Toy Story: Retro Roundup brings together six classic games across 11 versions, covering releases for platforms such as Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, PlayStation 1, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color. The collection includes Toy Story 1, Toy Story 2, Toy Story: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Toy Story Racer, and A Bug’s Life as a bonus game. Some titles have multiple versions, offering an interesting look at how developers adapted games for different hardware.
Toy Story 3: The Complete Edition was released separately but is also available as part of the collection. You can purchase it alongside the other games in a bundle or buy the games separately. As someone who enjoyed licensed games based on popular films, I appreciated the chance to revisit these titles.
One of the things that surprised me was the inclusion of different versions of the original Toy Story game, particularly the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, and Game Boy releases. I was surprised to discover how different the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo versions could be, despite being based on the same film.
The Sega Genesis version is the classic one that most people will recognise and remember. However, I hadn’t played the Super Nintendo version before, and I found it interesting in its own right. It feels different in several ways, almost like an upgrade in certain areas. Some of the assets and artwork have been improved, while the art style also differs. The story cutscenes, presented as comic book-style panels with text, are slightly different as well. I do not think the Super Nintendo version is bad at all, and having both versions available makes it easier to appreciate how developers adapted the same game for different hardware.
The collection includes several quality-of-life features that make these games easier to play today. Save states let you save your progress, while the rewind feature allows you to go back if you make a mistake. There is also a practice mode for working through difficult sections, alongside cheat codes that let you access certain levels and power-ups to make the experience less demanding.
These features are particularly useful for younger players who might struggle with some of the more challenging sections. Being able to rewind, save progress, or use cheat codes makes the games more accessible without forcing players to tackle every obstacle the traditional way.
Custom controls allow you to choose your preferred controller layout. There are also display options, including different borders, resolution settings, and screen filters. You can choose a CRT filter or stick with the normal display.
I did not particularly like the CRT filter for the PS1 games, so I played those without it. However, I found it worked considerably better with the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Sega Genesis, and Super Nintendo games. The filter made their graphics look much better, whereas playing without it could leave them looking a little rough around the edges.
There is also a digital museum featuring artwork, information about the developers, development history, and resources used during the creation of the games. It contains pretty much everything that could be included, making it a nice addition for anyone interested in how these titles were made.
My favourite game in the collection is Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue, which I played repeatedly on PS1. It is not particularly difficult, but the save states, rewind feature, and cheat codes can still be useful if you get stuck or want to make certain sections easier.
My second favourite is A Bug’s Life, which is included as a bonus game. I do not have quite as much nostalgia for the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color, so I find some of their games harder to enjoy today. Many are simple side-scrolling platformers that suited the original hardware but can feel outdated now. Their inclusion is more interesting from a historical perspective, as they show how developers often created substantially different versions of a game for each platform.
A Bug’s Life was another licensed game based on a popular film, and I enjoyed playing it back then. It is a welcome addition to the collection, particularly for anyone who remembers that era of gaming.
I tested Toy Story: Retro Roundup on Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam Deck. These are not particularly demanding games, so neither platform requires much in terms of hardware. Both versions ran well during my testing, and I did not encounter any issues. Performance was good on PC and Switch, too, based on my testing.
Toy Story: Retro Roundup is a good collection for fans who grew up playing these games or anyone interested in revisiting the PS1 era. The different versions are a welcome inclusion, while the quality-of-life features make them easier to enjoy today. Some of the older handheld games have not aged particularly well, but the collection still offers an interesting look at how developers adapted licensed games for different platforms. If you are a Toy Story fan, or know someone who is, this collection is worth considering.
Game Information
- Game Title: Toy Story: Retro Roundup!
- Price: $29.99
- Publisher: Atari
- Developer: Digital Eclipse
- Platform: Nintendo Switch 2/PC (Reviewed)
- Review Code: Provided by the publisher
