Tonic Trouble Review

Colorful Graphics
Fun For Younger Kids

Big Time Camera Problems
Poor Collision Detection
Collecting Dreamcast Logos (Not!)
Been-There-Done-That Gameplay

Tonic Trouble stars Ed, a lovable alien-thing that just happens to accidentally drop a bottle of tonic which then falls to Earth, hence the name Tonic Trouble. Anything that comes in contact with the tonic mutates and therein lies the problem. It's up to Ed, to set things straight and return Earth's inhabitants to their former selves.

The game is another in a long line of "me-too" 3D action/platformers in the same vein as Gex, Mario, Banjo-Kazooie and a countless list of others. The difference being that Tonic Trouble has none of the imagination, style or control of any of the aforementioned games. The camera is terrible and I mean terrible. Be prepared to try and move Ed while he is in one room while the camera is in another. That's how bad it is. The camera movement induces motion sickness on par with The Blair Witch Project and on a whole the game is much more terrifying, especially if you actually purchased it with hard-earned money. If the camera and control weren't bad enough, the game has nothing new to offer.

Ed makes his way from room to room (most of this game takes place indoors) collecting little things that look like Dreamcast logos which served as a constant reminder that my DC was lying dormant while I was suffering with this drivel. The puzzles are only imaginative by accident and are so usually so obvious that a child could figure out what to do. Most of the gameplays challenge is in providing impossible to line up jumps due to the camera angle or placing traps where you are given no prior warning to their existence until you die and have to restart. That's fair and fun! Another example of Satan dabbling in video game design.

Graphically, Tonic Trouble isn't bad at all. In fact, some of the later levels are quite good looking. However the bright colors mixed with the camera work make this an eyestrain from the start. This game would give a blind man a headache.

Musically this game is quirky and although it becomes grating and annoying, it works for the game. The sound effects are another matter. There are only a small amount of sound effects used and they are repeated ad naseum. Turn them off.

Complaint Dept. If you stick with this game long enough, you will find it's hidden charms. That is if you can muster up enough courage to stick by it after suffering with the camera, impossible jumps and poor collision detection. I wanted to turn the game off many times, but my professional promise to my reviewers kept me playing. You, on the other hand, will only play until a game loses it's charm and unfortunately Tonic Trouble loses it many times, before revealing it's shiny underbelly.

With the advent of the Dreamcast, Tonic Trouble just drives the point home that the Nintendo 64 is a kiddy machine for the most part. Nintendo needs to re-think its strategy for the Dolphin and grow up fast if it wants a piece of the next-gen pie. Play this game if you want but make sure it is only a rental. Save your dough for Donkey Kong 64.

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