I’m probably not alone in this one, but the original Disney classic Tron was one of my favorite movies growing up.  It had a huge following, including some ridiculous guy that became an internet icon after he dressed up in a costume that lit up.  Tron could also possibly be one of the first “Movie Games” with its arcade-only companion that took you into the world of the game.  At the time, Tron’s interactive experience made the game and ahead of its time.

28 years later, the Tron world is getting a redux and it’s looking like they might be able to pull off the success the original game saw again.  With the dynamic duo of Movie and Game, they are reaching to make the experience just as captivating as it was back in 1982.

Tron Legacy is set to hit theaters this winter and is already generating a lot of hype; at E3, the unveiling of Tron Evolution is doing the same.  Showing off some of the original props from the new movie and a giant light cycle model, Disney made a great showing and left people wanting to see more.

We were able to get some hands-on time with the two new Tron games to accompany the movie this winter: Tron Evolution for Xbox360/PS3 and Tron Evolution Battle Grid for the Wii.  Chris Whiteside, the Design director from Propaganda Games, was on-hand to give us a guided tour into the inspiration for Tron Evolution.

Tron Evolution melds parkour 3rd person platforming with your main weapons (being your agility and your disc).  Playing as a law enforcement officer in the computer world, you are charged with protecting Olivia Wilde’s character, which has not yet been announced.  The game is a story-driven prequel that leads up to the events of the movie.  Also, Chris stated that the movie and the game will be interwoven in some ways, and there will be parts in the movie that will reference events from the game.

The art style and the world of Tron were top priority.  According to Chris, they did tons of research on the world’s background to tie-in as many authentic touches that old fans would recognize and enjoy, while adding a new-age updated look and feel.

While movie tie-in games generally have a weak track record, this game is looking like it’s not just an afterthought to ride the coattails of a blockbuster, but a true duality that will give fans a singular experience in two kinds of mediums, as evidenced by the time we spent flipping around throwing discs derezzing people and experiencing the amazing light cycle chase scene.