Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports Review (Nintendo Switch)

Gotta love them Looney Tunes. The revered comedy cartoon series contains some of the most iconic characters in animation history like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. One thing that has defined Looney Tunes over the years is silliness and an insatiable fun-loving personality, keeping these nonchalant and frivolous anthropomorphic nutjobs in the limelight and in the minds of generations of kids for decades. Now, the Looney Tunes gang has decided to transmit its frolics and unique brand of mischief to the realm of sports video games, hence Wacky World of Sports. Can these loons conjure up a joyous jamboree of mixed sports, or is this sporting effort nothing but a certain Daffy Duck quote-DESPICABLE!?

Before commencing with this review proper, it must be acknowledged that Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports bears no connection to the 2009 Wii-only title Wacky World of Sports. The latter is a minigame collection, and the Looney Tunes game is about playing a range of sports alone or cooperatively, and of course features the celebrated Looney Tunes ensemble. Now onto the review!

The first question to ponder in Wacky World of Sports is what bundle of outdoorsy activities have the Looney Tunes invaded? Basketball, football (or soccer if you’re American), tennis and golf are the sports of choice for the innumerable and tongue-in-cheek antics of this posse of posturing pet putzes. Each sport can be played with a handful of bubbly Looney Tunes legends like Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny, Taz The Tasmanian Devil, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester the cat, Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, so there’s a faithful representation of the Looney Tunes if nothing else.

The look and feel of Looney Tunes is definitely captured in Wacky World of Sports, from the silky animations right through to each characters’ mannerisms. Bugs Bunny looks and behaves exactly as you’d expect him to from the show, with his unsuspecting grin, and Daffy Duck is still the lisp-squawking prankster duck you remember-though less of the pranks this time due to the context of the game he’s co-starring in. The iconic voices are all present and accounted for, though it would’ve been nice if there were some comical exchanges sprinkled throughout the experience and a proper single-player story that would’ve put these beloved characters’ personalities to good use.

Seeing as the Looney Tunes is a kids animated cartoon show, it’s not surprising to note the accessibility of the game is streamlined to cater to all ages and skill levels. The pick up and play pleasures of Wacky World at Sports is commendable as the simplistic controls allow players to get to grips with the events very easily.

Passing the football plays as well as any mainstream footie title, though the threat of your opponents snatching the ball from you is considerable if you’re too lackadaisical with possession. You can’t play as a goalie in football which is a peculiar omission, but otherwise you should have a blast.

Basketball is largely the same as football, though the tip-off at the start of the game requires three quick-time event button sequences which are too fast to easily register and can initially make b-ball frustrating. Taking accurate shots involves holding down a button and waiting for a meter to turn green, which will most-likely signal a successful ball-launch into the bucket.

Tennis  is wide open and you might find yourself befuddled at how easy it is to whack the ball in the other direction, though the hits lack oomph. Sticks of dynamite can reign down on the court, so be wary of those as you maneuver yourself on court, and there is a slow-motion mechanic that can help you target shots and keep an eye on the tennis ball during play.

Last but least is golf, which plays like other golf video games except you’ll need to put up with watching each player take their turn to smash the golf ball with their clubs-an especially patience grinding endeavor if you play against the A.I. The main problem with golf is that it lacks the physics or satisfaction of other sports title and seeing as you’re taking turns with shots, the togetherness aspect of the other events is lost, although golf is all about taking shot turns to see who can putt a ball into a hole first, but it’s the least-fitting game of the four.

On the subject of A.I., they can be unpredictable and they’re not the most reliable of allies or opponents to have. You’ll see why they’re called Looney Tunes when the A.I behaves erratically like they’d all rather be chasing each other with carrots than participate in competitive sports events. A.I competency or lack thereof shouldn’t diminish your enjoyment of what’s on offer here, but be mindful and weary of their antics.

Regrettably, Wacky World of Sports is too often bogged down by the stench of hollowness that pervades it. The character roster is too small and the events too few to garner much long-term interest, and it seriously needed some Taz-sized puffing up. Content is generally minuscule compared to alternative sports party games, and whereas some of those party games bring the balloons, cakes and presents, Wacky World of Sports brings a sorry-looking tray of cherry bakewell tarts.

The best option for single-player enthusiasts is the Challenge Mode, where each sport contains a list of challenges for you to complete that usually comes with time constraints. For example, in basketball you may need to snatch the ball a required number of times and win the game in order to pass and move onto the next challenge. Challenge Mode will keep single-player gamers occupied for a bit, though they’ll still pine for something more engrossing.

The Ultimate Cup is a spin-the-wheel type mode with all four sports involved, and it’s up to you and your team to come out victorious by mastering each sport and taking home the coveted trophy. This mode is best experienced with another player thanks to the aforementioned A.I bugbears, but it’s a welcome addition where you can participate on a range of cool courses including character-specific grounds such as Porky’s Barn, Fighorn’s Farm and Roadrunner’s Canyon. There’s even a stage that takes place on a pirate ship! Suffice to say there’s a cool and characterful range of stages here that brings an extra sparkle to the competitive nature of the four sports you engage with.

The emphasis on local co-operative play with up to four players provides some joyous buoyancy, especially for families, and along with the inviting accessibility optionsV and playful charms, there is something pleasant here if you can play with other people, but for everybody else who wants rich and involved single-player content, it simply cannot be found in Wacky World of Sports. The shovel ware-like quality of Whacky World of Sports means you’ll be  thirsty for more substance after a few hours and looking for a meatier alternative.

It’s such a pity because the voice and general presentation is on-point, and the air of mischief can be felt within the competitiveness of this meager sports title. The in-game powers and the anvils and boxes you can drop onto the heads of your adversaries, as well as neat-looking special moves shows there’s a modicum of wacky spirit desperate to explode outwards, but unfortunately Wacky World of Sports fails to capitalize on its clear cartoony and rollicking rambunctious potential, despite how hard it tries in various aspects to be a delightful treasure of a sports game.

Final Thoughts?

If all you’re looking for is wholesome family fun, Looney Tunes: Whacky World of Sports is a pleasant and well-meaning sports title. The voice acting, stages and dialogue are rife with that exquisite Looney Tunes flavour, and it’s definitely an ideal birthday or Christmas present for a child who likes games based on animated TV shows. It’s a shame however, that little Leviticus won’t be enthusiastic enough to play for more than a few hours unless he has eager family members to share this sadly hollow sports title with him. Four sports just isn’t enough for a mixed sports game, the character roster is too light to impress, and the lack of game modes to play will only make Wacky World of Sports a temporary pleasure, even though the Challenge Mode does provide a bit more entertainment for single-player fans. Wacky World of Sports does come recommended then, but it’ll soon give way to its more fully-featured competition, but while it stays fresh and fun you won’t regret devouring this slice of Looney Tunes entertainment.