[Playing…] Tiny Toons Wild and Wacky Sports

I have always found the Olympic games very interesting (partly thanks to the magnificent Track and Field from Konami). Furthermore, they are usually very fun if we play them with friends, turning the rivalry into something closer and more enjoyable than when you play against the console.

Many Olympic games are based on real events and competitions, but there are also some games that invent competitions with non-existent and crazy tests, such as Tiny Toons Wild and Wacky Sports (known in the USA as Tiny Toons Wacky Sports Challenge) from Super Nintendo.

The Tiny Toons had many sports competition games, but without a doubt my favorite is this one, in which four of the characters (Buster Bunny, Babs Bunny, Plucky Duck and Dizzy Devil) compete in crazy tests organized by Montana Max, who will give the winner 1 million dollars. It is no coincidence that we are allowed to choose between 4 characters, since this game is compatible with multitap, so we can play up to 4 players, which improves the experience tremendously.

Once we start the game, tests will appear where We will be required a minimum score to continue. If we get it, we will be able to finish the game without even having seen most of the existing tests. Based on Passwords, the game will let us participate in the Olympics with increasing difficulty and with new tests, until we reach the maximum difficulty level, where we can finally see the end of the game if we win.

The difficulty of the game increases quickly and we will not be able to let our guard down for a moment in most tests. Fortunately, after each event, a series of bonus points are distributed that can save us from losing, in case we have not done our best or have been unlucky. Curiously, many of these bonuses are given for doing things that should not be done (such as, for example, in the discus throw, throwing it into the stands and causing chaos) so that even when we do it badly, we can scratch a few points that may help us pass that test that we are not so good at.

In this game there are 13 different tests (although some of them have variants, which increases the number somewhat more) that I will comment on below.

Ice Cream Throw: Our character will have to throw ice creams to try to hit the maximum number of targets (with Montana Max's face) before his competitors. If you hit several consecutive targets, the points you earn will increase, until you miss or hit a target with an X symbol. If you hit the Elmyra target you will also get extra points.

Chicken Dash: This test consists of gaining speed by pressing an elastic band and then stopping before falling off the cliff. To gain speed we will have to press the buttons to load the power marker, to start running and brake, just press any direction of the crosshead. The further we go, the more stars we will find (and that will increase our score) but if we don't stop in time we will fall off the cliff and lose all the points.

Weightlifting: weightlifting competition. We will have to fill the power marker and try to press the crosshair when its ball is as close as possible to the arrow. If we do not do it successfully enough, we can keep trying, but keep in mind that if your rivals lift the weight before you, you will not advance to the round. In the more advanced levels of difficulty, we will have the inconvenience of a small mouse, which will move and sneeze next to the participants, temporarily interrupting their participation.

Saucer Throw: First we will have to hit the buttons to fill the power marker, then we will have to press any direction of the crossbar trying to center the ball that is spinning on the marker. Once this is done, we will have to choose the angle by pressing the crosshead until we consider it appropriate. The idea is for the puck to go as far as possible, but depending on where we have centered the ball and the angle we have achieved, many disastrous things can happen, such as hitting the nets on our sides, throwing the puck into the stands, breaking the television screen, hitting a UFO that flies by... etc.

Obstacle Course: This test has 4 variants, in each of them we will have to move our character through a crazy race by pressing the run button so that the scroll does not catch us and the jump button to avoid dangers. The idea is to get the maximum number of objects scattered around the stage (food, diamonds...) and avoid the maximum number of dangers (including Elmyra and Montana Max).

Birdman Contest: This test is divided into two parts. The first where our character is flying trying to get the maximum number of colored balloons, and the second where we have to try to land on top of Montana Max's house in true style. Pilotwings.

Freestyle Skiing: The characters have to try to get the maximum number of flags while going down the ski slope trying to avoid dangers and colliding with their companions or elements of the stage.

Pole Vault: First we will have to press the buttons to reach speed and after sticking the pole into the mark on the ground, press the crosshead to calculate the angle, which will help us reach higher and get more stars that will increase our score. If we nail the pole incorrectly, miss the angle or fall off the mat we will lose all the points, so you have to be careful.

Bungee Jump: Nuestro personaje se lanzará haciendo puenting hacia un mapeado lleno de simbolos. Con izquierda y derecha giraremos al personaje y con arriba lo haremos avanzar. La idea es conseguir el máximo número de puntos a través de los iconos que nos dan 10 y 30, alargar nuestra estancia abajo gracias a los simbolos EXTEND, aumentar nuestra velocidad con los de SPEED y evitar los que tienen la cara de Montana Max, Elmyra o una cruz. También existen símbolos sorpresa que tienen un efecto aleatorio.

Log Cutting: Llena el marcador de potencia y presiona la cruceta para cortar el máximo número de troncos posible. A más fuerza, más troncos cortaremos, si le damos con poca fuerza perderemos unos valiosos segundos.

Swimming: En esta prueba tenemos que tratar de conseguir el máximo número de objetos mientras controlamos el nivel de oxígeno (que se puede subir tocando burbujas o subiendo a la superficie). Además de los inevitables choques con nuestros rivales, hay que tener cuidado con los tiburones (que nos quitarán puntos) y las fuertes olas (que nos arrastraran hacia atrás).

Hammer Bash: Tras golpear lo más fuerte posible con el martillo, nuestro cohete saldrá volando hacia el espacio. En ese momento tendremos que ir apretando los botones para que nuestro cohete no explote y al mismo tiempo trataremos de evitar a las decenas de obstáculos que nos encontraremos por el cielo para llegar lo más alto posible.

Marathon: A esta prueba solo se puede acceder usando el password que te permite acceder a todas las pruebas. Es tremendamente sencilla, pues solo hay que seleccionar la distancia a correr y apretar botones sin descanso, de manera que solo se disfruta realmente si la hacemos con amigos, debido a la risa que puede provocar el aporreo de botones durante un tiempo concreto viendo como todos buscan aguantar más que tu.

En general, Tiny Toons Wild and Wacky Sports es un juego muy divertido, con gráficos llamativos, músicas pegadizas (la de Bungee Jump lleva dentro de mi cabeza más de dos décadas) y que tiene un buen equilibrio entre desafío y diversión. Porque completar el juego para ver el final, no es nada fácil, pero incluso cuando pierdes dan ganas de seguir jugando. Obviamente, la diversión se multiplica si contáis con varios amigos para competir y chincharos mutuamente.