The glory days of mascot-driven action games like Banjo-Kazooie and Crash Bandicoot may be long gone, but after a decade-long rest, PS2-era platformer star Ty the Tasmanian Tiger is due to return in a sequel launching next month for PC platforms via Steam.
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 4, a new release from series creator Krome Studios, is likely the first of several Ty releases headed to Steam as part of a forthcoming franchise revival.
Originally a series of 3D platformers, the Ty the Tasmanian franchise saw its first release for the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and original Xbox in 2002. Sequels followed in 2004 and 2005, and ports for the Game Boy Advance featured 2D, side-scrolling adaptations of their source material.
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 4 shifts its focus to the 2D formula established in the series’ Game Boy Advance releases. In a similar approach Ubisoft previously took with Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 4 pares down established series conventions for a simplified, fast-paced follow-up.
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 4 features 40 side-scrolling levels and multiple playable characters in its core Adventure mode. Also included are bonus Time Attack, Turkey Chase, and Danger Arena modes to challenge veteran players.
Krome Studios revealed that PC ports of the first three games in the Ty the Tasmanian Tiger series are up and running, suggesting that Steam releases could follow the launch of Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 4. While Ty’s return is PC-exclusive for now, the team hints that future console releases for the series are in the works, noting that “Steam is hopefully just the next stop on the TY train and not the end of the line.”
Developer Krome Studios has decade-spanning ties to the series, kicking off development of the original Ty the Tasmanian Tiger in 2000 with a team of five people. The team later grew to 45 members at the height of the franchise’s popularity, culminating in the 2005 launch of the previous series entry Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3.
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 4 will launch via Steam on September 18.