| A Bug's Life | |
|---|---|
NTSC PlayStation version cover art |
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| Developer(s) | Traveller's Tales (PlayStation, Windows, Nintendo 64) Tiertex Design Studios (Game Boy Color) |
| Publisher(s) | Disney Interactive (All) Sony Computer Entertainment America (PlayStation) Activision (Nintendo 64) THQ (Game Boy Color) |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, Windows, Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64, PlayStation Network |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | |
| Media/distribution | CD Game cartridge |
A Bug's Life is a video game based on the Disney·Pixar film of the same name. It was released for various systems in 1998 and 1999. The game's storyline is similar to that of the movie, with a few changes. After completing levels the player can unlock actual clips from the movie. This was actor Roddy McDowall's final performance after his death. A version for the Game.com was cancelled.
Contents |
A Bug's Life is a platform game with different goals in each of 15 levels. Most of the goals deal with getting the main character, Flik, to do events that match the storyline of the movie. When the player finishes a level, that player can proceed to the next level. Each new level starts with a new short animation from the movie. If the player collects all of the bonus items in a level, that player gets a bonus movie. Bonus items include 50 pieces of grain, four letters that spell F-L-I-K (like the Tarzan N64 game) and permanently finishing off each enemy bug. To guide the player through the levels there are little floating telescopes that will show the player areas where he is supposed to go.
Throughout each level are a variety of types of seeds. Some seeds are partially buried in the ground. These seeds can be transformed by Flik into a specific kind of plant that can help him solve problems within the levels. Flik can increase the number of plants he can grow by collecting colored tokens scattered throughout the levels, with a token's color determining what type of plant can be grown with it. Some levels also included Flik’s harvesting invention (hidden somewhere in the level) which can be used to collect grain and kill off enemy bugs.
Several bosses are encountered during the game:
The PS1 version of A Bug's Life received poor rating from IGN being given 4.0 out of 10 overall. IGN criticised the gameplay of the game stating "It's slow and it's awkward" but praised the presentation by saying "it looks like the movie, it sounds like the movie, and throwing in clips from the movie".[1] They gave N64 version though a passable 6.8 out of 10 overall, praising the presentation and sound by stating "It was upbeat, cheery look and feel very much like the movie of the same name with cheery, happy tunes and strong sound effects but again criticised the gameplay by saying the controls were sluggish with stuttering framerate and tired gameplay mechanics".[2]