Looney Toons: Double Pack
Score: 65% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Majesco Developer: Majesco Media: Cartridge/1 Players: 1 Genre: Racing/ Arcade
Graphics & Sound: Looney Toons: Double Pack is a compilation of two games that barely make it above a “mini-game” characterization, and despite its bargain price is really only suitable for the extremely casual gamer. The only thing that separates Looney Toons: Double Pack from the average throwaway online flash game are its fairly polished graphics. All of your Looney Toons favorites are represented: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester, Tweety, etc… Both mini-games feature a colorful, easily accessible style that fits the Looney Toons theme perfectly. Equally, the music in the game is the same vein of goofy and off the wall stuff that “Looney Toons” gets its name from.
Gameplay: There are two little mini-games offered, Dizzy Driving and Acme Antics. Both are extremely simple and easy to understand. Acme Antics is a simple action game where you control the road runner as he flees from the ever-present Coyote. You move between there lanes of road, avoiding the Coyote as you jump and duck past obstacles and picking up some birdseed along the way. The game is divided into discreet levels with the Coyote using nastier tricks each level. Dizzy Driving is a little more complicated, but is basically just a very bare bones racing game. You can choose from any number of Looney Toons characters and go through either a single race or play Tournament mode. Tournament mode is the only thing in Looney Toons: Double Pack that even approaches something engaging. While the entire tournament process itself is far too long for a portable title (thankfully you can save), the offerings are fairly varied. You have your standard races, standard races with the added requirement of collecting all the flags on the course, and a last man standing battle race.
Difficulty: Both games are difficult in varying ways. Acme Antics is pretty straightforward. While it has no difficulty selection, it ramps up in difficulty as you approach the end. So you’re in for a significant challenge. Dizzy Driving can be a little less challenging, and it too has no difficulty selection. With opponents that follow set courses and battle races that are absolutely trivial (the opponents will just race around the track while you can easily ambush people), nothing about their challenge will make either game interesting for anyone except the 3-8 year old crowd.
Game Mechanics: Being little more than a compilation of two mini-games there aren’t many mechanics to speak of. The roadrunner in Acme Antics is jumping and ducking, and using birdseed to do special abilities. Dizzy Driving is just straight racing with only accelerating, braking, and the R button to use your weapons. Both games save automatically. There’s nothing wrong with a title that consists of a compilation of mini-games. Wario Ware proved that such titles can be fun and succeed. However, asking people to pay even budget title prices for two little games is a bit much. Looney Toons: Double Pack may be appropriate for the very youngest or most casual gamer. Anyone else will quickly realize they would have preferred to spend their money elsewhere.
-Alucard, GameVortex Communications AKA Stephen Triche
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