Developer
Ubisoft

Released: November 19, 2001
Genre: Action
Players: 1
ESRB: Everyone

5
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6.5

Supported Features:

I’m sure somewhere in the back of my mind while watching this movie I was thinking about how great a game this would make – I seem to do that with just about every aspect of my life. Ubisoft has delivered just such a game; and Tarzan Untamed takes all those amazing extreme sports moves and combines them into a slick action game for your GameCube.

• Action scenes Inspired by the surfing elements found in the animated feature
• Features favorite characters such as Tarzan, Jane, Terk and others
• Experience the rush of jungle-based extreme sports such as bungee jumping, water skiing and tree surfing
• Lush 3D environments that recreate the movie experience
• Collect various items as you explore a rich 3D jungle world
• Features quicker load times over PS2 version
• Runs at a smooth 60 frames per second
• Features enhanced textures

The GameCube version had the luxury of releasing a few weeks prior to the PS2 version and also shares some advantages of Sony’s console including faster disc access and a slight edge in the graphics department.

Tarzan Untamed doesn’t try to recreate the events of the movie but rather expands upon the story by picking up where the movie left off. Jane and her father have stayed on the island and life seems perfect until more evil ape hunters arrive to kidnap Tarzan’s family; both apes and humans.

Tarzan and the other playable characters you can unlock are easily controlled with the analog stick or the D-pad. The buttons are reserved for jumping, wrestling/grabbing, throwing spears, and yodeling your trademark yell. The entire setup is intuitive and great for kids who are probably the only ones that are going to ultimately enjoy this title.

The levels are of moderate size and the Jungle Search mode has branching paths you can explore to locate secret film reels. Many of these paths are locked at first until you complete challenges in the other game modes. This can be annoying if you simply want to play the game, but I supposed this “trick” was required to extend the life of what would otherwise be a pretty short game. The jungle exploration level also exhibits the only control bug in the game, as Tarzan will often stick to the ground for no apparent reason.

The surfing and skiing modes look and play the same and you spend most of these stages dodging obstacles and trying not to lose your health before the end of the stage. You will find it quite easy to lose your health and very difficult to regain it. Add to this the fact that there are very few checkpoints in the jungle levels and none in the action levels and you will find yourself playing and replaying many of these levels well past the point of frustration.

Tarzan can do some nifty tricks, but his trick book is limited to only three stunts that generate points that can ultimately reward you will extra lives. The only problem is if you wipeout and restart the level you lose all those points. You do have three attempt/lives per continue and with unlimited continues there is never a threat of losing – again, a great policy for the kids this game is targeted towards.

The backgrounds are rich with detail and Tarzan’s animation is perfect with all sorts of subtle moves and nuances that make him seem like a real character. Jungles stretch off to the horizon and often block out much needed sunlight creating some dark situations that can hamper gameplay. Other textures like water are beautiful with great surface reflections, waves, and whitewater splashes.

Ubisoft wasn’t going for realism or even CGI perfection, but rather attempting to capture the essence of the film and I personally think they did a magnificent job.

Sound effects are adequate and the speech is performed by suitable “sound-a-likes”. I guess it would have cost too much to get Rosie and Minnie into the studio to recreate their roles. Tarzan’s signature yodel is the best effect in the game and everything else simply exists to fill in your typical jungle ambience.

There are no multiplayer modes and only a few hidden characters to unlock; certainly nothing to entice playing past the point of a few days rental.

Tarzan Untamed treads on the thin line of targeting kids that might not be old enough to handle the challenging gameplay while alienating the older crowd who will find this game simply too easy, frustrating, or both. It’s a definite rental but think twice before you buy.