The PlayStation Plus Classics Catalogue Features the Wrong Version of Toy Story 3

Licensed video games are somewhat of a rarity in this day and age, especially when it comes to specific movie tie-in games. More often than not, we have games that are based on different properties, but they don’t necessarily adapt the plot and characters of its silver screen counterparts.

From the Super Nintendo’s offerings of Aladdin and Lion King to the PlayStation 2’s wide array of Pixar and Dreamworks-based video games, they were still something most kids looked forward to back in the day.

Things began to slow down when video games moved into the HD era, though there were still games here and there based on blockbusters for the Wii, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. One of the best games to come out of this era was the Toy Story 3 video game.

So it was a massive surprise to see that Toy Story 3 was included in the PlayStation Plus library of games, specifically in the PlayStation Plus Classics Catalogue. What was at first a welcome surprise soon turned into a disappointing affair.

Infinity and Beyond

What made the HD console version of Toy Story 3 so widely regarded? Well, first off, it was a 3D platformer with two primary modes, one that followed the plot of the movie and the Toy Box mode, which was a massive sandbox that allowed players to have all kinds of fun.

The Toy Box is what people remember the most about this game as it offered multiple quests to complete, a free-roaming town area that could be customised, and it even allowed for two players to play together.

The Toy Story 3 video game was as good as it was because Pixar got involved with the game’s creation from the get-go, truly making it the definitive Toy Story game. This included input from the film’s director Lee Unkrich and even the star-studded voice cast reprising their roles.

The game’s Toy Box mode is such a hit that it became the basis for the biggest Disney game of the time, the toys-to-life hit Disney Infinity. Bringing in a completely customisable mode of play with physical toys was the true pinnacle of this gameplay concept.

Portable Blunder

What one has to keep in mind about this era of licensed video games was the sheer amount of platforms that a licensed game had to be released on. The Toy Story 3 game was ultimately released on Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PC, Mac, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable.

With how different each platform was, right down to their graphical capabilities and even control schemes, each iteration had many omissions and gameplay differences. The home console versions - the PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 versions - were considered the definitive editions.

So it was a shame to boot up the PlayStation Plus Classics Catalogue and download Toy Story 3, only to discover that it was the PlayStation Portable version. The PSP version is watered down, to say the least, as it does not even feature the iconic Toy Box mode or even multiplayer mode.

It is a sordid and linear affair that may have been fine on a small, portable console, but for those playing it on the PlayStation 5, it is nothing short of a travesty. Not to mention that the PlayStation 3 version had Emperor Zurg as an exclusive playable character in the Toy Box mode.

The Bigger Picture

This isn’t just a problem specific to the porting of the PSP version of Toy Story 3, but rather a frustrating part of Sony’s PlayStation Plus Classics Catalogue as a whole. As it stands, the service only features games from the original PlayStation, PS2, and PSP.

Even then, hardly any of the games are truly worthwhile, especially for the Southeast Asian version of PlayStation Plus. While it does include classics like Wild Arms and the Jak and Daxter trilogy, it features more obscure games like Echochrome or No Heroes Allowed.

What is a bigger missed opportunity is how PlayStation 3 games are not part of the service at all, barring a couple of games from the era that received remastered editions later on. Some may argue that this is due to how tough it was coding games on the PS3, which also means that it may be harder to emulate these games on the service.

For now, the PlayStation Plus Classics Catalogue has not done enough to honour the PlayStation’s legacy just yet. The PlayStation Plus’ modern offerings may offer a plethora of great games from the PS4 and PS5, but more could be done for those looking to look into PlayStation’s greatest hits.