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Lions, gems, and portals, oh my!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 12
Date: October 06, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Portal Runner is a surprisingly entertaining platform game. I got more than I expected out of this one. Almost everything in this game is top-notch. Engrossing game-play, good graphics, excellent music and sound effects, and some pretty challenging situations to boot.

The game is divided into a linear set of levels you have to complete, and the levels closely follow the story of a girl and a lion who are lost in time and trying to get home.

The entire story takes place in a toy store where living toys have their adventures during the night hours while the store is closed. Some of the characters are army men, others appear to be dolls. Brigitte Bleu is a crafty woman who lives in a dollhouse. She's discovered "portals" to other realms. An open box for a "Dinosaur playset" has a portal that leads to a prehistoric realm where dinosaurs live. Another open box for a "Knights and dragon playset" opens onto a medieval world. And an open box for an "Alien Armada playset" leads to a vast alien spacecraft.

With the help of Rage (a large warbot), Brigitte has visited and conquered these other realms; but she's bored. She decides that she needs a husband, and she sets her sights on Sarge, a green army man sergeant. But Sarge's girlfriend and love of his life is the beautiful Vikki G, star reporter for the Green Army News. So Brigitte and Rage set a trap for Vikki to get her out of the way. Just as Rage traps Vikki, a lone lion stumbles onto the scene. Vikki and the lion are thrown into the dinosaur realm, where they are trapped. Vikki names the lion Leo, and the two of them embark on a quest to look for the portal that will take them home.

This game has four different types of action. Depending on where you are in the linear story, you'll be playing as Vikki by herself in some areas, Vikki with Leo by her side in others, Leo by himself in a few levels, and Vikki riding Leo's back in others.

Vikki carries a bow with a limited arrow supply, and she can get a variety of different types of arrows to use with it. In addition to normal arrows, she can get fire arrows, water arrows, lightning arrows, explosive arrows, and piercing arrows, each of which has a different effect on enemies and can be used for various puzzle-solving purposes.

When Leo is at Vikki's side, she can command him to help her fight when the need arises. She can also tell him to stay put if she has to do some spelunking in a cave or jumping around on cliffs by herself. Leo is a fierce combatant and will defend Vikki whenever he can. When Vikki rides Leo's back, you control Leo as he runs and hops around, and Vikki can fire her arrows from where she rides on the lion's back.

As you progress through the levels, you collect various colored gems, each of which are worth points. After you score enough points, Vikki and Leo get a bonus point added to their health bars. You can also try to collect all of the gems in a level for a 100% completion.

This game has four difficulty levels, and the main game is pretty easy to beat. There are some tough spots, as always, but for the most part it's an easy game. The real challenge lies in collecting all of the gems in every level for a 100% game completion and special bonus at the end. Collecting all of the gems in a level ranges from moderately difficult to head-scratchingly frustrating, as each level has one or more hidden areas that can only be reached through some deft puzzle solving. It helps to be observant and always be checking out the scenery for things you can interact with.

The level designs are often intricate and interesting, especially with all of those hidden areas to find. The interior of the alien spacecraft at the end is one of the best levels I've ever seen in a PS2 game.

The game's graphics are both a strength and weakness. The characters and their enemies are nicely rendered, sporting a lot of nice-looking animations. On the other hand, some of the backgrounds are pre-rendered and look rather flat when you move the camera around. All of the graphics are colorful and detailed. Aside from the pre-rendered backgrounds, I have no complaints; and even so, I overlook that fault because the game-play is so good. The animated sequences that tell the story are also a strength. All nicely done.

The sound here is great! Each level has its appropriate musical score. There's nothing even remotely out of place here. The music properly fits each situation our heroes find themselves in, expertly setting the mood. The voice acting is also some of the best I've heard. All expertly done. They really put some effort into it, and it shows.

