At this point, I don't think I need to remind anyone of the fact that licensed games tend to be really bad. More often than not, they're extremely rushed hack jobs made solely for the purpose of gaining a little extra cash off of the success of a work in another form of media, such as film or TV. In some rare cases, though, a licensed game can come along and actually be enjoyable. Take, for example, "A Bug's Life," the PS1 platformer based on the 1998 Pixar film. It's a game that's not perfect, and it does pale a bit compared to other Pixar games (especially on the PlayStation), but there's still fun to be had with it.
"A Bug's Life" succeeds thanks to some cleverness: the visuals are plenty colorful and still look solid today, the platforming is a bit challenging to learn but solid once you get the hang of it, and the game utilizes some pretty neat mechanics that set it apart a bit from other platformers. Specifically, of course, I'm talking about the mechanic of growing seeds that help you succeed and move through different levels. It's implemented very well, and it still feels rather fresh today. The level design is solid and grand without being too frustrating most of the time, the voice acting is humorous, and the music is really fantastic stuff.
Of course, the game is definitely held back in several areas. For starters, it is a bit slow, with some very clunky camera controls that can make the game feel more awkward than one might like. On top of that, the game can often feel a bit more challenging than you might expect for something that's geared towards kids. Finally, I will say that, for me, this was a game that did run out of steam a bit near the end, and it wasn't quite as fun or exciting as the early levels.
Even so, though, "A Bug's Life" for PlayStation is a game I definitely have nostalgic memories with, and it's still decent to this day. Sure, it's not the best platformer on the PlayStation, and I certainly pick other Pixar games on the PlayStation before this, but if you're a fan of the movie, you might get some enjoyment out of this game.
Final rating: 6 out of 10 "Decent"