Animaniacs

The graphics aren't as good as the SNES version and the music lacks that sizzlin' SNES sound chip, but in the end it doesn't matter much. The gameplay is fine and the puzzle oriented stages don't really rely on those things anyway.

The humor and spirit of the Animaniacs lives on in this handheld game. Fans of the show will thrill to these 'maniacs.

If you're a fanimaniac, then this lineup of wackos is just as good as the cartoon show, but it's an acquired taste. Animaniacs will keep your sides hurtin', but not your thumbs.

Animaniacs has all the nuances of the cartoon, plus the sounds and looks to go with it. It combines action with puzzle-like features to create an innovatively styled game. However, while I like the three characters, switching between them is too clumsy and leads to dying easily. If you enjoy the show or maybe you just like puzzle games, you'll enjoy this one. All it needs is better control over all three characters.

In the end, Animaniacs is a solid game that does its license justice. It features some nice graphics, sound, and animation all while keeping the feel of the television show. Its team-based gameplay mechanic is an interesting innovation, and has no doubt influenced games on current consoles. Still, more could have been done to flesh the idea out. Animaniacs (the show), though definitely not loved by all, was brilliant in that it could be enjoyed by viewers of all ages. Thusly it's disappointing that Konami would craft a game targeting mainly younger gamers. A little more challenge and length would've gone a long way for this game. If you're looking for a title you can have a fun afternoon with, Animaniacs is a good fit, and can be found very cheap. It's definitely worth a look.

As cartoon-themed games go (and I sure seem to be reviewing a lot of them lately), Animaniacs for the Genesis is definitely flying at the safe level of okay. It doesn't reach the heights scaled by the recent crop of Mickey Mouse releases, but it doesn't crash to Earth in a ball of flaming wreckage like Bart's Nightmare. It's...alright. This is definitely one for the rental category. By the way, look for the sneaky Marshall McLuhan (author of the classic text on media, The Medium Is The Message) reference in the intro, 'cause it rocked our world here at the office.

While the characters are endearing, the gameplay isn't very substantial. Animaniacs becomes all too repetitive after only a short period of time. The Lost Vikings gameplay worked on the 16-bit systems, but not here.

All of the gameplay faults could be greatly improved if the speed was increased at least a little bit. Instead, what's left are very slow and grueling action sequences which only add to the frustration of everything else that's already sub-standard in this one. With a shot of adrenaline directly to the heart this might just make a good game, otherwise, don't expect too much from this version.