The camera work is another of the game's strengths. The camera is always with you, providing a good panorama of what's ahead of you. You can move the camera around to get different angles, and you can even pitch it up or down. In addition, you can enter a "hot shot" mode to look around, and a target reticle at center screen provides precision aiming for Vikki's bow.

All said and done, Portal Runner is a great game that sports engrossing game-play, great level designs, top-notch sound, good graphics, and just a few minor graphical faults. There's a lot of good stuff to see here, and it's definitely worth playing through again to try to get all of those elusive gems. Hey, it's worth playing just to see a lion mauling platoons of army men.

The Best Playstation Game Ever?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: September 19, 2001
Author: Amazon User

You bet it is! I loved playing this game. It was awesome! The gameplay was great. You could play as Vikki, herself, or Vikki with Leo, just Leo, or Vikki riding Leo. This game is full of non-stop adventure and action. It has a great story line that gets you involved. I found myself playing for at least 5 hours at a time. The music was good like everything else about this game. The levels were fun to play and my favorite world was The Prehistoric World. The dinosaurs were awesome. There is also a very cool two player mode. You can play in six diff. levels from the game. I heard other magazines gave this game really good reviews. I can believe it!! This PS2 game was well worth the money! Buy it now and you won't regret it!!!

When was the last time a game made you smile?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: September 20, 2001
Author: Amazon User

For me, it was earlier this evening when I first played Portal Runner. My money was not wasted on this game. It is a spinoff of the popular ARMY MEN series by 3DO.
I believe that a good game REQUIRES interesting characters. Look at Capcom's great games -Streetfighter, Res Evil, Megaman, and their other series- full of interesting characters. This game too has interesting and entertaining characters. You play as Vikki, who occasionally gives verbal feedback (not unlike Bruce Willis in Apocalypse PSX) and assists you with the puzzles (at least in Dream mode). It's easy enough for all ages and just as fun. I'm 26 and I love this game.
I told you about the characters already, and the graphics are just as intriguing. The music fits the setting perfectly. This game is just plain fun. You will not be disappointed!

Fun for all types of gamers

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: September 14, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Portal Runner puts you in the role of Vikki, a sexy reporter. When her arch nemesis nabs her beau, she teams up with a Lion to go kick some... You get the idea.

The gameplay is a nice mix of shooting, platforming and puzzle solving. A few levels into the game, you meet up with Leo the lion. He then follows you through the game, helping Vikki. In some levels you control Leo, some Vikki, some Vikki and Leo and some with Vikki riding Leo! There are 4 different skill settings, from Dream mode (SUPER easy) all the way up to Expert which is challenge enough for the hard core gamer. I always play on Expert, but most of my friends can only handle Medium.

The graphics are pretty good, the effects are very nice. The different worlds that Vikki travels through are presented very well through FMVs in between levels. There are tons of secrets in each of the 20 levels, and even six different multiplayer levels!

PSE2 gave this a 97% and I agree. This is a pretty cool game.

Fun for everyone, especially kids!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: September 15, 2001
Author: Amazon User

If you're looking for a game that offers you non-stop heart pounding intense action, Portal Runner is not for you. On the other hand, if you're looking for a game that mixes action, adventure and some puzzle solving, then I would highly recommend this game.

I was plesantly surprised by this game's ability to keep me entertained. I guess it's partly because the levels are varied and interesting, plus there's the 4 different modes of play (as Vikki, Vikki with Leo, as Leo and Vikki riding Leo) that kept the game fresh. As for why this game did nto get 5 stars from me: sound effects. For the most part, the sound effects are below average. I felt like the same sounds were being used over and over again. It's really too bad cuz after seeing this game featured on so many covers, you'd think this was a 5 star game.

One of the best games I've played.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: October 15, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I'm a gamer. I had so much fun playing this game that the kids wanted me to buy them a copy. Most everyone in the house, plus other people I know, from age 5 to 46, has played this game and loved it. I love the graphics, music, and gameplay. Now I'm looking for other Army Men games. I hope they make a sequel to this one.

