A Bug's Life (video game)

A Bug's Life is a video game based on the Disney/Pixar 1998 film of the same name. It was released for various systems in 1998 and in 1999. The game's storyline is similar to that of the movie, with a few changes. After completing levels the player can unlock real clips from the movie. The Game.com, Sega Saturn, and Dreamcast versions were planned but were cancelled. On March 8, 2011, the PlayStation version was released on the PlayStation Store for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable.[2]

A Bug's Life
North American PlayStation box art
Developer(s)Traveller's Tales
Tiertex Design Studios (GBC)
Psygnosis (PS, PC)
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment (PS)
Disney Interactive (PC)
THQ (GBC)
Activision (N64)
Director(s)Jon Burton
Producer(s)Dan Winters
Designer(s)Jon Burton
Programmer(s)Jon Burton
Dave Dootson
Gary Vine (N64)
Stephen Harding (N64)
Artist(s)James Cunliffe
Composer(s)Andy Blythe and Marten Joustra
Platform(s)PlayStation
Microsoft Windows
Game Boy Color
Nintendo 64
ReleasePlayStation
  • NA: November 18, 1998[1]
  • EU: February 1999
Microsoft Windows
  • NA: November 18, 1998
  • EU: 1999
Game Boy Color
  • NA: December 1998
  • EU: 1999
Nintendo 64
  • NA: April 30, 1999
  • EU: January 1, 1999
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Gameplay

A Bug's Life is a platform game in which the player controls Flik throughout settings and a storyline based on the namesake film. The game is divided into five distinct "lands" consisting of three levels each.[3] To complete a level, the player must either find an exit, complete a goal or defeat a boss character.[4] Flik's primary form of offense against enemy characters is throwing berries. By default, Flik throws red-colored berries, which are the weakest form of berry and cannot harm certain enemies. Stronger berries can either be found within a level or received from planting purple-colored seeds. Collecting purple seed tokens increases the range of berries a seed can produce. Aside from increased power, some berries travel faster and can home in on enemies. The strongest form of berry is gold-colored and is capable of permanently eliminating enemies and preventing them from respawning.[5]

Several seeds are scattered throughout the levels. Flik can hoist most seeds over his head and carry them to other areas, although some seeds are embedded into the ground and cannot be moved. Jumping on top of a seed creates a plant that aids Flik in some fashion. By default, all seeds are colored brown and bear plants that help Flik traverse high terrain. The color of the seeds and the type of plant they bear can be changed if Flik collects differently-colored seed tokens within a level. Some plants can restore Flik's health, provide a shield from enemy attacks, propel him through the air, or damage enemies by firing berries. Plants can be uprooted and discarded, which results in a fresh seed appearing in its place.[6]

Flik's health is displayed as a leaf on the top-right corner of the screen, and the player is given six lives at the beginning of the game. When Flik's health is full, the leaf appears whole, but if he is harmed by an enemy or hazard, a bite is taken out of the leaf. Health can be restored by collecting leaves marked with a red cross, which are released from defeated enemies and blue seed plants. Collecting 50 pieces of grain within a level will restore Flik's health completely. If the leaf is completely eaten away, a life is lost. An extra life can be received if the letters F, L, I and K are collected within a level. If all of Flik's lives are lost, the game ends prematurely.[7]

Floating telescopes grant a rotating view of either hidden items in a level or the level's exit and the surrounding details. Flik's grain harvester is present in certain levels, and can be used to attract distant grain and permanently kill most enemies while it is worn.[4]

In some levels of the game, a harvester can be found and used to permanently defeat most small enemies as well as attract nearby grain like a magnet.

Development and release

Most of the film's main cast reprised their roles in the game, with the exceptions of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kevin Spacey and Denis Leary, who were replaced by Jodi Benson, Andrew Stanton and Nick Jameson as Princess Atta, Hopper and Francis, respectively. Though the film was Roddy McDowall's final theatrical performance, the game was his final work overall before his death.

