Animaniacs: A Gigantic Adventure

"Spurts of Fun Cut Short by Gigantic Disappointment."

Yakko, Wakko, and Dot has long charmed young television viewers; in fact, very, VERY long. In this game, you'll traverse from platform to platform, hunting for old film cans, Oscar awards, and movie posters. On the way, you'll also battle common enemies such as rats, and run in with Hello Nurse to heal your health. Despite its interesting twists and turns, though, Animaniacs: A Gigantic Adventure is nothing more than a few hour's worth of distraction.

Gameplay: 5/10
The gameplay is satisfying; you'll embark on crazy adventures including bouncing on jello, participating in bonus stages, watching clips of the TV show, and other side quests that'll delight and distract the typical kid. That's the main problem of the game, however; the actual platforming is mundane and boring. At best, you'll find yourself jumping around to odd places and discovering secrets and other oddities; in these secrets lie the charm of the game. This game was built to have mazes, hidden portals, and multiple paths, and the levels become wider and more explorable as the game passes. Unfortunately, the game takes a sharp turn and its difficulty increases dramatically once you pass the 3rd level. The stages become much bigger and less linear; however, that combined with its repetitive platforming only makes the game a chore-like mission rather than a light and fun platformer after a while.

Controls: 4/10
The controls are frustrating and helpful at the same time; your characters jump incredibly high, especially when they run before jumping. You'll find yourself struggling not to overjump short platforms, and in later levels, the consequences for overjumping or underjumping can cost you lives. In the level where you first encounter water, for example, it becomes incredibly easy to sink, and you'll find yourself losing multiple lives over 1-2 platforms. The character motion is incredibly fluid, and the gravity, light; the controls are, in short, too loose for someone not used to platformer games and especially difficult for the young kid that this game targets.

Graphics: 8/10
For a game made in 1999, the mix of 2-D and 3-D plays in beautifully. The characters you play look exactly as if they popped out of your TV, except now in a 3-D environment. When you destroy an enemy, they shatter to pieces like bits of glass; a little creepy, but thought-provoking. The power-ups and point bonuses you encounter range from a glowing hot fudge sundae to an atomic ball. The game is bright without being blinding; imaginative without being insane. You'll encounter flames, crabs, and kooky things that will render this game memorable. Of course, all these graphics are outdated by today's standards, but back then, this was good, and certainly colorful enough for the target audience.

Sound: 6/10
I rarely notice the music in this game, if there is any, though most of the sounds you will hear in this game are either voice-overs/movie clips of Warner Bros. characters, or objects that signify an enemy, such as Cupid firing arrows (one of the more annoying sounds of the game), or objects falling continuously from a ceiling. They're a little annoying, but they fit the game's comical nature.

Replayability: 3/10
This is where the game goes wrong; as mentioned in the Gameplay section, this has little replay value. The platforms are almost all the same, with some side mazes thrown in, and you'll certainly not want to return to the parts that you were stuck at previously. They do, however, give you a reason to replay: to collect all the Oscars, film cans, and movie posters. With them being hidden all over the place, the game's replayability is extended. However, unless you're a die-hard Animaniacs fan or simply really like this game, it's not worth going through more than a few levels, except to see the new design in each new level. There's multiplayer, too, but it still yields the same concept.

The Verdict: Buy or Rent?
Obviously, by now, the only place you'll be able to find this game is at the small 'vintage bargain' bin in the corner of your local game shop, or even better, online. It's not worth purchasing from the latter anyway, unless it's dirt cheap. There are plenty of other great games out there for the same age group; this isn't worth paying more than a few hours' worth of playtime for. Unless you love the Animaniacs and you have seriously nothing better to do with your day, ignore this game (which won't be very hard at all).

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 07/07/08

Game Release: Animaniacs: A Gigantic Adventure (US, 1999)