The Wizard of Oz

"Even after seeing the AVGN's review, I bought this game. And I'm glad."

The Wizard of Oz is the classic story of Dorothy and her little doggy Toto, whom are transported to The Land of Oz through a natural disaster. The book series had a movie adaption which nearly everyone has seen, and, some video games. Now, as you're probably thinking, most movie to game adaptions aren't that good. There are some large flaws in this game, but I promise you that it's better than people make it sound!

Graphics 9/10 - Some animations look bad in the game, however, I absolutely love the vibrant colors and graphics in this game. They really stand out and make it look fantastic. However, the opening cutscene looks horrible; it's why I'm rating it a 9. Toto is a totally different shade than the background OR Dorothy, making it seem very strange. I mean, it's the opening; shouldn't it be epic?

Gameplay 5/10 - Aaahhhh, the biggest flaw. You can't tell what things are part of the scenery or if you're able to jump on them. Also, you can't kick when you jump, so you're nearly defenceless. The wand barely ever has ammo, so you can barely ever use it. Also, the tin man can't duck or jump, yet he has 2 attacks, neither one of them needing ammo. It makes the game really really hard; but challenging is fun, right?

Music 10/10 - Most songs weren't in the movie, but I absolutely love the way the songs sound. Some songs were in the movie, and it's about every other level that you hear a song from the movie. The songs are more repetitive if they're from the movie because they have less parts to them.

Controls 8/10 - The controls are decent. I never really liked the SNES' controller setup, with 4 buttons AND L & R buttons AND a directional pad, because it can get confusing. However, the controls are good if you're used to SNES.

Overall 7/10 - Some things in this game are great, yet some things are very difficult to overcome. I really think this game is better than the AVGN and other people make it sound. It's worth noting that the game is very challenging, but if you work out a strategy, it makes it a bit easier.

Replay value 5/10 - If you can beat this game the first time, and aren't angered at it, you should play it again. I have yet to beat it, but I always keep playing. There are passwords, so you can use those and continue from where you were, or use them to go back on the map and replay certain levels.

So, in conclusion, I think this game deserves a chance! I would suggest buying it, but it is rare, so it may be hard to find.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/23/09

Game Release: The Wizard of Oz (US, October 1993)