Buzz Lightyear reminds me a little of behind-the-shoulder platformers like
Crash Bandicoot or
Tarzan, although the change in perspective and mini-games aren’t anywhere to be seen in this game. Buzz’s mission is to track down bad guys. How he does this is by racing them down a track, overcoming obstacles, and gathering power-ups on his way to the final showdown. The clock is ticking, so even though side-paths and power-ups may be tempting, you can’t beat the boss if you don’t get to the end of the track in time. Buzz has plenty of weapons to use and can jump, fly, or grab a hoverboard to navigate past trouble if diplomacy fails. Both weapons and some of the special items in each level are earned by collecting coins. It’s possible to play through without using some of the props, but they do make life easier. Most of the environments have unique hazards, and each boss will put up guardian robots, mines, and bombs in an effort to keep you from reaching the end of the track under time and in good health.
Once you reach the end of the line, you’ll have one chance to battle the boss, and this almost always involves some strategy. The basic idea is that you’ll need to wear down the boss’ armor and then finish them off. The armor is tough, and though some bosses run away, most are on the offensive. As you’d expect from a Buzz Lightyear game, Buzz can equip his suit with different combinations of weapons, and some work better than others for special enemies. Secret passages, hidden treasure, power-ups, and coins needed to buy your way into later levels can be found while you run through on your way to the boss battle, but you need mad skills to pick up everything. Opening all 14 levels takes plenty of time, and some kids will definitely be frustrated trying to get ahead without knowing why they’re stuck.