Reception

A Bug's Life was met with generally mixed to poor reviews. Aggregating review website GameRankings gave the Nintendo 64 version 54.40%,[9] the PlayStation version 55.73%[8] and the Game Boy Color version 36.63%.[10] GameSpot gave the PlayStation version 2.7 out of 10, concluding that it was "obvious that Disney was more interested in producing a $40 advertisement for its movie than in developing a playable game."[23] However, the same site later gave the Nintendo 64 version a score of 6.1 out of 10, stating that "Children looking to relive the fun of the movie should be pleased with the simplicity of the game."[22] IGN gave the Nintendo 64 version 6.8 out of 10, praising the presentation and sound by stating that it had an "Upbeat, cheery look and feel very much like the movie of the same name" with "Cheery, happy tunes and strong sound effects" but criticised the gameplay by saying the controls were sluggish with "stuttering framerate" and "tired gameplay mechanics"[24] while they gave the PlayStation version 4 out of 10, criticizing the gameplay as slow and awkward but praising the presentation as cinematic.[25] The same site later gave the Game Boy Color version a score of three out of ten, calling it "short and repetitive" and "below average".[26]

Daniel Erickson reviewed the Nintendo 64 version of the game for Next Generation, rating it one star out of five, and stated that "Any way you slice it, this stinks."[27]

References
  1. A Bug's Life - PlayStation - IGN
  2. "A Bug's Life (PSOne Classic)". PlayStation Store. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  3. A Bug's Life (Nintendo 64) instruction booklet, pp. 23–24
  4. A Bug's Life (Nintendo 64) instruction booklet, p. 19
  5. A Bug's Life (Nintendo 64) instruction booklet, pp. 14–15
  6. A Bug's Life (Nintendo 64) instruction booklet, pp. 11–13
  7. A Bug's Life (Nintendo 64) instruction booklet, p. 18
  8. "Disney/Pixar A Bug's Life for PlayStation". GameRankings. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  9. "A Bug's Life for Nintendo 64". GameRankings. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  10. "Disney/Pixar A Bug's Life for Game Boy Color". GameRankings. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  11. Marriott, Scott Alan. "A Bug's Life (PS) - Review". Allgame. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  12. Marriott, Scott Alan. "A Bug's Life (N64) - Review". Allgame. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  13. Cook, Brad. "A Bug's Life (GBC) - Review". Allgame. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  14. Alex C (August 15, 2001). "PlayStation Review: A Bug's Life". Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on June 10, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  15. "A Bug's Life (PS)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. January 1999.
  16. "A Bug's Life (N64)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. 1999.
  17. "A Bug's Life (PS)". Game Informer (69): 69. January 1999.
  18. "A Bug's Life (GBC)". Game Informer. December 15, 1998. Archived from the original on October 20, 2000. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  19. Reppen, Erik (July 1999). "A Bug's Life (N64)". Game Informer (75): 62. Archived from the original on February 29, 2000. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  20. Air Hendrix (1998). "A Bug's Life Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on March 18, 2005. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  21. Zimring, Jason (December 1998). "A Bug's Life Review (PS)". Game Revolution. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  22. Stahl, Ben (June 2, 1999). "A Bug's Life Review (N64)". GameSpot. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  23. Broady, John (November 12, 1998). "A Bug's Life Review (PS)". GameSpot. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  24. Casamassina, Matt (June 1, 1999). "A Bug's Life (N64)". IGN. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  25. Nelson, Randy (November 19, 1998). "A Bug's Life (PS)". IGN. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  26. Cleveland, Adam (February 8, 2000). "A Bug's Life (GBC)". IGN. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  27. Erickson, Daniel (September 1999). "Finals". Next Generation. Vol. 2 no. 1. Imagine Media. p. 85.
  28. "A Bug's Life (N64)". Nintendo Power. 121: 110. June 1999.
  29. "A Bug's Life (GBC)". Nintendo Power. 116. January 1999.
  30. "A Bug's Life". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. 1998.
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