Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue

With its plentiful boomerangs, koala bears, crocodiles, and Vegemite sandwiches, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue manages to cram every Australian stereotype imaginable into a cuddly, kid-friendly package��again. But hey, the developers are themselves Aussies, and their first round of self-inflicted cultural exploitation somehow moved more than a million units worldwide, so obviously a lotta kids are buying this lovable-critter-from-Down-Under shtick.

Actually, they ought to buy it: Rescue very nearly outclasses every other cutesy platformer on Xbox. Here you��ll find the hallmarks of design that recently made PlayStation 2 games like Ratchet & Clank and Jak and Daxter such hits��likable characters, tight controls, vibrant visuals, catchy tunes, and plenty of variety. Rescue wisely lifts a few chapters from the Grand Theft Auto book of wide-open game design, allowing tykes to tool around the outback in search of missions to tackle. The inspiration is quite blatant, as Ty drives around the countryside in a truck, hunting for quests on a handy radar map.

Mission quality varies significantly, though��delivery runs, boss fights, and good old-fashioned platforming bits rock, while ill-advised helicopter, driving, and robot levels are less enthusiastically produced but thankfully optional. Really, though, there��s no finer run-and-jump-a-thon on the Xbox��especially for the bargain price of $20.

PUBLISHER: EA Games // DEVELOPER: Krome // PLAYERS: 1-2 // LIVE: No // MSRP: $19.99 // ESRB: E

08 OUT OF TEN

Copyright © 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Xbox Nation.