Taz in Escape from Mars for Genesis

Image: MobyGames

Taz in Escape from Mars

Let's play spin the devil

Genre: action - platform

Publisher: Sega

Year: 1994

System: Genesis

Gameplay Score: 3

Gameplay Notes:

Decent controls, although they're only a step above similar licensed games. Fairly stiff movement, with one notable exception: the spin. Gimmick is the abiliyt to spin. This sends you hurtling across the screen at breakneck speed and doubles as your primary means of attack. Hitting an enemy, wall, or item kicks you back and destroys whatever you hit. This is a fun mechanic and is really the only draw. However, it's a pretty out-of-control mechanic so you have to learn to control it by using it in short, controlled bursts. Health pickups abound, as do items that if eaten will cause damage. Occassionally you come across items that, if eaten, give you limited ammo for a secondary weapon, like flame breath or a projectile. These seem redundant as they are almost never better than you spin attack. Poor hit detection, but not egregious.

Level Design Score: 3

Level Design Notes:

Extremely confusing mazes with warp points spread across the level. I found myself going in circles without any clear objective. Spinning allows for some fun movement options, like climbing a narrow shaft by rapidly bouncing between the two sides. You can even spin up sloped surfaces to allow platforming along walls and ceilings, like that level in Battletoads. I looked it up, the level is called Clinger Winger. Anyway, the levels would be great if not for inability to navigate them without a map.

Theme Score: 4

Theme Notes:

Really nice presentation, especially compared to other Looney Tunes games. Taz is fun so it makes sense for him to be bussing around destroying stuff.

Art Style Score: 4

Art Style Notes:

Again, really well done. Sprites and animation are top notch, although the backgrounds are just a boring black sky. Enemies just disappear in a puff of smoke and get reused an awful lot. After a while the world looks extremely samey.

Audio Score: 2

Audio Notes:

Terrible music. It's played with a xylophone and a kazoo. The noises that Taz makes are great, but that soundtrack is awful.

Overall Score: 61

Review ID: 1305