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GALACTIC TAZ BALL (DS)
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Publisher: WB Games.
Developer: WayForward Studios. Released: August 2010. Genre: 3D Platformer. Posted 4th October 2023. By Shane Battams © 2023 |
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Amid the annals of Looney Tunes’ extensive history in gaming, Galactic Taz Ball might be one of their most obscure titles. Released with little promotion or fanfare – and only two critic reviews on Metacritic to boot – WayForward’s unique platformer didn’t just fall into obscurity: it launched in anonymity. That’s not a slight on the game’s quality of course, and the developer would release a slew of high-quality titles for the DS, many of which have garnered cult followings years later. Sadly, this proves to be a disappointing outing for the Californian developer, as while the concept and controls are certainly interesting, they also serve to limit the game, turning the experience into a slog.
Marvin the Martian, clearly tired of the same red landscape of his home, begins taking parts of Earth’s land to forge a more scenic locale. Unfortunately, he gets more than he bargained for when the abduction accidentally brings Taz along for the ride. Desperate to escape to find food, the game sees you navigating Taz across 25 levels in five settings while defeating Marvin and one of his robot contraptions at the end of each World. There’s little in the way of story here, outside of the opening setup and brief scenes before boss encounters. It’s all inoffensive, if very lightweight – about what you’d expect from a game aimed at kids.
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You'll need practice to get used to the unusual controls: there are plenty of obstacles to test the player
Despite sounding like a long-lost Space Jam spin-off, Galactic Taz Ball is actually a platformer fully reliant on touch controls. This might sound like a disaster, but it works quite well on initial inspection. An isometric puzzle platformer, moving Taz requires you to swipe the trackball-esque screen at the bottom. Spinning faster results in Taz starting his iconic tornado spin. The rest of the buttons see him performing a stomp, which is needed for defeating certain robots but can also bring Taz to a dead stop, when necessary. Special gates require you to navigate a blind Taz through a series of hazards from a side-scroller perspective, involving actions like shooting Taz out of a cannon or activating pads for him to cross. The motion definitely takes some getting used to, but it feels quite natural with time and seeing Taz run through enemies and objects is rather satisfying.
The problem is that this concept, while sound, limits the level design quite significantly. Players will notice, upon hitting the second world, that levels start to feel very similar albeit with a palette swap. New hazards specific to each world such as water, ice and crushing blocks try to spice things up, but it’s not enough. It grows wearisome long before you reach the end. The difficulty is also far too easy, thanks to a lack of penalty if you fall off the level. While taking enough damage from robots and hazards can result in a lost life, you’ll find yourself accruing lives very quickly. Later stages do start to cause a bit more frustration, with tricky navigation required that the touch controls struggle to keep up with, but it’s still a cakewalk. Even the bosses, which follow the three-hit Nintendo formula to a tee, can be passed through without much effort. You’ll find yourself tired of this one long before beating the finale.
The problem is that this concept, while sound, limits the level design quite significantly. Players will notice, upon hitting the second world, that levels start to feel very similar albeit with a palette swap. New hazards specific to each world such as water, ice and crushing blocks try to spice things up, but it’s not enough. It grows wearisome long before you reach the end. The difficulty is also far too easy, thanks to a lack of penalty if you fall off the level. While taking enough damage from robots and hazards can result in a lost life, you’ll find yourself accruing lives very quickly. Later stages do start to cause a bit more frustration, with tricky navigation required that the touch controls struggle to keep up with, but it’s still a cakewalk. Even the bosses, which follow the three-hit Nintendo formula to a tee, can be passed through without much effort. You’ll find yourself tired of this one long before beating the finale.
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There is a mild incentive to explore, as each level houses five golden kiwis stashed around both the main level and contraption sub-levels. Finding everything in a stage rewards unlockables such as concept art, but many are so easy to miss and force a level replay if you don’t collect them, they feel less enticing. The 25 levels will likely take a good 10 hours to polish off, and though that’s not short, some may struggle to reach the end, with tedium setting in fairly early on. There are three difficulties available, but even on the supposed “Challenging” setting, the game is easy.
Galactic Taz Ball is certainly a colourful game, and it runs nicely for the most part, but it’s also quite bland aesthetically. Static backgrounds look very unflattering, texture work is pretty low res and character models are pretty underwhelming, especially Taz himself who bores a strange, almost demented look compared to his cartoon form. The audio isn’t much better, with the soundtrack consisting of very similar-sounding, trumpet-led themes which border on obnoxious at points. Although, the farty-esque rendition of ‘Flight of the Valkyries’ which plays over the final boss is quite funny. Sound effects are harsh and Taz has only a handful of voice clips for taking damage, falling and speeding up, which quickly start to grate.
Galactic Taz Ball is certainly a colourful game, and it runs nicely for the most part, but it’s also quite bland aesthetically. Static backgrounds look very unflattering, texture work is pretty low res and character models are pretty underwhelming, especially Taz himself who bores a strange, almost demented look compared to his cartoon form. The audio isn’t much better, with the soundtrack consisting of very similar-sounding, trumpet-led themes which border on obnoxious at points. Although, the farty-esque rendition of ‘Flight of the Valkyries’ which plays over the final boss is quite funny. Sound effects are harsh and Taz has only a handful of voice clips for taking damage, falling and speeding up, which quickly start to grate.
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Marvin the Martian makes a welcome return to gaming as the antagonist
Sadly, Galactic Taz Ball proves one of the more middling Looney Tunes games, as well as one of the most obscure. The touchscreen controls work surprisingly well, but also are a detriment to the game’s design and levels, resulting in a series of stages that lack distinction outside of aesthetic changes. When you factor in an irritating presentation and a lack of challenge, it means only the dedicated Taz fans and younger players should give this one a look. With better DS platformers out there, it’s a difficult one to recommend.
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VERDICT
"Despite possessing decent touchscreen controls, Galactic Taz Ball suffers from limited design and a lack of challenge, meaning it quickly becomes a bore." OVERALL: 5/10 |
OTHER GAMES STARRING CARTOON CHARACTERS REVIEWED
Baby Felix Tennis (2002, PlayStation)
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Hello Kitty Kruisers (2014, Wii U)
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