracks and game modes. Curtiss was also critical of the two different versions being released with an identical title and packaging.[
Thompson, in his review of the GBC version, praised the 3D graphics but wrote that "it is obviously not true 3D, and the frame rate is low enough to disorient you on many occasions". Thompson further stated that the game had low replay value because of its lack of diverse characters, game modes, and tracks.][ ''IGN''s Craig Harris also criticized the GBC version for its lack of variety, and stated that the game was fun for only a limited period.][ Frank Provo of ''GameSpot'' stated that the GBC version had good replay value. Provo believed that '']Wacky Races
Eccentricity (also called quirkiness) is an unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive. Eccentricity is contrasted with norm ...
'' and ''Woody Woodpecker Racing
''Woody Woodpecker Racing'' is a 2000 video game published by Konami and developed by Syrox Developments, based on the animated series ''The New Woody Woodpecker Show'' (and the animated short film series created by Walter Lantz). A Dreamcast vers ...
'' were "much better" alternatives, but wrote that the 3D graphics and "cartoon-style charm" of ''Toy Story Racer'' "make it an excellent choice for children, Disney fans, or Game Boy fanatics who enjoy visual gimmicks".[
In 2019, the PlayStation version was included on IGN's list of Top 25 Favourite Kart Racers.]
Notes
References
External links
* (PlayStation)
* (Game Boy Color)
{{Toy Story
2001 video games
Activision games
PlayStation (console) games
PlayStation Network games
Game Boy Color games
Tiertex Design Studios games
Toy Story video games
Disney video games
Traveller's Tales games
Video games based on films
Kart racing video games
Video games developed in the United Kingdom
Multiplayer and single-player video games