Video Game Vintage Title: Toy Story 3: The Video Game

Toy Story 3: The Video Game

Toy Story 3: The Video Game is a platform video game loosely based on the film Toy Story 3. It was published by Disney Interactive Studios and developed by Avalanche Software , Asobo Studio and n-Space . The game was released in North America on June 15, 2010, for the Nintendo DS, Wii, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and the Xbox 360. A special PlayStation 2 bundle with Toy Story 3: The Video Game was released on October 31, 2010, followed by the game's individual release on November 2, 2010. It's the only video game based on the Toy Story franchise to be released for the PlayStation 2, as well as the last video game based on a Disney and/or Pixar product on the console.

Toy Story 3 is the first game based on a film by Pixar to be published entirely by Disney Interactive Studios. Past Disney/Pixar movie games have been made in conjunction with Activision first, then THQ. It is the sequel to the second game that was based on the second film in the franchise.

Most of the voice cast from the film returned to reprise their characters in the game with the exception of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen , respectively. . The game also contains content exclusive to the PlayStation 3 version. The game was well received by critics and was a top-seller in the UK. This was the last Disney/Pixar video game to be developed by Asobo Studio and the last Disney/Pixar game to be released on PlayStation 2.

Toy Story 3: The Video Game Plot

Woody, Jessie, Bullseye, Buzz Lightyear, Slinky, Rex, Hamm, the three squeak toy aliens, Buttercup, the Peas-in-a-Pod, Mr. Pricklepants, Chuckles, Dolly and Trixie are the toys of a girl named Bonnie. But among them, Woody, Jessie, Buzz, Slinky, Bullseye, Rex, Hamm and the alien toys used to belong to a boy named Andy Davis. Hamm, Rex and Slinky tell the original toys of Bonnie about an adventure they had before they went to Bonnie and how they ended up in Bonnie's.

It all starts when Andy is about to go off to college. The toys have not been played by Andy for years, so they make a plan to have Andy play with them one last time. But they fail, so the toys hide in a box headed for daycare, although Woody is reluctant. They are welcomed warmly into Sunnyside by a strawberry scented teddy bear called Lotso, who holds a "New Toys Welcome" carnival. Although Woody has a good time, he still thinks he should be with Andy, and attempts to escape from Sunnyside, but ends up being taken home by Bonnie, who found him in on the ground. Meanwhile, the other toys back at the daycare discover that Sunnyside is "not sunny" for everyone. It turns out that Sunnyside had been turned into a toy prison by Lotso, after he had been replaced by his original owner. The toys are locked in cages and guarded by security toy trucks and helicopters, while Buzz is reprogrammed by Lotso and now thinks his friends are "minions of Zurg" and guards their cages. Woody finds out about this and rushes to Sunnyside the save his friends. After freeing his friends, they manage to set Buzz back to normal and they escape by sliding down a rubbish chute and land on some dumpsters. Before they can escape, they fall into a garbage truck and end up in the dump. Even worse, they are pushed onto a conveyor belt headed for a few giant shredders, and Woody, Buzz and Jessie are separated from the others. After saving themselves, they go to save the other toys, who are also heading for a shredder. Working together, they jam the shredder, and it explodes, saving the other toys. The toys make it back home and are entrusted by Andy to Bonnie.

Toy Story 3: The Video Game Gameplay

Toy Story 3: The Video Game is a platformer where players are able to play as either Woody, Buzz Lightyear, or Jessie (In the levels: Loco Motives a.k.a. Train Chase and Witch Way Out? a.k.a. Bonnie's House, Buzz and Jessie are not playable, while in the level Hide and Sneak a.k.a. Prison Break, Buzz is unplayable, and in the levels To Infinity and Beyond a.k.a. Buzz Video Game and Muffin to Fear a.k.a. the Haunted Bakery, Jessie and Woody are absent). Each character has a special move:Woody can use his pull string to swing across certain areas, Buzz, the strongest of them, can fling other characters over long distances, and Jessie is the most agile and can balance on small platforms. Each of them can perform a shoulder charge and can throw luxo balls at targets or enemies. In the Buzz Video Game level, Buzz can use his laser to shoot enemies and crystals, and in other levels, this move is absent. Certain levels require players to switch between them to clear the levels. There are two main modes, Story and Toybox. Story mode consists of nine levels and follows the events of the movie (as well as the opening videogame sequence from Toy Story 2). In Toybox mode, titled Woody's Roundup, players can create and customize levels and fill it with inhabitants and missions. By completing various objectives within this world, players can earn money to unlock new objects and expand their city. Some of these objects are reported to include characters from other Disney/Pixar franchises.

An exclusive version of the game for Xbox 360, Wii, and PS3 was sold at Walmart that includes four additional Theme Packs for Toy Box Mode. The Theme Packs include Sports, Knights, Cutesy, and Military. Players can use the Theme Packs to decorate buildings and dress townspeople and aliens in different ways after spending 500 coins on each pack in the Al's Toy Barn area of the game. The Walmart exclusive version also features a reflective foil background on the front of the case, rather than the standard black.

The PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions were developed by Asobo Studio. The player can play as either Woody, Buzz, Jessie (level 10 only), Squeeze Toy Aliens (level 12 and Alien Escapes) and the Green Army Men (level 2 only). The PS2 version graphics and sounds looks better than PSP version. The PS2 version was delayed on November 2, 2010 for unknown reason only in U.S and it has not been released in Europe or Australia. There is no multiplayer and Toy Box Mode. There are 13 levels in the Story Mode, that follows the events of the movie and there are no enemies or boss fights. After the player has completed a level in Story Mode, they can go back and replay it to try the 2 Challenge modes, which are Cube Destruction and Time Attack, that allow the player to win coins and unlock trophies. The 3 mini-games are Woody's Roundup (5 levels), Buzz Adventures (5 levels) and Aliens Escapes (2 levels) which follow the events of the Toy Story 2 movie. In the PSP version the final 2 levels of both Woody's Roundup and Buzz Adventures. Along with the 2 levels of Aliens Escapes have to be purchased via the PlayStation Store as downloadable content.

Players can play as Emperor Zurg exclusively in the PS3 version of the game.

The PlayStation 3 version of the game features exclusive content such as the ability to play as Emperor Zurg in addition to Buzz, Woody and Jessie, complete with his own full set of unique missions. Players can drive around in Zurg's custom vehicle as well as blast at enemies using his trigun, his main objective is to eliminate Buzz Lightyear though players are free to do whatever else they'd like. In addition, the game also features compatibility with the PlayStation Move motion controller, and there are also downloadable mini-games designed specifically for the Move that can be downloaded for free from the PlayStation Store in Fall 2010. Also, Toy Box has more missions and there are additional cameo appearances and more characters.

Reception
Toy Story 3 has received generally positive reviews. IGN scored the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 version an 8.0, while scoring the Wii version a 7.5. GameSpot gave 7.0 for the PS3 and Xbox 360 version. The Official Nintendo Magazine scored the Wii and DS versions 80% saying that it was one of its kind but had horrendous voice acting which contrasts with IGN's review, who said the voice acting was "superb". Nintendo Power gave the Wii version a 7.5, calling it "surprisingly fun", while Game Informer had given the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions an 8, and the Wii version a 6/10, being the game's lowest score. Game Informer criticized the Wii version for its graphical downstep and "neutered Toy Box mode" (vs. PS3 and Xbox 360 version) where in this version "the missions are too repetitive, customization is barren, and its only 1-player, leaving in its place an eternal slog of fetching items."