Toy Story 3 (Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows, Mac)

common sense media says

Phenomenal game with action too intense for younger kids.


parents & educators say
  • 33% say violence is an issue
  • 33% say there are positive role models

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the Toy Story 3 video game will certainly appeal to younger kids that fall outside the age recommendation of the ESRB's E10+ rating. Whether or not younger kids can handle the laser fire, explosions, and drop-kicks they'll find in the game is questionable. There's nothing too graphic here, but the action can be loud and frenetic, there are several spooky parts involving a haunted mansion, and seeing Buzz Lightyear get his head blown off -- even if he is a toy, and even if it's only for a nanosecond -- could certainly scare little kids. It's important to know what you're kids would be experiencing before you decide to let them play.

Educational value: Among the games, many challenges are a long series of missions for which kids are given nothing more than a visual clue -- they must use deductive reasoning to figure out what they need to do in order to complete the mission.
Positive messages: As in the Toy Story films, the main messages here are about friendship, cameraderie, cooperation, and helping out folks in need.
Positive role models: Woody, Buzz, and Jessie -- the three main protagonists -- are paragons of friendship, always ready to help one another out, always wanting everybody they care about to be safe and happy. Woody has a moment of selfishness, but overcomes it by the end.
Ease of play: There is so much to do here that it's actually difficult to rate the overall ease of play. Some missions are simple enough for almost anyone to handle with ease. Others require the hands (or fingers) of a more experienced, skilled gamer. The game does try to level the playing field for newbies, though, sometimes adjusting its difficulty on the fly. For instance, on one particularly difficult jumping sequence, if you fail three or four times, the game will say, "Having trouble? Try it now." and actually provide you with extra platforms to land on, making the jumps much easier.
Violence: There is a lot of cartoony fighting in the Toy Story 3, including multiple instances in which laser guns (or similar fantasy weapons) are used. Some sequences are rife with earth-shaking explosions. Old West bandits fire pistols into the air (never at anybody). Players will destroy robots with blasters, shatter wind-up gargoyles with lightning bolts, fire cannons at flying plush toys, and hurl plastic balls at just about everybody. Players can also shoulder bump, drop-kick, or pick and and throw random toy characters whenever they want. In the Buzz Lightyear video game (within the game), Buzz can be blown to pieces (and immediately regenerated). All of this is mitigated by the characters being toys.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: No bad language, but it's possible in one scene to make Stinky Pete the prospector live up to his name with a whoopie-cushion-esque sound.
Consumerism: Obviously, this game is tied in to the Toy Story 3 feature film -- which is a heavily merchandized movies.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on Toy Story 3

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Toy Story 3 is a video game that features some ties to the movie it is named after, but which mostly offers you new and original adventures featuring the movie's characters. Does playing the game make you want to see the movie?
  • Families can talk about the violence in Toy Story 3. Do the explosions and laser beams scare kids at all? Or can they write it off, since the action takes place among characters who are supposed to be toys? Should a game based on a kids' movie be less violent by nature? Or do we need to accept cartoon violence as an inherent part of a kid's action game?

What's the story?

What's the story?
Rather than simply rehash the plot of the movie TOY STORY 3, the video game of the same name offers an entire open world for players to explore, interact with, and customize. Several game levels are based on scenes from the film, but even those (found in the game's "Story Mode") are often non-linear in design, offering for loads of exploration in completely interactive environments. They might send you on scavenger hunts, races, or puzzling quests set in film scenes. They game's main draw is the Toy Box mode, which allows free roaming -- as Buzz, Woody, or Jessie -- in a Wild West town (and later, a haunted mansion, space port, and fantasy land), where players can pick up diverse quests from Toy Story characters, customize the town's citizens and buildings in any number of wacky accoutrements, and earn money to buy more toys and games to interact and play with. It's a living world filled with constant action that can draw your attention in a different direction at any moment. The PS3 version will allow you to play as villain, Zurg, as well.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Toy Story 3 is astonishingly good, and undoubtedly one of the best movie-based games ever. The open world Toy Box mode can be a completley different experience for everybody who plays, and offers so much to do and see that kids can expect to be entertained for a good, long while. The story scenes that retell the plot of the film are crafted in a spectacular, non-linear fashion that reward roaming and exploration almost as much as the Toy Box mode. And, wow, is that Toy Box mode good. It contains a seemingly endless list of missions that will have you scaling mountains, tossing bandits in jail, driving a stunt track, costuming a mariachi band, or performing any number of other crazy tasks. The amount of variety is simply stunning; Toy Story 3 features enough game styles to fill a full library -- racing, platform jumping, first-person shooting, third-person shooting, character customization, world building, puzzles, stealth, strategy, and on and on. All that, and the game looks and sounds terrific, with many of the original actors providing voices for the game. This is an absolute winner.

