Disney Goes Ape With 'Tarzan'

By AARON CURTISS

July 29, 1999 12 AM PT

Video games have joined the action figures, sticker books and Happy Meals that inevitably spin off from motion pictures aimed at kids. And no company has gotten into the swing faster or better than Disney.

To wit, a crop of titles across platforms based on the animated feature “Tarzan.” From Game Boy Color to the PC, these games deliver the kind of slick, sanitized experience that parents expect from Disney--and what they lack in innovation they make up for in good nature and technical competence.

More cynical parents, though, might resent how tightly integrated these games are into the whole Disney marketing and merchandising machine. On the back of some of the jewel cases are ads for the “Tarzan” soundtrack and read-along books, as well as a plug for Disney’s Go Network. And the instruction manual for “Tarzan Activity Center” points helpfully to complementary paper products that promise “great results” for printing out stickers and other treats contained in the game.

But this is Disney, and anyone who expects anything different is living in Fantasyland. For those who don’t mind the pitch, good fun awaits. Although all the titles aim squarely at youngsters from toddlers up, older gamers might find fun in “Tarzan Action Game” for PC and PlayStation that moves swiftly and smoothly.

Both versions use cinematic cut scenes to tell the Disneyfied story of Tarzan. They look great and add a nice story line to the game play, which follows Tarzan’s growth from runt to macho ape man.

In early levels, players master essential ape man skills, such as swinging on vines, knocking out baboons with fruit and clambering along ledges. Once those are mastered, play becomes more task-based. Pluck an elephant hair. Find Jane. Rescue the gorillas.

It’s all great fun. Tarzan’s friend, Terk, pops up frequently in the game to offer hints about new moves or secrets. And within each level lie surprises that open secret spots.

Graphically, both versions perform well. The jungles are tangles of green and brown, but colorful birds, butterflies and flowers liven up the scenery. Although players follow a more-or-less linear track through the game, “Tarzan Action Game” offers a surprising range of motion for a side-scroller.

On the PC, “Tarzan Action Game” requires a Pentium 166 with at least 24mb of RAM and 50mb of hard drive space. Recommended system configuration is a Pentium MMX 200 with 32mb of RAM and a 3-D accelerator card.

The spirit of “Tarzan Action Game” lives in “Tarzan” for Game Boy Color. But the game undergoes considerable downsizing in its trip to Nintendo’s palm-size workhorse.

“Tarzan” is a true side-scroller with limited movement. And even though its graphics are nowhere near what they are on beefier machines, “Tarzan” nonetheless delivers sharp images with a smart use of Game Boy Color’s palette.

One standout feature in “Tarzan”: two additional games burned onto the cartridge. One is a variant of hide-and-seek in which one player hides in the digital jungle and the other searches. The other takes advantage of the Game Boy printer and allows players to use stamps to make their own scenes featuring Tarzan, Jane and Terk.

Activities like that make up the bulk of “Tarzan Activity Center,” a hodgepodge of simple games and projects for younger players. Tykes can make stickers or sing along to songs from the movie as well as play nicely animated games such as Concentration.

One particularly amusing piece of the game allows young composers to conduct a band of gorillas using camp gear as instruments. The melodious results can be recorded and played back later. Just what every parent wants to hear 20 times a day.

“Tarzan Activity Center” requires a Pentium 133 with 16mb of RAM and 20mb of hard drive space.

To comment on a column or to suggest games for review, send e-mail to aaron.curtiss@latimes.com.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Essentials

Tarzan Action Game

Platform: Sony PlayStation/PC

Publisher: Disney Interactive

ESRB* rating: Everyone

Price: $39.95

Bottom Line: Swingin’

Tarzan

Platform: Game Boy Color