"Talespin is the next best thing to flying the Sea Duck itself"

Disney's Talespin is based off the popular kids television series of the same name. You chose either Kit or Baloo in a single player game. It is also possible to play a 2-player game in which one player is Kit and the other Baloo. The object of the game is to go through the 10 levels picking up at least 10 cargo boxes.

Gameplay: Each level is based off famous places from around the world, from New York to San Francisco to Greece. After fighting your way through the level and collecting 10 cargo boxes, the customs office opens and there you fight one of Shere Khan's henchmen. Depending on who you chose, gameplay can vary. There's pros and cons with both characters. Choosing Baloo means you get stuck with his short-range (but more powerful) weapon, a paddle ball. Kit gets the slingshot allows for long-range attacks since the projectile isn't connected with the weapon. Kit also can jump higher and get into spaces the big blue bear can't. So, what's the advantage in being Baloo? The answer comes as soon as you reach one of the game's 4 (or 5, depending on how you look at it) flying stages. As Baloo, you get to captain the Sea Duck making the stages relatively easy and fun. As Kit, however, you are forced to ride the airfoil- a kind of skate board with a rope attached connecting you and the plane. This is fine if you are playing a 2-player game and your friend is a good pilot, but in a single player game the Sea Duck is set on ''autopilot.'' The computer flying the plane seems to be suicidal and will do crazy flying maneuvers that cause poor Kit to fly directly into a swarm of enemy planes. This makes the flying levels unnecessarily hard, even in easy mode.

Story: Baloo and Kit are in a contest to win a contract for their flying business- Higher for Hire. To win, they must prove themselves as fliers by picking up cargo from 9 different locations in 7 days. With Shere Khan as their competitor, however, the contest becomes dangerous as Khan will stop at nothing to win.

Graphics/Sound: The graphics are very good for the Sega Genesis. Both Baloo and Kit (and the Sea Duck) look just like their cartoon counterparts. Each level is unique and colorful, especially some of the later levels in the game. The songs from the exotic locations, as well as the different sounds of the items, will be remembered long after you've finished playing. The music that accompanies Pirate's Cave is just so light and fun.

Play Time/Replayability: There are 3 difficulty modes in which you can play Talespin: easy, normal, and hard. In easy mode, there are more power ups and cargo boxes, and enemies are weaker. In hard mode, the enemies are stronger and there are fewer cargo boxes and power ups. This in itself adds a lot of replayability, and the fact that you can play a 2-player game is just the icing on the cake. With 2 players, the game is twice as fun as single player mode. You can even have Kit ride ''piggyback'' on Baloos' shoulders for even more added fun. With 2-player and the different difficulty modes of the game, Talespin is a game that's still fun to play long after you beat the game.

Final Recommendation: If you liked the TV cartoon show, you'll love this game. If not, you still might end up loving this game, so you should give it a try if you ever get the chance.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/07/04