Product Info

Platform

Switch 2, Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC

Publisher

Atari

Developer

Digital Eclipse

Series

Toy Story

Genre

Action, Adventure, Platform, Racing

Players

1-2

File Size (Minimum)

6.5 GB

Release Date (NA)

Oct 15, 2026

Purchase From

eShop

PSN Store

Microsoft Store

Steam

Home » Toy Story: Retro Roundup! (Review)

Toy Story: Retro Roundup! is a collection of five classic games with eleven versions, including console and handheld versions. The original mechanics still exist but include various quality-of-life features and additional content that makes this collection worth looking into.

There’s a Snake in My Boots

These classic games carry a variety of the Toy Story franchise and A Bug’s Life versions that were once released on consoles and handhelds. This statement is true for those who grew up playing these titles in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. These titles include Toy Story (Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, Game Boy), Toy Story 2 (Game Boy Color), Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue! (PlayStation), Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (PlayStation, Game Boy Color), Toy Story Racer (PlayStation, Game Boy Color), and A Bug’s Life (PlayStation, Game Boy Color).

Talking with an Atari representative at this year’s PAX West, A Bug’s Life played a significant role in development for the following Toy Story games that were released after, making it fitting as part of the collection.

What the collection doesn’t highlight is that some titles include variations for a few of these games. For example, the Game Boy Color titles offered the original colored graphics or the black-and-white version you would play on the original Game Boy handheld. Additionally, the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Toy Story games offered different regions that provided different visual appearances. The Super Nintendo version featured different content variations between regions. Offering another way to play, Atari and Digital Eclipse combined all regions to make an ultimate edition for Toy Story’s Super Nintendo version. Going the extra mile certainly makes the collection a little more unique than others.

The original PlayStation titles are available as a single version for one region.

You Got a Friend in Me

The development team exceeded expectations by incorporating numerous quality-of-life features into this collection. A few members who’ve worked in this set also used to work on collections from Limited Run Games, which you’ll find similar to if you’ve played collections like Marvel MaXimum Collection.

Players can tweak the screen filter to get a classic CRT curve that looks like old TV sets, or they can opt for a flat look that highlights polygon shapes more. As for polygons, players can upscaling graphics for better resolution for a clean visual or downscaling to the original look. It highlights visual elements that you may not have noticed if you played these titles previously.

The ability to save anywhere and rewind during gameplay are essential features, and I’m glad to see them included in these old-school titles. These features help you avoid unnecessary grinds and frustration, as the titles still include quirky mechanics like the floating jumps in the Toy Story Game Boy version. Rex’s Cheat Codes is a label for turning on and off cheats in each game. For example, infinite continuation and invisibility. Turning the cheat code on does turn off the feature to earn PlayStation trophies and achievements for other platforms. Players must finish the game without these features, but they can bypass the issue by playing the final stage without cheats.

Atari’s booth during PAX West showcased a new “How to Play” feature that I’ve never seen before. This unique feature allows you to watch the CPU play any game at any level, with the option to jump in and continue playing from where the CPU left off. This feature is a useful tool for learning how to navigate difficult sections, but it does not contribute to any of your saved progress, as it is primarily designed for learning purposes. Players can also fast-forward and rewind the CPU’s playtime if there are specific areas you are struggling with. This feature provides valuable assistance for players struggling with challenging mechanics in these games.

What collection isn’t one without extra content of the game’s original development gallery of storyboarding, sketches, and videos. These videos contain more than an hour of content that offers interviews about specific games. As mentioned earlier about A Bug’s Life, the recorded video explains the impact of the game on how it was used for the development of Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue.

More features like this establish a standard for what content collections should include. From quality-of-life features to video interviews, it makes owning these collections worth keeping for fans.

Pretend it’s a Seed

While having a solid set of collected games is excellent, they are still considered challenging to complete. Toy Story for the Game Boy presents a challenge to navigate due to its awkward mechanics. Racing requires multiple tries to understand the controls. Controlling camera angles in the 3D titles can be frustrating. It’s what you’d expect for these retro titles, and you can’t expect the development team to recreate the mechanics for all titles. That’s why there are remakes. You’re paying for a product that displays the same mechanics and visual appearances but with new features and content.

What shouldn’t be an issue is loading times for these titles. There was a noticeable increase in load times while playing the Super Nintendo’s ultimate edition of the first Toy Story game. For example, in the final stage where you’re flying to avoid obstacles, if you collide with a street light or a large vehicle that prevents you from going further, the screen goes black to reset the stage. For some reason only the Super Nintendo version takes longer to reset than the other versions.

Aside from these issues and the awkward mechanics and cameras, Toy Story: Retro Roundup! offers a wonderful collection for fans.

The Final Roundup

Toy Story: Retro Roundup! is a purrfect nostalgia trip, bringing classic Pixar games together with helpful quality-of-life features, bonus content, and a unique “How to Play” mode. While the dated mechanics can be frustrating, it’s still a wonderful collection for fans who grew up with these titles.

A PlayStation 5 code was provided by the publisher for this review. Toy Story: Retro Roundup! launches on October 15, 2026 for the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Fans can visit the game’s official website for more information.