As someone who grew up in the early nineties, I have fond memories of Toy Story. The first movie was certainly one of my favorites growing up, and the second movie proved to be even better than the first. Although there's that old adage about third movies generally killing off franchises, Toy Story 3 has proved that isn't always true. With a heart-warming story and plenty of great new characters there is plenty to love about the new movie.

Much like the new movie, the Toy Story 3 game has gotten high praise for its combination of story elements and the new "Toy Box" mode, which allows players to roam around in an open environments playing as their favorite characters in different mission-based environments. However, while both the story and Toy Box modes are in the Wii version, there are some key differences. And if you are torn between the two versions, it is important to know about these differences beforehand.

The story mode in the Wii version of Toy Story 3 is follows the plot of the movie, and allows you to play through various plot points as Buzz, Woody, and Jessie. The game assumes familiarity with the source material, so if you haven't seen Toy Story 3 you may be a little confused as to the actual plot of the game. The structure essentially plucks out the best "playable" scenes of the movie and lets you take a linear path through these scenes.

The single player mode features some fun platforming, but relies heavily on cooperation play. If you do not have a buddy to play with, you will have to continuously throw other characters around and drag them to different places to make sure they are where they need to be to use a special ability or activate a certain feature. In this way, the game resembles the format of the LEGO series, and if you can find a buddy to play with, it’s a much more pleasant experience.

However, the most fun from the game comes from the Toy Box mode, which unfortunately is where the Wii title diverts the most from the other consoles. The Toy Box mode is structured as a free-roaming open world where users can claim missions, unlock characters, and explore new stages. All of these elements have remained intact for the Wii version, but a few key elements have been cut. For instance, much like the story mode, the Toy Box mode is a lot more fun when experienced with two players. However, in the Wii version there is no option for a second player, and all co-op missions have been axed. Another hindrance in this particular version is the scaling back of the customization elements. Though you can still customize some elements of the Toy Box, you can only choose from blanket-like customizations that change whole blocks of content instead of individual elements. Although younger players are unlikely to care about the decreased customization elements, older players may miss this feature.

Although the minimized features on the Wii version certainly disappoint, they are far from a dealbreaker. The Toy Box mode is still quite expansive and players will have a fun time unlocking new areas and characters to play with. All told, there is at least twenty hours of content in the Toy Box mode, and when you add that to the six or seven hours of gameplay time in the game, you've got yourself a pretty good value, especially for a licensed game.