Written: 11.6.06
Acquired: 9.2.06
Status: Cart only
Price: $9

Oh, man. What can I say about this one...

There are games we come across, and for better or worse, we never forget them. We remember them so.... not always because they're great games, but in this case because they're so unique, so different from the rest...

And even though this game is your typical platforming business... the hero is... well, let us observe...

LEVEL 1

Ah, it's a good day for a run...

                                                                             .... and some branch hopping...

.... And swinging

                         Peace and tranquility doesn't
                         last for long however; wouldn't
                         be much of a game if it did eh?

Angry his jungle's been
invaded, Tarzan unleashes
his might. This offensive
technique is his most potent

       







                                                                          Your monkey friends give ya a great boost

Punch the rock so it takes out Mr. Baddie

                            






                                                                                Amusing animations abound

See?

[Si -Ed.]

                             Tarzan may be no rocket
                             scientist but even he knows
                             this can't be too good a
                             thing.... so what does he
                             do?  Strike a silly pose, of
                             course!

Don't cha hate being right?

                                          







                                                                                       "HIIIIII-YAAAAH!"

LEVEL 2

Onto China we go!

Tarzan does a lot of this... he's no Carl Lewis after all

                          Certain blocks are breakable,
                          but beware of the occasional
                          spike pit below (press L / R to
                          scroll up/down to see potential
                          hazards)

SHEESH!  Talk about hospitality!

The trick is to stand still -- the fireball
goes past you harmlessly if you do.
So it's a "walk a little bit, pause, repeat"
procedure until you can get in striking
distance!

              







                                                                              So much for homeland security eh

These cramped areas spell a
little bit more trouble for Tarzan
as it eliminates the jump kick,
but no matter... you just have
to exercise a bit more caution

                    







                                                                               Certain parts are not breakable...

... Unless you count your foot!

YOWZERS! 

                               "TIGER UPPERCUT!"

                               It can be aimed downward,
                               straight ahead or vertically

Brrrr, it's gotta be freezing!
To keep warm, do the
Running Man

                           You gotta love how a rope is
                           conveniently placed there...
                           don't the bad guys check
                           these levels first?

                           From here, Tarzan can chuck
                           himself on to the roof tops

CLOSING THOUGHTS

It's just your standard, competent-but-not-excellent platformer. With a character so unique you'll never forget it. So while it may play like a "me-too" affair, at least it's one that won't slip the memory bank any time soon

Later on, Tarzan traverses to more wild locales... like Las Vegas, and even a haunted castle. It's enjoyable, but what hampers it most in my book is Tarzan's mobility. He's not an athletic bloke. Stopping and going with him proves quite annoying, as he has a bit of a hitch in his get-along. His jumping ability is lackluster

Other than that, it's about a 6.5 out of 10 platform job. It's decent, made more interesting thanks to its protagonist. Solid, but unremarkable. It's a notch or two below Go Go Ackman  (see Go Go Ackman Trilogy) and Ghost Sweeper Mikami. And those games, mind, are several notches below the STELLAR DoReMi Fantasy

Still, Jungle no Ouja Tarzan is worth getting for its obscurity, bizarre-ness and collectability. It reminds me a bit of Super Back to the Future II... both are classic guilty pleasure type games... except Jungle's not as good

So if you take it for what it is, you should be satisfied. I like it, but I'm quite a huge platform nut. Kind of hard to find, but worth the hunt if you like the genre as much as I do...