Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue

Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue (also known as Disney Pixar's Action Game: Toy Story 2) is a platform game based on Pixar's computer animated movie Toy Story 2 and is the sequel to the first Toy Story video game. It was released for the Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Dreamcast, and Microsoft Windows in 1999 and 2000. A different version of the game, titled Toy Story 2, was released for the Game Boy Color on November 22, 1999. A sequel to the game was released 11 years later based on Toy Story 3. It would be re-released as PSOne Classic for PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita and PlayStation Portable.

Plot
The game's plot is relative to the Toy Story 2 film, and begins at Andy's house as Al McWhiggin steals Woody from the family's yard sale. Buzz Lightyear, Hamm, Rex, Slinky and Mr. Potato Head head out to find and rescue Woody. After leaving Andy's house the toys enter the neighborhood in which Andy lives, then proceed to Al's Toy Barn, the penthouse where Al lives and finally the airport terminal and tarmac where the movie ends. At the end of the game, Buzz has a final battle with Stinky Pete (a.k.a. the Prospector) and two of his in-game henchmen. Contrary to the movie, defeating Stinky Pete is the end of the game.

Console version
The game puts players in control of Buzz Lightyear as he goes across fifteen levels (consisting of ten main levels and five boss levels) based on and inspired by locations from the film in order to rescue Woody. Buzz can attack enemies with a wrist laser, which can be charged up and aimed through a first-person viewpoint, and a spin attack which can also be charged up into a continuous spin. Buzz is also able to extend his wings to perform a double jump, and can perform a butt stomp to activate switches. Players can pick up a laser power-up that gives Buzz a limited supply of powered up laser shots, as well as extra lives and health-replenishing batteries.

The main aim of the game is to collect Pizza Planet tokens which are located throughout stages. Each level has 5 Pizza Planet tokens, which are each collected by completing different objectives, such as fighting a mini-boss, solving a puzzle, completing a timed challenge or winning a race against another character, or helping a character find five of a certain object which are hidden throughout a level. Each level also has a number of coins placed throughout it, 50 of which can be collected and given to Hamm the Piggy Bank for a token. Certain objectives require the use of a special power-up that must first be unlocked in a certain level by retrieving one of Mr. Potato Head's missing body parts. These include a barrier that protects Buzz from damage, rocket boots that launch him at high speeds, a disk launcher that homes in on enemies, a grappling hook for climbing up high ledges, and hover boots for floating up to high places. While only one Pizza Planet token is needed to clear a level, some levels require a certain number of tokens to unlock. With the exception of the Nintendo 64 version, progressing through the game unlocks FMV clips of scenes taken from the film.

Game Boy Color version
A Game Boy Color version of the game, titled Toy Story 2, was released in November 1999. The game is played across eight levels and is a side-scrolling platformer, and utilizes a password feature. Buzz can run and shoot his laser at enemies. Special levels can be accessed if the player collects all the coins located in certain levels.

Development
A villain character within the game, who originally donned a mustache, a bullet bandolier and a sombrero, was altered during production after a peaceful demonstration outside Activision's headquarters was carried out by Hispanic activists who perceived the character as an offensive stereotype towards Mexicans.

Reception
Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue was met with favourable reviews. Aggregating review website GameRankings and Metacritic gave the PlayStation version 75% and 75/100, the Nintendo 64 version 62% and 58/100,  the Dreamcast version 59% and 57/100,  the Game Boy Color version 57% and the PC version 55%.

Its PlayStation version received a "Gold" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), indicating sales of at least 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom. According to THQ president and CEO Brian Farrell, the game was a hit for THQ during Q4 of 1999.