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Thread: Animaniacs for SNES - If Like the Genesis Port?

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    Cherry (Level 1)
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    Default Animaniacs for SNES - If Like the Genesis Port?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDhMitMfkoE

    Here's a comparison of Animaniacs for both Genesis and SNES.

    But what I want to ask you is this: how different would you have felt about the SNES port if it had been exactly the same as the Genesis (and Game Boy Color) port, rather than being different from it? Would the SNES port, if it had been a straight port of the Genesis one, still have utilized certain classic Konami SNES sound effects, like the orchestra hit?

    ~Ben

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    celerystalker is a poindexter celerystalker's Avatar
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    I'm generally someone who looks for the good in games, but Animaniacs sucks. Honestly, I think the cartoon has aged extremely poorly as well, being laden with pop culture references and catchphrases, but the games blow. It's surprising, given how well Konami handled just about every other license, but aside from some nice graphics, the games are a blemish on a has-been property. Narf.

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    As Superplay magazine quoted during its review for the SNES game, "it's Animainy, rank and stainy, Animaniacs!"

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    ServBot (Level 11) Edmond Dantes's Avatar
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    I'm actually kind of shocked to see this negativity towards SNES Animaniacs (I've never played the Genesis one, though I do own it). Speaking as someone who hates the cartoon with a divine passion, the game actually felt pretty fun to me and I haven't seen any major flaws with it, outside of just how obscurely some of the script pieces can be hidden and how the final boss utilizes a new mechanic that the game doesn't tell you about that is absolutely essential to winning.

    (I'm speaking of how you can walk off one edge of the screen to teleport to the opposite side. I think I see what the devs were going for, but I remember being frustrated with that battle until I discovered completely by accident that you can do that)

    But these are all very minimal design issues and did nothing to hurt the game for me.

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    celerystalker is a poindexter celerystalker's Avatar
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    What I really dislike about it is a combination of a few factors:

    1. Animaniacs is a garbage license.

    2. The mix of platforming with belt-scrolling stages and having to switch between three minimally different characters with two trailing behind feels sloppy, and creates a slower, stop/start feel that keeps the game from getting going.

    3. The combat where you basically have to dash through enemies is awkward, and only slows things down more.

    Basically, it just feels like a terribly slow slog with very little satisfaction to be had by a clever fight, quality platforming, or meaningful exploration. It looks excellent and sounds just fine, but when it's time to play, it's just wholly dissatisfying to me. The Genesis game does slightly better by removing the belt scrolling, but it tries to incorporate too many rudimentary "puzzles" that slow it down as well. Comparing them to the brisk, tighter Tiny Toons games really shows how sluggish and lacking they are, even targeted at the same audience.

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    ServBot (Level 11) Edmond Dantes's Avatar
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    Admittedly, I think Point #1 there may be the most pertinent one. Though I didn't have much problems with the game myself, there were aspects of it (the limited combat you mentioned being one example) where I felt they were actually hamstrung by the license. Tiny Toons inherently gives game designers more to work with--at the very least it makes sense that Buster can jump on heads, Mario-style. With the Warner siblings, having almost any attack at all is basically out of character for them as they're more known for twisting situations to their advantage rather than clobbering people.

    I also I always found one thing funny: The game's plot has you actually being tasked by the studio CEO to recover the script, yet Ralph the Security Guard is still trying to capture you. The manual actually has him exclaiming that he doesn't care WHAT the CEO says and thinks the Warners are just that dangerous--an OOC moment if ever there was one, but then again, they needed an obstacle of some sort. Just more hamstrung by the license.

    It's inarguable that the Tiny Toon games were better. Actually, I even find the cartoon better these days.

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    If they just had to do the belt scrolling, good combat is what keeps that style of game moving. I don't think it'd be too out of character to have Wakko pull something like a mallet or a tuna out of his Felix-inspired bag of tricks and smash away, or Yakko and Dot use other comical weapons, or have Dot twirl and dance like a ballerina, almost unaware that she's hurting enemies in the process.

    Shoot, incorporate a bomb attack where Slappy shows up and wrecks the place... better yet, scrap the Warners and just make it an over the top, ultra-violent Slappy the Squirrel game.

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    as Slappy the Squirrel was always the best thing about Animaniacs, I give that idea an enthusiastic thumbs up.

    Now I kinda feel bad that Konami apparantly thought they had to focus on the Warners (like how Tiny Toons apparently HAD to be about Buster Bunny, but at least Buster was likable).

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