Platform: Sega Genesis (Mega Drive)

Developer: HeadGames

Publisher: Sega

Release Date (NA): 1994

Genre: Platform, Action – Adventure

Nerd Rating: 3.5 out of 10

I was warned to stay away from Taz in Escape from Mars.  This game was $1 at a used book store in Raleigh, NC.  The cashier asked me if I was sure I wanted to buy it?  He told me it’s the worst game he ever played.  I’m sure he was exaggerating, but he ACTUALLY tried to keep me from buying the game, offering up such titles as Sonic the Hedgehog as an alternative.  I acknowledged his advice but I chose to purchase the game anyway (and I already the entire Genesis Sonic series).

There’s not much known about this game in my brain before I bought it except I think I enjoyed playing it at my neighbor’s house down the street (remember the Duvalle’s Cubist?).  Taz in Escape from Mars stars Taz the Tasmanian Devil from the Looney Tunes cartoons.  The purpose of the game is for Taz to escape Mars, where he has been brought against his will by Marvin the Martian with the purposes of using him as a feature exhibit in his Martian zoo.

And without further delay, I present to you: NOT the worst game ever, as such used bookstore employees would have you believe.  Taz Escape is a generic platforming game with little to offer more than some great color and a good feel for some Looney Tunes cartoon enjoyment.  Taz Escape provides the player with only the most generic functions and purposes.  Taz walks and spins his way around the stages killing enemies, eating food to replenish his health bar, and trying to find his way through these awfully confusing platform-mazes.

Taz Escape is nevertheless a solid platformer with some fairly decent graphics and enjoyable music.  I found myself having a decent time spinning all over the screen and bouncing off the walls with the spins.  A few times I found myself stuck, only to learn that I could press C + Down at the same time and I would drop instead of jump up.  Your spinning is your most powerful form of attack, yet it can also leave you at your most vulnerable.  One might think the best way to get around is to spin your way from start to finish breaking through walls and turning your foes into dust.  But this sort of mentality will most certainly get you killed.  The further into the game you get, the more you will discover that erring on the side of caution will keep you alive and help you win this game.

Taz must fight, jump, destroy, kill, and spin his way through 6 worlds.   The concept is different, as he is playing in “worlds” instead of “acts”, such as in the Sonic series.  But the idea is basically the same.  2 or 3 stages per world with a boss battle at the end of each stage (sound familiar?).  So in this sense, Taz Escape really brings nothing new to the table.  But that doesn’t help or hurt the game’s playability and structure any.  In fact, Taz Escape was truly a surprise of an experience for me, especially considering I only spent $1.  Now, had I dropped a $20 bill on this game, I am positive this review would be leaning more on the negative than the positive side.

I don’t really love Taz in Escape from Mars, nor do I hate it.  It just sort of trudges along from stage to stage with seemingly microscopic variances in stage layout (although in reality they are quite different), some new enemies and traps from time to time, and a sort of boorish feel that just makes me sleepy.   Rarely was I ever excited.

Taz in Escape from Mars is far from exciting, thrilling, or wild.  It is however a solid platform action game (as I’ve now said 3 times) with some very colorful and decent animation.  The sound and music are also pluses as they feel very appropriate for the purposes of a Looney Tune spin-off game.  One will find themselves only partially pleased, and playing through the entire game will begin to feel like a chore (trust me…).  This game might be HIGHLY enjoyable in a youth’s hands as it’s easy enough for a kid to get through, but challenging enough to merit some reward.  Overall, I think this game is okay and worth 1 to 4 dollars.  I honestly wouldn’t spend $5 on it though because I’d rather drop that 5 bucks at Subway on a footlong piece of bread with 1 ounce of black forest ham and 10 pounds of shredded lettuce.  Light mayo please, I’m watching my weight.

Nerd Rating: 3.5 out 10

Submitted by NerdBerry