Taz Wanted Preview

Oh, you Devil!

Yosemite Sam has cooked up a new scheme, only one individual stands between him and his goal. To say the hero is a little “unstable” is an understatement.

Taz: Wanted is a multi-platform (Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation2 and PC) release from Infogrames slated for a mid-September release.

GameZone had the opportunity to preview the Xbox version, and not only does this game capture the essence of the Tasmanian Devil’s character, but renders the entire adventure in a delightful manner.

The game begins with Taz locked up in a zoo. Yosemite Sam has kidnapped his girlfriend, and posted wanted posters of Taz all over the zoo. Should Taz escape from his cage, there are zookeepers stalking the grounds, waiting to put him away.

The first order of business is to destroy the wanted posters. They are scattered throughout the multiple theme areas of the zoo. And, in addition to the zookeepers, there are other traps that will knock Taz off course. There are boxes with boxing gloves in them that will target Taz if he comes in range; there are music boxes which will distract Taz and have him dancing; there are cannons, sharks, and other zoo creatures all looking to interrupt the feisty hero’s quest.

Other game features include 15 levels; the ability to whirl, sneak, burp and bounce; power-ups which Taz can swallow, then expel the power of in a sound-shattering belch; ACME phone booths, which offer a variety of ‘disguises;’ and an arcade scoring system.

The game is fast-paced, with interactive environments that Taz can destroy, or use to his advantage.

The game also features Cel Shading, which delivers the lush look of a Looney Tunes cartoon wonderfully. The game has an intentional flat look to it, with color shades giving the perception of depth. If ever a game takes full advantage of Cel Shading, this is it.

When it comes to the actual animation, the designers have gone to great lengths to render not only the trademark moves of the principle characters, but to breathe life into the supporting cast. The sound elements are equally delightful, with cameos by popular cartoon characters and the full tongue-in-cheek dialogue (full of double entrendes) that are associated with the cartoons. Taz will even look at and “communicate” with the game player.

The controls are well designed, and the learning curve should be relatively short. The camera is fully rotatable, which affords an amazing 360-degree look at this world.

Taz: Wanted is the kind of game that will entreat young and old. It is so reminiscent of the cartoon series that older players, who grew up watching them, will be transported back to a state of childlike wonder, while younger players will be introduced to the enthusiastic joy associated with Looney Tunes.

This should be a wonderful, well-received program.