Gameplay
The story behind Bugs Bunny & Taz Time Busters is a pretty simple one and is one that really fits well with the entire Looney Tunes universe. Daffy Duck accidentally breaks Granny's time regulator and is thrown back into time with the core of the machine, which is a precious gem. And, of course, it's up to Bugs Bunny to retrieve this gem and restore the time order. But, instead of just going on the adventure all by his lonesome again, in this quest he has Taz, the Tasmanian Devil at his side.
It is this, the addition of Taz, that really brings an extra sort of appeal to the game. Unlike most other multi-character platformers where you're either stuck with specific characters for different levels or the skills of the different characters aren't really different enough, Bugs Bunny and Taz both have very unique and special skills that make them vital in the adventure and either one of them can be used at all times during the game. What's more, there are even some special cases where the player will be required to use both characters at the same time, such as having Bugs jump on Taz's head to get to some high up place, in order to get to certain items and solve some puzzles.
There are more than 30 different levels in the game that include four different time periods to explore -- The Aztec Era, The Viking Era, The Arabian Nights and Transylvania. Each of the levels basically has the same goal, but they do have a nice variety in the way that they have been designed. What really helps in this case is that the Looney Tunes licensed has been used to the fullest and players will encounter many classic adversaries like Yosemite Sam, Elmer Fudd, Babba Chop and Count Bloodcount during their quest.
As far as the title's playability is concerned, the control of the characters are pretty tight and each of them have plenty of different abilities and special moves that need to be learned. The only problem that some players might have is that there might be too many moves, in fact, and it can be difficult at times to remember exactly how to do every one of them. But, that's only a minor gripe and most players will have no problem remembering all of the moves once they get into the deeper levels of the game.
Graphics
Visually speaking, the game has a nice general look and feel and the game's 3D engine is pretty solid. Bugs Bunny, Taz, and all of the other Looney Tunes characters are all modeled well and look like their animated counterparts. The game's backgrounds have a solid design and are typically filled with lots of smooth and very colorful textures bringing out a very cartoonish atmosphere.
The only real problem is that the camera that follows Bugs or Taz could use some work as it can be very jerky at times and the auto camera doesn't really adjust well during the game. Players are constantly forced to manually adjust the camera and that's not really any fun.
Sound
Infogrames definitely used the Looney Tunes license to the fullest, and this can be seen the most in the game's audio. All of the game's major protagonists have speech and the dialogue is simply classic Looney Tunes fare. It's funny and really helps add a lot of appeal to the game.
Verdict
Even though the first Bugs Bunny game received favorable reviews from most of the gaming press, I was surprised to find out that I enjoyed playing Bugs Bunny & Taz Time Busters as much as I did. The developers made excellent use of the license and did a splendid job in incorporating the two different characters in the game. Time Busters is a very enjoyable platform game and is definitely something that Looney Tunes fans should pick up.
