A Lizard With Backpack in a Jumpin', Thumpin' Game

By AARON CURTISS

Sept. 30, 1999 12 AM PT

“Croc 2” is the whimsical, joyful sort of video game parents can feel good about their children playing. Oddly enough, it’s also the sort of video game kids want to play.

The sequel to Fox Interactive’s “Croc” for Sony PlayStation is better, faster, more colorful than the original--and loaded with extras that make it a game that can be played for days, maybe even weeks, without a hint of boredom.

With big, nonlinear levels, the digital world inhabited by the hero, Croc, and his furry friends, the Gobbos, is a fanciful place filled with balloons, magic gongs and annoying--but not overly threatening--bad guys.

Croc, an animated backpack-wearing crocodile, was raised by the Gobbos. In the first game, Croc rescued his adopted father, Rufus, from the evil magician, Baron Dante. The game sold pretty well so, of course, Baron Dante doesn’t stay defeated for very long. That’s the general milieu in which “Croc 2” takes place. But like all good sequels, “Croc 2” develops an emotional subplot in which Croc sets off in search of his natural parents.

Action takes place in territory inhabited by four Gobbo tribes--sailors, Cossacks, Incas and prehistorics--with terrain and structures corresponding to each tribe. With a third-person, Mario-style perspective, players guide Croc through levels teeming with colorful enemies and obstacles.

Individual levels sprawl out from each tribe’s core village. Players must collect objects or complete tasks in each level to secure the keys to other levels and move on to other villages. The order is inconsequential, but smart players will make sure they complete every objective in each village before trying to move on.

Although Croc’s primary actions are jumping and thumping things with his tail, he can buy special tools from Swap Meet Pete that help find hidden objects or reach difficult spots. At different points in “Croc 2,” players can pilot a plane, drive a go-cart, captain a motorboat or navigate a hot-air balloon as Croc uncovers new goodies.

Perhaps the most interesting feature of the game, though, is the OmniPlay option. “Croc 2” is a single-player game, but two people can control different parts of Croc’s movement. For instance, one player can make Croc run while the other, using a separate controller, can govern when he jumps or thumps. It’s the perfect way to help younger kids get into the game--and help adults understand what’s going on.

“Barbie Super Sports”

Lest anyone think that Barbie goes grunge with “Barbie Super Sports,” be assured that she’s as perky as ever, strapping on in-line skates or barreling down a slope on her snowboard.

After a legion of board and blade games for boys--in which attitude reigned--Barbie’s take on the sports is a simple but refreshing break. She never disses players for making a mistake. In fact, she’s relentlessly positive, even when players stink up the mountain with clumsy moves. “Yeah!” seems to be the favorite word among Barbie and her friends.

Players can switch between skating and boarding. Neither poses much of a challenge, with most of the action controlled by the mouse from a three-quarters, third-person perspective. The environments are simple but colorful.

Because this is a Barbie game, there is considerable emphasis on the clothes. As Barbie and her friends win races or do cool tricks, they earn tickets that can be redeemed at the store for better equipment and hipper threads.

Among the coolest of the game’s limited features is the ability to snap pictures of moves and print them later. As in all of Barbie’s recent game appearances, the emphasis is on collecting and saving rather than winning.

“Barbie Super Sports” requires a Pentium 166 with at least 32 megabytes of RAM and 40 megabytes of hard disk space. An attached printer outputs images created in the game.

“‘Evil Zone”

Drops of brilliance lost in a sea of mediocrity--that’s the way to describe “Evil Zone,” a schizophrenic PlayStation fighter that leaves players rooting for it even as they curse it.

The story is standard: Evil force threatens peaceful place and the best warriors of said peaceful place compete for the honor of fighting the aforementioned evil force.

In story mode, fights are preceded by painful sequences that purport to reveal each character’s motivation for fighting. If I want drama, I’ll watch “General Hospital.” When they do begin, the fights are plagued by overly simplistic control. Only two of PlayStation’s four right-hand buttons actually do anything--attack and block. Good fighting games allow considerably more refinement.

So what’s to like? After a few rounds, I found myself enjoying some of the blade- and magic-based fighting. “Evil Zone” boasts some great moves. Problem is, they seem almost random in their execution.

Drop the stories, clean up the control and “Evil Zone” might be a great game in another incarnation.

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

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Essentials

Croc 2

* Platform: Sony PlayStation

* Publisher: Fox Interactive

* ESRB* rating: Everyone

* Price: $39.95

* Bottom line: Colorful fun

Barbie Super Sports

* Platform: PC