Developer: Balio Studio
Publisher: Microids
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Switch
Tested on: PS4
Mega Party – a Tootuff Adventure – Review
We have been blessed with party games over the course of the last few years. We have had many big-hitters such as the Overcooked! series, but also many smaller indie games that got their time in the limelight. This time we’re seeing an old classic being revived, namely Mega Party – a Tootuff Adventure (Titeuf: Mega Party in some regions). The game bases itself around Tootuff (or Titeuf) a famous character from a French comic book series. This revision has been developed by Balio Studio and published by Microids. We were eager to see if fart, vomit and poop jokes were still up our alley in 2020.
Story
Tootuff and his family are casually watching television one evening as they learn about cloning. The documentary explains that cloning has to be done with the most perfect sample available. This idea scares Tootuff and the other kids in school, fearing they have to go through a gruesome process and eventually end up being cloned. One of the children, Hugo, mentions that they can cheat the system by doing idiotic stuff, as much as possible, to avoid being seen as a perfect sample. As expected, the children follow his lead, and a lot of moronic stuff ensues.
The story isn’t that much to delve into, but it’s fun a party game such as this actually has a little bit of story value, properly encasing whatever is going on. Perhaps the game didn’t really need an elaborate plot to begin with, but the overall idea is a fun one nonetheless.
Graphics
The graphical prowess is somewhat of a letdown. Sure, some segments of the game look a bit modernized, but for the most part, we’re treated to clunky looking PS2 graphics. Even with the low quality of graphics, the camera controls stutter and cause frame drops. The mini-games look fairly well-crafted, each having their own theme. The characters themselves respect the source material and look fairly cute in their own bizarre ways. There are a few graphical glitches when playing co-op in the story mode, especially when finding new mini-games to play. Overall, this game could have been a lot better, but a remaster is always a bit less qualitative than a complete remake.
Sound
Mega Party has an okayish sound design, with upbeat music and a few voiced lines in story segments of the game. Other than that, the soundtrack isn’t truly that memorable and doesn’t stick as is the case with many other, more popular, party titles. The sound sometimes gets distorted when unlocking new games when playing co-op in the story mode. You’ll hear a character laugh, while the other character is actually dancing and laughing on the screen.
Gameplay
Mega Party – a Tootuff Adventure is a party game that incorporates a story mode, to give the game a bit of extra depth. Nonetheless, you can plow through 42 mini-games that have very easy controls. Many games just require the input of one or two buttons, and some only require you to move around. The overall offset is quite simple, and while some fun could be had, things felt a bit dated and perhaps even bland. The fun part about the game is that it can be played with a friend, allowing you to grind through the story together, or just duke it out in the various mini-games.
You can opt to play the story mode in the game, in which you roam around on a small map, unlocking mini-games as you go, earning a score, which eventually allows you to progress and unlock the next chapter(s). We have to be honest, while the story mode itself is not really well made, the concept is quite fun. It’s fun to have a bit more meat on the bones of what would otherwise be a list of tiny games for you to choose from.
Other than that, there are many competitive modes to choose from, but they all boil down to playing random games, trying to beat your AI or local opponent. The game itself does have a lot of content in terms of different games, but in the end, the games are very simplistic and you’ll plow through them in minutes.
Conclusion
Mega Party – a Tootuff Adventure is a valiant attempt at making a long-forgotten character in the eyes of many, relevant again. The game itself tries to stand out with its story mode, which is certainly commendable, but everything is just so bland that it becomes really forgettable. The game can be recommended for a younger audience, especially considering the simplicity of the games, but even then, the current price tag is way too high for this dated mess.
Mega Party – a Tootuff Adventure - Review,
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