GameBoy

  News 
  Reviews
  Previews
  Hardware
  Interviews
  All Features

Areas

  3DS
  Android
  iPad
  iPhone
  Mac
  PC
  PlayStation 3
  PlayStation 4
  Switch
  Vita
  Wii U
  Xbox 360
  Xbox One
  Media
  Archives
  Search
  Contests

 

Titus the Fox

Score: 40%
ESRB: Everyone
Publisher: Titus
Developer: Titus
Media: Cart/1
Players: 1 - 2
Genre: Miscellaneous

Graphics & Sound:

Titus the Fox is a kiddie platformer, so expectations might not be as high for gameplay, but graphics presentation is important. I'm happy to report that Titus the Fox looks fun and has plenty of nice little visual touches. Everything looks like cut-paper animation against a static background, and the characters in each level are a funny little bunch, along with the bouncy little fox you play. What a coincidence that he's named Titus, eh? ;^) Plenty of color for those who have a Game Boy Color, but Titus the Fox is also playable on regular Game Boy. There's not much in the way of effects, but the background and levels seem well designed and super-sized for easy recognition. The music is fun and bouncy, but nothing that will have you rushing out to buy the soundtrack.

Gameplay:

As the setting for many a good Platformer, Titus the Fox finds himself on a quest through a strange land to rescue his sweetie from the clutches of an evil Sultan, aided only by his good luck and a cousin named Zorro. Each level in the game has a bunch of enemies that Titus will need to knock out by throwing boxes at them before he can move on, and he can either climb ladders or bounce on balloons to reach higher ground. Control is highly funky, especially in jumps, which seems criminal for a game that requires Titus to jump around like a frog on pogo-sticks. Enemies or traps in a level can rob Titus of energy and run down lives, and the trickiest thing is not avoiding them but finding boxes to throw. It's a little strange that Titus doesn't have any natural defense against enemies, but I guess we're to assume a fox has only his cunning against the bad guys. Luckily, those boxes are scattered through the level. After a level is cleared, rinse, lather and repeat. With Game Link and two Titus cartridges, you can play cooperative 2-Player and help the other guy or gal find boxes and balloons to defeat the Sultan. This works only on Easy difficulty, so many folks may find Titus just doesn't provide enough challenge in 2-Player Mode. However, it's fun to be able to do things like hold a balloon and let your pardner jump on it. There's actually a competitive element in 2-Player, which is somewhat confusing. If one player loses, the other goes on, and whoever finishes a level first wins a bonus. But, the goal is still to beat the game, even if there's a little competition.

Difficulty:

Even as a game aimed at kids, Titus comes up short. Or, especially as a game aimed at kids, Titus comes up short. I can't see the average gamer finding much challenge here, except for the frustratingly bad controls. It's like Titus is walking through molasses and jumping with a rope tied to his tail. The end result is frustration, boredom, or both.

Game Mechanics:

Basically, there's very little about Titus other than the walking and jumping. We're not even dealing with a running jump here. Each level requires that you destroy all the enemies to find the exit, and there's a time limit imposed. There are bonuses to pick up that look like boxes, and every 100 bonus boxes earns a new fox. Besides walking, climbing and jumping, Titus can crawl through tight spots. Jumping is harder when you're carrying a box, but you can throw boxes above you for enemies in places you otherwise might jump or climb to reach. There aren't any items otherwise that would advance the storyline or deepen gameplay, which is weird. No keys or doors or puzzles or anything. The problem here is that everything gets incredibly old. The first level or two is a taste of the average quality found in every aspect of Titus the Fox as a game. The ideas aren't bad, and things look inviting, but the feeling of playing is pretty weak. With as many other good Platformers on Game Boy and Game Boy Color, it's hard to imagine why Titus would have much appeal.

-Fridtjof, GameVortex Communications
AKA Matt Paddock

GameBoy Color/Pocket Rugrats in Paris GameBoy Color/Pocket Tony Hawk 2

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated