A Bug's Life

The N64's limited cartridge space makes its version of A Bug's Life inferior to the PlayStation version. The latter features FMVs straight from the source, introducing each level much more effectively, as well as more voice acting and voice clips. On N64, levels are introduced by lifeless, still images with text plastered over them, each sliding to the next far too quickly for a child to read--an odd oversight considering the game was obviously designed with children in mind. Certain segments voice-acted on PlayStation are text-only on N64. Fortunately, most of Flik's in-game quips remain, as do the solid sound effects and soundtrack.

In contrast to the PlayStation version's clean, authentic look, the N64 version runs at an atrocious frame rate and pop-in is so egregious that you can at times see entire pieces of world geometry appear ahead of you. Objects and enemies pop-in at such a short distance that it becomes disorienting, as well as cheap from a gameplay perspective given you can be running along and suddenly take a hit from an enemy that materialised a foot ahead.

On that note, it's odd how strangely and sadistically cheap A Bug's Life is at times, given it's a kids' game. Floaty and sometimes unresponsive controls aside, enemies endlessly respawn unless hit with the most powerful weapon upgrade, the width and position of instant death pits appear to be meticulously placed such that they're not or barely visible, and some enemies burst out of walls from nearly invisible holes in thin corridors or places a player is expected to drop a seed. Seeds are one of the game's stronger and more innovative points; they're scattered about and can be used to grow different types of plants you can use to traverse the world by, for example, reaching higher places, adding somewhat of a puzzle aspect to what is otherwise a straightforward adventure.

A Bug's Life is impressively faithful to its source material and has a couple of nice ideas, but the N64 version is without doubt the worst way to experience it.