Disney/Pixar Toy Story: Retro Roundup Review

Few entertainment franchises have stood the test of time quite like Toy Story. With the series continuing to capture the hearts of audiences old and new, it’s clear there’s still plenty of affection for Woody, Buzz, and the rest of Andy’s beloved toys. In this review, we’re taking a closer look at Disney/Pixar Toy Story: Retro Roundup, now available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. Developed by Digital Eclipse and published by Atari, this retro collection brings together a selection of classic family-friendly games from the Toy Story universe and beyond. But does this nostalgic package still hold up by today’s standards? Read on for our full Xbox Nation review.

Disney/Pixar Toy Story: Retro Roundup brings together 11 classic versions of the Toy Story and A Bug’s Life games from across the Sega Genesis, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Colour, and original PlayStation generations. As a celebration of Pixar’s early gaming history, it’s one of the most comprehensive retro collections we’ve seen, preserving multiple versions of these beloved family-friendly adventures in a single package. While most of the games are designed as solo experiences, a handful also include local multiplayer support. Given the size of the collection, completing every title before review simply wasn’t realistic, but I spent several hours with each game to get a feel for how they play today and whether nostalgia alone is enough to keep players invested.

If you’re wondering what games are in the collection, then I’ll provide the list below. I especially liked that there are different editions of the same game on different platforms included.

Toy Story (Sega Genesis & Sega Mega Drive)
Toy Story (SNES)
Toy Story (Game Boy)
Toy Story 2 (Game Boy Colour)
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (Playstation & Game Boy Colour)
Toy Story Racer (Playstation & Game Boy Colour)
A Bug’s Life (Playstation & Game Boy Colour)

Disney/Pixar Toy Story: Retro Roundup doesn’t simply repackage these classic games and call it a day. Digital Eclipse has added several modern quality-of-life features designed to make these retro adventures more enjoyable on today’s hardware. Players can choose from a range of visual filters, including a CRT mode that recreates the look and feel of gaming on an old television. Personally, that was my go-to option, as it instantly transported me back to a time when moving the family TV required at least two people and a carefully planned route through the house. There’s also a handy rewind feature, allowing you to undo mistakes and retry tricky sections without restarting entire levels. And for those who miss the glory days of cheat codes, a selection of unlockable modifiers can grant perks such as unlimited lives, invincibility, and access to all characters or levels. Unfortunately for achievement hunters, these cheats won’t help you pad out your Gamerscore, so you’ll still need to tackle the challenges properly if you want to earn every achievement the legitimate way.

Even with its modern enhancements, Disney/Pixar Toy Story: Retro Roundup never fully clicked with me. Years of advancements in game design and controller layouts have made some of these older titles feel surprisingly clunky by today’s standards. While they were undoubtedly excellent games when they originally launched, time hasn’t been particularly kind to certain aspects of their gameplay. Still, I enjoyed dipping into each adventure and revisiting a different era of gaming, even if only for a few hours at a time. For many players, especially retro enthusiasts and die-hard Toy Story fans, that nostalgia alone could be worth the price of admission.

As someone who’s been gaming for more than 35 years, I’ve experienced countless generations of consoles, genres, and technological leaps. Disney/Pixar Toy Story Retro Roundup brings together a strong collection of classic Toy Story titles alongside A Bug’s Life, complete with multiple regional versions of each game. For longtime Toy Story fans, or anyone who grew up playing these releases in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there’s plenty of nostalgia to enjoy. However, while I appreciate their historical significance, I found many of these games surprisingly difficult to revisit because of their dated controls and clunky gameplay mechanics. That’s perhaps inevitable after more than two decades, but it still makes some of them a challenge to enjoy today.

At £24.99, Disney/Pixar Toy Story: Retro Roundup offers excellent value for retro gaming enthusiasts and collectors alike. With a sizeable selection of classic titles and multiple regional variations included, there’s certainly plenty of content for the asking price. My only real disappointment is the absence of Xbox Play Anywhere support, as these pick-up-and-play classics feel perfectly suited to handheld gaming devices. Being able to seamlessly switch between console and portable play would have made this nostalgic package even more appealing. That said, if you fancy adding this to your Xbox library, then you can pick up a copy HERE.

Our score

5.5/10

Average

Xbox Nation Verdict