Tail Concerto (PlayStation)

CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
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Overall score: 6.9 (3.0 stars)
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Product summary

Gamespot editors' review

• Reviewed by: Peter Bartholow
• Reviewed on: 05/12/1998
• Updated on: 05/02/2000
• Released on: 08/31/1999

After bouncing between Activision and a few other US publishers, Tail Concerto has finally been released in the US. Originally developed by toy mega-marketer Bandai, Tail Concerto represents a shockingly uncharacteristic attention to originality and production value. A delightful, light 3D platformer perfect for gamers of all ages, Tail Concerto doesn't quite live up to its potential, but it is enjoyable all the same.

Tail Concerto takes place in the fantasy world of Prairie, a floating archipelago inhabited by bipedal, anthropomorphized dogs and cats. Racial strife is rampant - the cats of the world, lacking government representation, feel oppressed by the dogs who rule over Prairie. Three feline sisters, Alicia, Flare, and Stare recruit a small army of adorable kittens and form the Black Cats Gang, a radical military organization designed to help the cats split away and form their own nation. Influenced by the nefarious Fool, they seek five legendary crystals, which they believe can create a nation for them. Unbeknownst to the three sisters, the crystals are actually the key to resurrecting the Iron Giant, an apocalyptic robot whose enormous pieces are embedded throughout Prairie's islands. Enter Waffle, a work-a-day cop with a floppy-armed robotic suit. Having foiled the Black Cat Gang's first attacks, Waffle gets the unfortunate assignment of locking up the three sisters, as well as apprehending any minions encountered along the way.

As cliche as much of Tail Concerto's story is, its gameplay is surprisingly fresh for a 3D platformer. Waffle's suit is equipped with a bubble gun, a teleport device, and the aforementioned floppy arms. The bubble gun will can damage any enemy vehicles, as well as temporarily immobilize any fleeing kittens. After grabbing the cats, Waffle tosses them into the teleporter on his back, instantaneously whisking them away to prison. On a more sadistic note, Waffle can also pick up pieces of furniture in people's houses and smash them against walls, serving no real purpose in the game. More useful, especially on the bosses, is the ability to pick up and lob back the bombs that the enemies generally attack with. Waffle's suit can also perform a majority of the other 3D platformer basics, such as climb and move hand-over-hand while hanging. In one stage, Waffle can equip his suit with a jetpack, fly about a huge debris field, and hop from island to island, occasionally pausing to let his jets cool. Even though Tail Concerto is primarily an action game, a number of little quests, spoken dialogue, and anime cutscenes are liberally scattered throughout the game to move the story forward and keep the game from becoming mindless.

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