The Misadventures of Tron Bonne

When I came to Tron Bonne I didn’t have any idea of the connection to Megaman, I'd never played legends and just bought this colourful and fun looking game on a whim.

I didn’t get what I was expected, I got better. Back in the ps1 days there were few games that had any vibrancy or life. Sure final fantasy 7 was epic and moving and many peoples defining moment of the ps1 but it really didn’t speak to me like it did to everyone else.

Don’t get me wrong it’s a great game and I like a good RPG, I just didn’t fall under its spell.

Tron Bonne brought with it a game of surprises and adventure, brimming with personality and good humour. Like a Saturday morning cartoon that’s come to life, there for you to take part in. The moment I knew I was going to like this game came during the first "action mission" (more on this later) where you, as Tron in the Gustaff, send the Servebots into a house to steal some loot. Without warning you get a little cut scene of the Servebots just causing havoc, one switching on the TV and watching a megaman cartoon. What hooked me even more was the fact the Servebots idea of loot was an apple and a fish.

Very few games make you feel like the Saturday morning cartoons in 3d, but Tron did and does now.

The games primarily a 3d plat former (action plat former)
but the levels are split into 3 types of game mode.

There’s the "action" levels where Tron drops into a town and farm to steal money and gold from the bank, each time running into police and problems caused by her misfit crew.

These are light on the plat forming and pretty basic in the action, but they are defined, well crafted and fun. You’re able to destroy pretty much anything, sending the Servebots into battle or scouting in houses while ripping a tree out of the ground and tossing it at the local police. The control set up allows for smooth battles but can be a bit clunky when just traversing the world, making it needed to strafe in order to get around smoothly. It’s not ideal but it never becomes a problem.

The second type of levels are the "adventure" type. These are branded as RPG like on the box, but are really just very light on the RPG and more like a simplified variation of the action levels. You pilot a small flying drone accompanied by 3 Servebots. They provide your hands and tools and are the main stars here. (Although they are pretty much the stars of the whole game really)
They trundle through mines looking for treasure and meeting a band of misfit characters. This mode is mostly about Servebot management, choosing the best Servebot for the mission, training it up back in the HQ and using it for its skills. This is the least fun part of the game, but the fact it involves the Servebots does make it much more enjoyable. They bring more character to this game them most do to all the biggest selling games of even today and lift these levels to might higher then they would be.

The last and most different levels are the "puzzle" levels. These involve Tron visiting local docks and stealing crates of valuables. These include a selection of blue crates that you need to remove to clear the level and 1 pink crate with adds a bonus to the final score. The more you steal the better items you find and can sell to upgrade your Servebots or progress the game. The problem is the levels are set out on a grid and Tron only had enough power in the Gustaff to lift so many times per level. Making crate movement and management a priority. These puzzles start off simple at first but really grow into the type of thing that can challenge even the brightest of gamers.

The game also has a central hub area, made up of a selection of static rooms each with a selection of Trons 40 Servebot helpers wandering around and getting up to stuff in. This section is really just about Servebot management and training. All of the 40 Servebots can be trained, rewarded and even named (although you’re limited to 4 letters). The more you develop your Servebots the better they are in different roles on missions or in the home base area. You even get the chance to choose a favorite Servebot, who later becomes a very important character later in the story.

All these game types bind well together and help to extend the life of what could have been a fun but simple action game into something bigger and better. The parts are flawed, some of the adventure levels are a little long, and the controls and camera can be difficult but you hardly notice this in the playing, and there’s always something else to do in the game to keep you busy and distracted from these problems.