Tonic Trouble
Tonic Trouble — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Tonic Trouble on?
- Tonic Trouble was released on Nintendo 64, PC (Microsoft Windows), Game Boy Color.
- When did Tonic Trouble release?
- Tonic Trouble was first released on August 31, 1999.
About Tonic Trouble
Tonic Trouble is a 3D platforming video game by Ubisoft Montreal. The story follows the main character, Ed, after a magic potion spills on the Earth and causes vegetables to become living killers. The game was received poorly; critics cite poor controls, a wordy exposition, and sloppy graphics (on the N64 version). The N64 version of the game is a port of the PC version with noticeable differences, such as a substantially different opening due to the lack of processing power needed to render cutscenes, and different music in certain places. The game is often compared to another game published by Ubisoft called Rayman 2: The Great Escape, because both are 3D platformers, both have main characters of a similar design (hands and feet without arms or legs), and both were released around the same time.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Nintendo 64, PC (Microsoft Windows), Game Boy Color
- Developer
- Ubisoft Montreal
- Publisher
- Ubi Soft Entertainment
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Action, Comedy
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo 64 | 1999 | $26 | $88 | $180 | Low |
Release timeline
- Nintendo 64Aug 31, 1999
- PC (Microsoft Windows)Dec 6, 1999
- Game Boy ColorJan 2000
First release on each platform, from IGDB’s records of this game’s ports and editions. Remakes are separate games with their own pages, so they are not listed here.
We haven’t priced or authenticated the versions without a section on this page yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Nintendo 64 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-22
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAL release | $24 | $91 | $132 |
What it needs to play
- RequiredController Pak — to save your progress: the game saves to a Controller Pak, not to the cartridge (game manual).
How often it sells
- Loose: about 2 times a week
- Complete: about once a month
- Sealed: about 5 times a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-22.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $0.94 in Jul 2007, $22 five years ago, and $26 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2008 | $3.50 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $2.93 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $2.88 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $2.02 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $2.79 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $2.52 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $5.35 | $30 |
| Jan 2015 | $4.99 | $30 |
| Jan 2016 | $5.99 | $45 |
| Jan 2017 | $7.51 | $21 |
| Jan 2018 | $9.09 | $38 |
| Jan 2019 | $8.87 | $42 |
| Jan 2020 | $9.86 | $40 |
| Jan 2021 | $18.72 | $55 |
| Jan 2022 | $20 | $94 |
| Jan 2023 | $23 | $110 |
| Jan 2024 | $19.99 | $71 |
| Jan 2025 | $23 | $88 |
| Jan 2026 | $28 | $86 |
| Oct 2026 | $26 | $88 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Cartridge serial | Known board |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 31 August 1999 | NUS-NTTE-USA | NUS-01A-02 |
| Europe / PAL | 31 August 1999 | NUS-NTTP-EUR | — |
- Region
- NA+EU
- Released
- 1999
- Authenticity
- Low
An ambitious 3D action-adventure that reviewers found derivative, with a camera that tested their patience.
Tonic Trouble is a 3D action-adventure developed by Ubi Soft Montreal and published by Ubi Soft, conceived by Michel Ancel and built by a team of around 120 people. Janitor Ed drops a container of unidentified fluid from his spaceship onto Earth, and has to stop the drunkard Grögh, who drank some and gained powers. The N64 game has twelve levels, against six in the Game Boy Color version, and it reached North America in August 1999, with a Windows release following that December.
Critics were mixed. They approved of the controls, score and level design but criticized the camera, the gameplay and the derivative design. Electronic Gaming Monthly blamed the N64 for the visual shortcomings, found the boss battles too easy, and called Ed annoying and the camera confusing. The game sold 1.1 million copies across its versions by 2001.
What the press said at the time
“So, that's Tonic Trouble. A platformer, nowhere near as pitiful as something like Chameleon Twist, but with few exciting moments, a lack of new ideas, and sackfuls of problems.”
How the Nintendo 64 version differs
The Nintendo 64 version has twelve levels, double the Game Boy Color version.
Also on other platforms
Windows · Game Boy Color
| Game Boy Color | RFX Interactive |
- Game Boy Color. The Game Boy Color adaptation was released in Europe in 2000 and has six levels.
Before you buy
Fake risk is low. The game saves to a Controller Pak, not to the cartridge, so budget for one. PAL copies cost about the same as the US cart. A complete copy costs more than three times the loose price.
Tonic Trouble screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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