Helloooo Nurse!

I am writing this review as I and my three sons watch the Animaniacs on the WB. What got me so interested in the animated misadventures of Yakko, Wakko and Dot (I mean besides the opportunity to catch another glimpse of Hello Nurse)? Animaniacs--A Gigantic Adventure by SouthPeak Interactive.

In the past ten years, there have been innumerable attempts to capture the console magic of side-scrolling platform games on the computer. Jazzy Jackrabbit and Claw are but a few that have tried ... and failed. Sega and Nintendo have ported over their best-selling mascots--Sonic and Mario--does anyone actually own the computer versions of these games? Gex, Bubsy, Glover--the list is almost endless. I wish now to state for the record that Animaniacs--A Gigantic Adventure is without a doubt the best side-scrolling platform game created exclusively for the PC that I have played (and I have tried them all!). If this game were to be ported to the Playstation or Nintendo 64, it could easily, even though it does not have the maniacal self-contained franticness of a Crash Bandicoot, match the best that these companies have to offer. But who the heck are these Animaniacs and exactly what makes this game so much fun to play?

For those who fondly remember the controlled, calculating mayhem of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and their cohorts, well, forget it; the Animaniacs are all of these characters combined--on a sugar high. The animation and joking references to popular foibles are a throwback to the glory days of big studio cartoon extravaganzas from the 1930s and '40s, but this is the lunacy of a new generation. These are colorful, spastic characters desperately in need of a sedative for their nerves and our sanity. Their arch-nemesis, Thaddeus J. Plotz (and his henchmen), has undertaken a nefarious plot to destroy all of the old Animaniacs films, movie posters and awards. It is up to the Animaniacs to save these treasures from destruction as they explore the set of the fictional big-budget flick "Gigantic" (get it?) and then weave a path of confusion through various Warner Brothers back lot productions. As with any side-scroller worth its salt, points can be earned by accumulating theme-related objects that are usually just tantalizingly out of reach. Boxes of popcorn, film canisters and awards that suspiciously resemble Oscar are just a few of the goodies to be collected. Special powers can be obtained by finding hearts, cakes, sundaes and atomic balls. And, of course, there are the inevitable level bosses that must be defeated in order to advance. Before we go any further, though, let's make one fact clear, the only adventure in Animaniacs is in the title. This game is 100% side-scrolling ribaldry.

All of this craziness occurs over eleven levels of 3D environments that run the gamut from the different ship levels to movie sets based on such famous films as "Jurassic Pickings," "Invasion Earth" and "Frank's Stein." Hidden rooms and warp levels add to the replay value, as does the ability to play at the three difficulty levels of easy (my level), medium and hard. The game supports the keyboard, joystick or gamepad and the reaction time from a peripheral is instantaneous, the best of any PC game I have played. The one feature that will really make Animaniacs stand apart from its console counterparts will be the ability to compete against other players on the Internet's MSN Gaming Zone. Though I was not able to test this function of the game, SouthPeak promises that two to four players will be able to compete against each other over the modem in a race against the clock.

The animation and sound effects could have been lifted directly from the television show. Colorful, bright, full of vim and vigor--apply all of the usual adjectives. It is, though, the vibrancy of the graphics intermeshed with the quick but thoughtful gameplay that brings the game to life. Animaniacs soon becomes that addictive "one more try before I go to bed" type of game. It was almost embarrassing to have my children come into the room and ask if they could have a turn (remember I said "almost").

SouthPeak has published some extremely fine children's titles in the past year--Pinky and the Brain and the Looney Tunes collections and now Animaniacs--and is poised to be the computer equivalent of Sony or Sega. More importantly, though, the madcap mayhem of these titles also appeals to adults and parents wanting to enjoy a game with their children. If SouthPeak can continue to manufacture side-scrollers of the high quality of Animaniacs, then maybe the computer market may finally be able to cut into the highly desirable console market. At a retail price of $24.99, the consoles will be hard-pressed to keep pace.

Final grade for Animaniacs--A Gigantic Adventure--A.

System Requirements:

Pentium 166
Windows 95/98
32 MB RAM
Quad speed CD-ROM
Windows compatible sound card
Mouse, gamepad, joystick or keyboard
DirectX 6.0 (included)