Australians have given us a lot. One of the most welcome Aussie contributions is Fosters. Creamy and smooth to the taste, infused with amber nectar, giving it a flavour that the Gods wouldn't disagree with. Then there's Steve Irwin, the well-known crazy crocodile hunter from down under. He is a character, swinging snakes around his head and sticking his fingers places where fingers probably shouldn't go… Then there's the not so welcome person, who Australia probably want to disown, namely the multi-untalented Rolf Harris. More annoying than a hyena, and more frightening than a funnel-webbed spider, Rolf has brought the world to a standstill more than once. And that wasn't because he was outstandingly good either. While some people argue that he's a complete waste of time, others think there's no end to his talents. [I'm a Rolf Harris fan and proud of it! Ed] He can sing, he can play the didgeridoo, he invented that wobble board, he can paint and he can look after animals in Animal Hospital. I feel sorry for those poorly animals. Fortunately, the public may have forced him into early retirement, so our ears can all have a rest from his 'acquired taste' instrument, the wobble board, and our eyes can have a break from his painting and his unsightly beard. [He doesn't mean it Rolf! We love you really! Ed]

It's good news then, that the latest thing to come off Australia's conveyor belt is something worth your time, just like the nectar that is Fosters Ice. Ty The Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue - which can be quite hard to say after drinking a few Fosters… okay, I'll drop that link now.

From the moment you power this baby up, you know it's clearly a light hearted game. It's not supposed to be taken seriously, nor is it supposed to realistic - I mean, have you ever seen a talking Tasmanian Tiger that throws boomerangs at green monsters? No, didn't think so. Unless you've had far too many beers that is… Ty 2 dives straight into the action, with a little dialogue, briefing you for the first mission and your friends will help you to get to grips with things. You could call this a cleverly disguised tutorial and it works very well. The dialogue is sometimes too funny in this game. I never thought I'd see the day when I laughed at a juvenile targeted game, but Ty 2 brought some quirky comedy onto the screen. It's the Australian accent that sharpens some of the jokes, giving them a sharper edge than they would have had if they were to be spoken in a different accent. The two lizards in the game are the funniest - they talk you through more advanced moves in the game, while making comments in a funny manner.

The gameplay is quite interesting, as it's a mix of linear and non-linear. Obviously you get the missions that appear in every platforming debut, but Ty 2 bares some resemblance to Jak II: Renegade with its free roaming town approach. There are a lot of points in the game that allow you to diverge and explore the rather large town. There are a few things hidden around and a few typical platforming objects to get, which offer rewards when you collect a certain amount. No platform game would be complete without these! There are little missions scattered around the town too and the funny lizards can be found here, offering that extensive tutorial. The town has opened up a new centre especially for you - Bush Rescue. This is where you'll get most of your missions later on, but if you want to explore, you can. There are various things to buy in the town too, such as new boomerangs to use against the enemies.

Apparently, Ty the Tiger 2 boasts 25 rangs to collect, many of which are available at the shop. As well as damaging the enemy, rangs can be used to do various things around the environment. The Freeze Rang can freeze enemies, put out fires and create useful stepping-stones across water, which will undoubtedly come in handy on your lengthy journey. Likewise, the Flame Rang can start fires, cut through ice and burn spider webs in a flash - again, opening up doors in the environment. Most of the rangs do something to aid your journey, so you're going to need to find and buy them all before you can fully complete the game. This is a fantastic feature, because it always has you coming back to a certain mission, or a certain place in the town to try and get further with your new rang.

In addition to being able to buy new objects with Ty's easy to come by currency, you can also go and see the town's clairvoyant. She sells you magical maps that tell you where things are hidden, giving you another objective if you wish to take more on board. This is entirely optional but it's another nice touch and one that adds a little bit more depth to the game. Of course, this psychic doesn't want your money, she wants orbs, which are difficult to find.

Before you know it, you'll have various missions on your plate, some compulsory and some optional, but nevertheless you're not going to get bored. The missions are marked with a star on your map, so it's your job to go around and find out what's going down! Most missions see you using a large array of vehicles for both transport and heavy weaponry.

There are submarines for you to dive deep and explorer the seabed and there are jeeps and trucks for you to cover ground fast. In addition to these, there are also special robot suits, which reminded me of Mechassualt. Jump in one of the many heavy metal outfits and inherit some of the suit's powers for a while. Some robots fire projectiles, while others punch and destroy things with their fists of steel. Some robots can fly too, which opens up even more possibilities in Ty's adventure.

All the platforming trademarks are in here; Ty can jump high, climb, bite, glide with his boomerangs, swim and hang onto ledges. There's plenty for Ty to do in the large environments and plenty of hidden things for you to explore, or come back to when you have acquired a certain object, or boomerang.

For the most part, Ty's graphics and environments are quite good. There are some detailed areas in the town that are nice to look at. However, some of the character textures don't really look up to scratch and could do with an overhaul. I like some of the water effects and some explosions look great, in a cartoon way. There doesn't tend to be much slowdown when there's a lot going on either, which is nice to see - but the characters let it down. There's no lip sync and Ty always looks angry, even when he's talking in an upbeat tone of voice. Watch out kids, Ty is fuming! I suppose some people are naturally born looking mean though - look at Vinnie Jones!

The sound again pleases in some areas but disappoints in others. The best part of Ty 2 is the dialogue that runs through the game, spoken loud and clear, in a comical way, which always sets the scene for any mission. "Crikey Possum, there's a fire up ahead!" At times the speech made me laugh and the voices are very fitting with the look of the characters -you only have to look at the lizards and you'll be able to guess how they talk. If they just got some lip sync right then that would have drastically improved both the sound and graphic scores. The thing that annoyed me most in Ty 2 is the music. Don't get me wrong, there are some catchy tunes in certain areas, but half of them are just plain irritating. Most of the areas sport a 10 second loop that repeats itself constantly and needless to say, I muted the TV at times. However, I have to give a little kudos, because the music changes quite frequently, there's just not enough variety in each tune.

Before my closing comments, I'll give Ty 2 a big thumbs-up. If you go to the main menu at any time you can access a whole new game - Ty cart racing. This cart racer is similar to Mario Kart - but obviously not as good. You race through the jungle at high speeds, picking up weapon creates and firing them at your foes in battle to compete for the first place. There are various tracks you can race on and all the courses can be enjoyed with a friend. I just thought this was a nice touch and something to come back to when you've finished the game.

Ty The Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue is not only difficult to say, it's difficult to score as well. On the whole, the gameplay is very good and kids of all ages will enjoy this simple platforming adventure - and I'm sure the parents will appreciate the fact that its released at budget price. However, I can see this game being short-lived for some gamers. If you don't complete it far too quickly, you may become bored of the missions or the story. The cart racer is a nice touch and will keep people coming back for a little while, especially if you've got a friend to enjoy it with, although if you've got Mario Kart Double Dash then that's pretty much obsolete. I'm afraid Ty 2 doesn't match up to the Super Mario Sunshine standard however. Rolf and I enjoyed this game - I played the game and he played his didgeridoo when I muted the annoying loops! As Rolf's infamous saying goes, "Can you tell what it is yet?" The answer to that is simple; it's an enjoyable platforming game for the kids that's too lightweight to compete with the big boys.

Reviewed by Dexter Pearson for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).