Up PS2 ( 2009 )

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Published on December 24, 2021 5:00:27 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC8giBqHFQE

Game:

Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (2008)

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Up is an action-adventure video game developed by Heavy Iron Studios and published by THQ. It is based on the Pixar film of the same name.

The story centers on an elderly widower named Carl Fredricksen and an earnest young Wilderness Explorer named Russell who fly to South America in a house suspended by helium balloons.

The PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 versions of the game follow the film's plot more tightly, spanning eleven levels, with some liberties taken. The Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X. PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions are a much looser adaptation, in which Carl and Russell take longer detours through the jungle to attempt to reach the end of Paradise Falls. Consequently, those versions are over 20 levels long.

Up follows the storyline of the film, featuring Carl, Russell, and Dug walking through the jungles of Venezuela. All of the mentioned characters are playable in the game, and in all versions, the player must switch between them to take advantage of their unique abilities to overcome obstacles, while being careful to avoid injury as all playable characters (depending on the version) share a single health bar.

The PlayStation 3 version of the game was the first game based on a Pixar film to support the trophy system. This version and the Xbox 360 version feature online achievements that are themed off of Wilderness Explorer badges. All versions feature multiplayer aerial combat in addition to the main story mode.

The PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 versions are fast-paced platformers with some puzzle scenarios and plays similar to LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures, but can be finished in about an hour or two. The Wii version is slightly different than the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions in that it uses more artfully rendered visuals to accommodate that system's graphical constraints (for example, rocks have purplish textures and the sky is represented with a cartoony skybox in the Wii version, while rocks have brownish, more realistic textures and the sky is represented by a fluid skydome in the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions). The Wii version also supports optional motion controls to perform certain actions, such as shaking the Wii Remote to launch rocks as missiles or tilting it down to reach over ledges to help a partner up. Carl and Russell can also use special abilities for a limited number of times to scare off or distract enemies or bosses, accessed by pressing certain directions of the directional pad. Cutscenes are presented in newsreel format, similar to Spotlight on Adventure in the film's first scene. Character health is measured discretely in these versions, and the characters' survivability gradually increases automatically as the game progresses. These versions also have the fewest bosses, which are simply a giant anaconda, a crocodile, and The Spirit of Adventure, Muntz's airship. There are two biplane sequences, one at the start of the game that takes place immediately before a final battle over Paradise Falls, and another for the actual battle, and in both of them, a second player can "man the guns" and fire at incoming enemies and ground artillery with an on-screen reticule, while sharing the first player's camera view. This feature also takes advantage of the Wii Remote pointer in the Wii version to control Player 2's reticule. Loading screens in these versions also displays hints and trivia about the real wildlife near the tepui.

The Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions of the game are longer, giving the player more opportunities to explore the various terrain atop the tepui as the characters take longer detours to reach their destination. At the beginning of these versions, the player is exclusively required to stop the house from floating away. These versions also exclusively feature side areas that cannot be accessed the first time around without acquiring a certain tool, as well as fast-moving linear levels (namely on-rails chase sequences played from a reverse angle or river canoeing courses), where players cannot backtrack and must carefully avoid accidents that instantly require a restart from a checkpoint. Health is measured in a continuous gauge. There are four bosses in these versions, which are three battles against some of Muntz's top dogs, along with The Spirit of Adventure.