I'm 46 years old and there are a few games I play over and over again; this is one of them. You play as Vikki, Vikki with Leo the lion, Vikki riding Leo, and just Leo. I love the gameplay variation, the beautiful levels, interesting puzzles, spansive adventure, and shooting action. Vikki can shoot in first-person or third-person mode. She can often auto-aim at times when it's really needed (especially helpful in the tree area). Locating all the gems adds extra replay value. All in all, I really love this game. No downside. And I still play it. I play many games over and over again: Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Tomb Raider, Devil May Cry, Drakan, Soul Reaver and more. So I have varied taste. Try this one. I give it a 6 out of 5.

Corny, but really fun!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: November 30, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game is a little like Tomb Raider in that you have to find ammo (in this case, various types of arrows) and objects to complete puzzles. There's even hearts to heal you (think TR med-packs).
There are several difficulty levels you can choose, and 4 character modes (Vikki alone, Vikki with Leo by her side, Vikki riding Leo and Leo alone) which change as you progress through the levels. The levels themselves offer a nice change..there's a candy store, a prehistoric world, a mideval world, and an alien spaceship.
If you're a goofball like me, you'll be laughing your way through this game. With corny comments like "shut your piehole!", waiting to hear what Vikki had to say in various situations was almost too much to bear.
So, if you're looking for some fun and some laughs, this game is for you.
Anyone who panned this game just didn't "get it".

3DO makes another big hit!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: November 23, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game is great! If you are a kid, then don't judge this game using the reviews of the people who say this game sucks! It's great! Sure, it may look stupid but it is really fun! The action is great without gore! I'm hemophobic (fear of blood), so this game was perfect!

Great Game!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 14, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is a great game,its fun,and it really makes you think.
Its not hard,but its not easy. Its really fun a little frustrating at times (like when you have to fight the dragon) .
The graphics are great and its just full fantasy.
The great thing about it is that it doesnt have violence in it you just have to shoot arrow.
The bad thing is that if you are a great player you can finish it in one day,its long but not that long.
Make sure you have the memory-card when you buy this cause you dont whant to get far in the game without saving the game.

A very beautiful action adventure game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: November 01, 2001
Author: Amazon User

The graphics in this game are really breath taking, some of the most beautiful graphics around, definitely 5 stars. The sound effects and music are also 5 stars. The game play is exciting, and somewhat challenging especially as you complete half of the game. The movie scenes are well done, there is lots of drama, and the girls in this game are beautifully rendered, and quite sexy. There is lots of action, fighting, jumping, and some puzzle solving. The fighting isn't too much, just the right balance. There is no bad language, or other such trashy stuff in this game. Most of the puzzles are not too puzzling, mostly very entertaining. There are scenes in this game that are so beautiful and awe inspiring that you almost forget you're just playing a game. The art work in this game is top notch. There are many different worlds you visit by passing through the portals, one is a cute toy land full of ginger bread men that you must defeat. Another portal takes you back in the dinosaur era. The dinosaur world is very well done, and the dinosaurs themselves often jump out of nowhere startling you and suddenly attacking you with full force. ITS VERY EXCITING. Later you enter a world of knights and magic with large chess pieces and chess tiles you must jump across while knights are shooting you with arrows...super beautiful scenery in this world. There are many more worlds. Each one is unique. I've been playing this game for many days straight, many hours a day, and I'm still loving every minute of it. One additional nice feature is that this game has a two player mode that allows people to play against each other. It would be nice if there was a joystick/trackball combo controller for this game! Running and other moves are done using the left analog (or digital) joystick, which is fine. Shooting arrows in the target mode is done using the right analog joystick. Although this can be done using the joystick, its hard. A better control for this type of action would be a trackball. If only the PlayStation2 came with a controller with both a joystick and a trackball this wouldn't be a problem. Such a controller would make this game even more pleasant to play.

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