Tom and Jerry in War of the Whiskers
a game by | VIS Entertainment Limited |
Platforms: | XBox (2003), Playstation 2 (2002) |
Editor Rating: | 5.8/10, based on 2 reviews |
User Rating: | 8.4/10 - 21 votes |
Rate this game: | |
See also: | Fighting Games, 3D Platformer Games, Movie-Based Games, Cats Games, Tom & Jerry Games |
As the sequel to Tom and Jerry In Fists Of Furry, Tom and Jerry in War of The Whiskers had a lot to live up to… ok, so you could probably detect the sarcasm there. However, I was a huge fan of Tom and Jerry growing up and I thought that this looked like a fun fighting game so I decided to give it a try. It was released on the PlayStation 2, Game Cube, and Xbox back in 2003/2003, but for some reason, only the PS2 version made it outside of America.
Fighting Is Fun
Tom and Jerry in War of The Whiskers does not exactly have a strong story running through it. If you are familiar with the antics of the Tom and Jerry animated series you know what to expect here. These characters just love beating the hell out of each other and that is what this game is about. There are two main “villains” in the game in Monster Jerry or Robot Cat.
Jumping Into 3D
The previous game, Fists Of Furry was released on the Nintendo 64 and the graphical leap here is very impressive. Sometimes when a classic 2D animated show makes the jump to a 3D game it can look odd, but I think they nailed the Tom and Jerry style with this game. The characters look great and are instantly recognizable and there is a decent enough variety to the arenas you will be fighting in too.
The game moves at a very quick pace and I never noticed any frame rate issues or anything like that and I was playing the game on the PlayStation 2. Apparently, the game is a bit sharper and brighter on the Xbox and Game Cube so they might be the versions you want to play.
Power Stone 3?
The best game I can compare Tom and Jerry in War of The Whiskers to is Power Stone from Capcom. You can have up to four players in a battle and the idea is that you beat the hell out of your opponent so that you win. Each character has their own basic attacks, but the real fun is picking up and using weapons of which there is a very nice amount. The action is very fast-paced. It is not exactly deep, but if you are playing this with a friend it is fun. I think that they captured the slapstick cartoon violence that the series is known for very well.
Gotta Unlock Them All
I have to say that Tom and Jerry in War of The Whiskers is let down by its lack of content. The main game mode is Challenge Mode. Here you pick a character and fight your way through a series of characters before having to deal with either Monster Jerry or Robot Cat. You do this and you unlock new characters and stages which is fun, but the thing is. You can unlock all that the game has to offer in just a couple of hours. The real fun here is in multiplayer.
You can play basic fights, but I like the mode where you play until a player wins a certain number of matches best. What is here in terms of game modes is fun, but it all feels very similar, I feel that they could have added a few more game modes here.
I know that many people will probably write Tom and Jerry in War of The Whiskers off as garbage, but to be fair, this game is quite fun. The gameplay is decent enough, it is funny, it is a lot of fun to play with friends and it captures the look and feel of Tom and Jerry very well. Where it falls flat is in terms of its content. With a few more game modes, this could have been pretty damn awesome.
Pros:
- The game looks great
- The fighting in the game is responsive and fun
- The sound effects and voices feel like they are right out of the show
- It is the kind of game that is fun to play with friends
Cons:
- You can do all the single-player content in one sitting!
- It is really lacking in game modes
Download Tom and Jerry in War of the Whiskers
System requirements:
- PC compatible
- Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
System requirements:
- PC compatible
- Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Game Reviews
Here are two surprising things about Tom and Jerry in the War of the Whiskers. The first is developing a dedicated franchise brawler game has taken this long. Second, this game was rated for teens when the target demographic is young children. Have the world's favorite cat-and-mouse duo finally escalated their conflict to something more serious rather than comical?
Tom and Jerry in the War of the Whiskers is a battle-arena game that incorporates all the famous cartoon characters and pits them against each other in combat. It's like someone kidnapped all the cutesy creatures from the show and decided to pit them in a relentless battle royale. It takes the fun away from a child's animated TV show. Let's see how the game fares, at least.
Lord of the Whiskers
There's some intended irony in Tom and Jerry in the War of the Whiskers. The game's visuals are cartoonish, and the environments are reassuringly familiar. Yet, these characters will beat the snot out of each other. But let's not go as far as to say this battle-brawler will be a brutal approach to our favorite cat and mouse.
No, the gameplay is far too simplistic for that. Even though players are presented with a range of characters to fight with, the control schematics only allow elementary punches and kicks, with an occasional option for a combo. Combat in this game is tit-for-tat, much like the cartoon, but not in an entertaining or comedic manner. The only saving grace of the battles is the ability to use the environment to your advantage.
But let's look at the bigger picture of Tom and Jerry in the War of the Whiskers. Is there anything outside core combat that adds to the game? Not really. The single-player campaign is the same slurry of battles players are forced to complete to unlock characters with the same skill set. The obnoxious AI makes brawls pretty uninspired, and the camera doesn't help form any combat strategies.
In the War of the Whiskers, Tom and Jerry are about as elementary as you can get in a brawler. No narrative will intrigue players to play more than a few rounds. The multiplayer redeems a bit where players can have a slog. But it's easy to see how players will set the game down relatively quickly. Young kids could enjoy it more, but they can't buy it!
A Feline War of Aggression
Tom and Jerry in the War of the Whiskers are incredibly average. It's like someone built a portfolio brawler game and stuck franchise characters as playable combatants. It's got that same vibe as Cartoon Network: Battle Crashers, being an exciting battle-arena prospect but delivering very little.
You do wonder why this game was made in the first place. The franchise may need something to stay relevant or to rejuvenate the series to interest older gamers. Whatever the case, Tom and Jerry in the War of the Whiskers don't work. Simply put, the game needs a lot more dynamism and enthusiasm to appeal to any subset of gamers, regardless of whether they love the cat and mouse.
Round-Up - Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Triggers Tom and Jerry nostalgia
- Plenty of playable characters from the series
- Interactive environment for battles
Cons:
- Combat moves are pretty limited
- Battles feel uninspired
- AI makes single-player campaigns boring
Snapshots and Media
XBox Screenshots
Playstation 2 Screenshots
More Fighting Games
Games based on Movies
See Also
- The Free Ones
- Scooby-Doo! and the Spooky Swamp
- Scooby-Doo! First Frights
- The Fairly OddParents: Shadow Showdown
- The Fairly OddParents: Breakin' Da Rules
- Tak and the Guardians of Gross
- Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3: Night of the Quinkan
- Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue
- Shrek SuperSlam
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven
- Phantom Breaker
- Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Force
- Deathrow
- Dead or Alive Ultimate
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Records
- WWE WrestleMania 21