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows, Mac
Not available online
Genre: Action/Adventure
Developer: Disney Interactive
Released on: June 14, 2010
Price: 49.99
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief
Screenshots

This review was written by Christopher Healy
 
 

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What parents & educators say

7
Based on 6 parent & educator reviews:
  • 33% say violence is an issue
  • 33% say there are positive role models

Most useful reviews by all members

Jesusrulz666
parent of 18 year old
 
GTA: Toys
Well the controls can set you off once in a while, other than that its GTA: Toys

MillyMolly
teen, 15 years old
 
Very fun! I only played this for a while with my uncle and we both enjoyed it, it was actually quite challeging some levels, but you rather play a game were you have to struggle than a game thats really easy. I love the movies and I love the game! 2 thumbs up! :D

Patster94
parent of 6 and 8 year old
 
A real gem!
My 7-year-old and 5-year old LOVE this game and can't get enough of it. They play it separately together enjoy helping each other in both the one-player and two-player mode. I dislike that they are encouraged to kick toys in the Toy Box mode, but we discussed it, and that action has not manifested itself in their real playroom. I love watching them play it, and the mini-movies are highly amusing for all ages!

gamemad
teen, 14 years old
 
I love this game. There is no real violence apart from you can get a laser gun, lightning rod and a strawberry wand to attack enemies. nothing is bad about that it just makes the enemies disappear. You can use the weapons against the townspeople and kick them or throw them away but they don't get hurt. This is a great game and 10+ what is wrong with common sense media.

Tsion
parent of 15 year old
 
Best Kids' Game!
TOY STORY 3 combines everything that makes all family-oriented video games good and puts it all together. It is fun, engaging, action-packed, educational, and positive. It lets you play levels with storylines, or just roam around and let your imagination run loose while creating an old-Western town. As Sheriff of Woody's Roundup, you can build, run, drive, ride, and destroy (though not violently) as much as you want. You help your friends through "missions" that they give you while you jail outlaws and strive to build the best town you can. I guess if there was to be an innapropriate thing in this game, it would be the brief violent content. You do get to shoot whatever you want with wands, laser pistols, etc. However, robots/boxes are the only things that explode or die (and they just puff up at that). The only thing that would make this game unsuitable for younger kids (aged 6-8) is the challenging nature of some of the levels. Especially for kids who don't play many video games, the controls might be a little overwhelming at first. However, the game always points you in the right direction, giving you an optional "compass" feature that tells you where to go, or sometimes even showing you what to do if you ask.

101brookere
kid, 12 years old
 
i think this will be a relly fun game for 10 year olds and up but i dont see like 8 year olds can play it because thay relly like toy story with woodey buzz and andy well i did not rate this game at all i would rate this game 5 stars it looks relly relly fun i think you will be playing it every day i am going to buy it it looks so so so so so so so so fun i love toy story and buzz is my favorite and buttercup looks funney i think if you buy it it will be out im just saying to you i think you find it at target or wallmart you got to love those stores and i love this game i play it every day im sorry im making this so long when you bring toy story up im a chatter box so please dont right bad reviews

football guy
kid, 11 years old
 
perfect for everyone
It was ok but it got hard. And Toy Story 3 is not a bad game.

KinbJune
teen, 13 years old
 
Wow. This game is one of the hardest games I have ever played. The game is very creative and intense, but it is very hard to beat! I'm still stuck on the last level and sense when did cupcakes try to kill you? It is very challenging, a bit too challenging.

Ripley183
teen, 15 years old
 
perfect for kids 10+
Toy Story 3 on Wii I totally love it my neighbor is three and loves Buzz Lightyear so much he watches me play it all the time!!!!! There is a Toy Box mode where you can do almost anything!!!!!

ecoglass
kid, 13 years old
 
i don't know

huskertwins99
parent of 11 and 11 year old
 
give it some time..you will get it..
Kids play this all the time..and they said they had to play for a while to get it, but now they understand it.good game..

jesus alvarez
parent of 11 year old
 
cool
love it

 
none at all
no problems

Miranda ...
kid, 11 years old
 
To Infinety and Beyond!!!
I like this game. It is violent because my brother is afraid of one level when you buy a haunted house world and that is the only level I cant do, also because that level is boring but I completed it anyway. Some decorations and citizens you find or unlock are from other Disney Pixar movies. It is really fun anyway, buy this game!

ChickenOfTheWest
teen, 18 years old
 
Lives up to Pixars name, in a video game
The title says it all. This is probably one of the best movie games I have ever played. I have played quite a few games, and this, by far, has been a very fun adventure. A little difficult for younger children at times, but, Toy Box mode is a feature that anyone can use, and it's fun. It also includes a great creation feature. The voice acting could use some work, however. But, they did find some alright impersonators. A must get for any Toy Story lover, and it will bring memories back to when the first two were released. A+

fredder
kid, 10 years old
 
NOT like the movie
Toy story 3 is a fun game.My dad and I made up to level 3,so bewhere!!Some shooting and lava(which should not be not be in a Toy story game)means 100% fun.

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age