102 Dalmatians: Puppies to the Rescue

Back in the day, Disney used to release video games based basically on their latest movie at the moment. Even if these games had really nothing to do with the movies themselves. Disney liked to use their own game studio to publish and sometimes even develop these games. 102 Dalmatians is an example of this game released just to try and use the momentum of the movie release, even though the movie itself wasn't really successful. So, is the game any better than the movie?

The Plot

We mentioned that many of these games had nothing to do with the actual movie, and this one’s the perfect example of this. This game has literally nothing to do with the movie aside from sharing the same name. After all, the plot of the movie is the same as usual where Cruella de Vil wants to steal the dogs to make clothing.

The game tried to make an original story where for some Reason Cruella starts selling toys, but they are not selling well. She finds out that the kids are spending money on their puppies and dogs instead of buying toys. So she gets their line of toys programmed to steal the puppies. Now you have to save the stolen dalmatians and defeat Cruella’s evil plan.

Gameplay

If we had to compare this game to anything out there, the closest thing would probably be Spyro The Dragon. But even though it’s probably the most similar game around, 102 Dalmatians: Puppies to the Rescue just falls far behind Spyro.

You get to use attacks like biting, jumping, and rolling, but you can also run around, dig, and jump to explore the levels. These mechanics are not polished at all, and the control feels clunky at best, with most interactions feeling awkward.

Minigames

There are some special minigames in the game where you can go through different mazes or find the hidden bone while digging and stuff like that. And there’s also the sticker collection, where you can get different “stickers” (which are more like puzzle pieces) and collect them all. Once you get them all you unlock a special secret scene.

It's sad to see what happened to Disney games, as they used to be high-quality games like the Lion King and Aladdin. But in 102 Dalmatians: Puppies to the Rescue we only get a 3D underdeveloped game that just feels empty and lacks all style. The visuals aren't even decent, and the gameplay is terrible.

Even though it didn't really control well, the game is very easy. It should only be played by the younger ones at home, as the grown-ups would have a hard time trying to have any fun with it. The story isn't interesting, the minigames are too simple, the gameplay is awkward and the visuals are off too.

Pros

• Cute characters
• Nice for the younger ones at home

Cons

• Gameplay is boring
• Chunky visuals
• Bland story
• Lacks originality
• Empty levels
• Repetitive