Tron 2.0 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Monolith Productions. The Microsoft Windows version of the game was released by Buena Vista Interactive on August 26, 2003. The Mac OS X version was released by MacPlay on April 21, 2004. The game is a sequel to Tron, a 1982 science-fiction film, although it's set in an alternate continuity since its events were decanonized by Tron: Legacy.
Jason Cottle voices the player character Jethro "Jet" Bradley, the son of ENCOM programmer Alan Bradley (voiced by Bruce Boxleitner, who reprises his role from the original film). Cindy Morgan, who also starred in Tron, voices the artificial intelligence "Ma3a". Rebecca Romijn provides the voice of Mercury. The game features a new "light cycle" design by Syd Mead, and provides explanations for the Tron arcade game (which makes an appearance in this game) and Kevin Flynn's experiences inside the ENCOM mainframe as shown in the original film.
According to Tron creator Steven Lisberger and Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski, Tron 2.0 is not part of the Tron movie canon.
Gameplay
Tron 2.0 plays primarily as a first-person shooter. Gameplay takes place inside various computers, such as mainframes and a personal digital assistant (PDA), while some custcenes are in the ENCOM research laboratory outside the computer world. Levels are linear in format. The goal of each level is generally to complete tasks and find keys, known as permission bits that allow access to the next level. While searching for these bits the protagonist, Jet, can find upgrades and lore surrounding the game's world.
Jet begins the game with his Identity Disc, which is used for both storing data and for combat. The disc is the same format featured in the films, and when thrown can bounces off enemies and objects, but always returns to the user. Jet can also acquire computerized versions of real-life weapons, such as a shotgun, submachine gun, sniper rifle, and hand grenades. Each weapon aside from the disc uses energy as ammunition, which can be collected at various points in the game.
Jet's abilities are customizable, as his in-computer program earns version upgrades - when earning a level, Jet 0.0.0 becomes Jet 0.0.1, and so on. He acquires new abilities, and also the aforementioned weapons, in the form of subroutines held in archive bins scattered around the levels, but has a limited number of memory slots in which to install these subroutines onto his person. Subroutines start out as alpha-grade software, but can be upgraded to beta and gold statuses, similar to a software release life cycle. Status upgrades both take up less space in memory and become more effective. The layout of Jet's memory slots changes from level to level, with immovable base stats taking up various slots and limiting the number and size of the abilities Jet can equip. When attacked by viruses, subroutines can become fragmented or infected and cannot be used until Jet repairs them. If Jet encounters a program unknown to him, he can import one of its unique abilities to his own system.
As he moves through the levels, Jet must engage many lower-tier enemies. Although none are particularly powerful, they usually appear in gangs, making them more of a threat. Among the regular levels, there are some with boss enemies. Interspersed with the first-person-shooter levels are several light cycle races. As seen in the movie, these races are actually arena duels in which each light cycle attempts to destroy its opponents by driving them into its jetwall. The arenas contain improvements, such as speed zones that affect the cycles' speed, more complex layouts with walls and other artifacts, and power-ups that can be collected during races. In addition to Tron's regular light cycle, Jet can also gain access to the super light cycle that sports a more modern design and offers more speed.
Tron 2.0 offers some multiplayer scenarios, both in campaign mode and in light cycle mode. Internet and LAN play are available, although the vendor does not recommend that the light cycle mode be used over the Internet due to its generally high lag.