two more looney tunes entries

content/games/gameboy/alfred-chicken.md

@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 title: "Alfred Chicken"
 date: 2022-04-08
 score: 3
-cost: 13
 howlongtobeat_id: 337
 howlongtobeat_hrs: 3
 game_name: 'Alfred Chicken'

content/games/gameboy/looney-tunes.md

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+---
+title: "Looney Tunes: Variety in Tune Land"
+date: 2022-04-25
+score: 3
+howlongtobeat_id: 5368
+howlongtobeat_hrs: 1.5
+game_name: 'Looney Tunes'
+game_genre: '2D Platformer'
+game_release_year: 1992
+game_developer: 'Sunsoft'
+---
+
+The name of the game, _Looney Tunes_, might confuse people, since it's simply named after the popular cartoon show that began its highly successful renaissance in the late eighties. By the early nineties, there was no way to avoid _Looney Tunes_ merchandising---including the obligatory Game Boy carts. While some games, such as [Sylvester & Tweety](/games/gameboycolor/sylvester-tweety-breakfast-on-the-run), involve a specific character or two of the Looney Tunes cast, this game involves a more diverse set---albeit still a subset. 
+
+In _Looney Tunes_, you make your way though different stages as Daffy Duck, Tazmania, Speedy Gonzales, the Roadrunner, etc. What makes this game great is the sheer diversity of the _gameplay_---not only the spritework. The first stage starts innocent enough as a simple 2D platformer with wonky physics, but then the game throws a few surprises into the mix: a first-person run chase scene, a SCHMUP level that suddenly has you blasting planes out of the sky, and a destroy-and-collect-a-thon Taz scene. Coming from a 1992 [Game Boy](/platforms/gameboy) cartridge with only 1 memory bank (just `128 kB`), I did not see this coming!
+
+![](daffyduck.png "The first stage with Daffy Duck.")
+
+The sprite work is lovely too, and the game handles plenty of enemies on screen without problems. Each stage has several sub-bosses and a big boss that requires the obligatory (and multiple) head-pounce to defeat. At one point, Bugs Bunny and Daffy have Frisbee-like weapons that work wonders while jumping as they ricochet back towards the player. Every _Looney Tunes_ stage even comes with its own catchy tune---of course, "tune", get it? No? Silly jokes aside, this isn't a given for the majority of the licensed _Tunes_ games, to the point of obnoxiousness. 
+
+There isn't much else to tell, really. The game is, like most 1992 Game Boy games, very short, and has no save feature, nor a password system implemented. You'll have to make your way through in one sitting, just like the first [Super Mario Land](/games/gameboy/super-mario-land). Except that this game was released three years later. The music and the graphics have arguably improved over the original SML, but in terms of length, Sunsoft could have gone the extra mile. I guess manufacturing a cart with only one memory bank PCB optimizes sales, and in lieu of the big nineties _Looney Tunes_ merch machine, it makes sense. At least the game cart is still cheap now: about `€10` on average.
+
+![](tweety.png "Being chased by a black and white cat---again?")
+
+I want to rate it 4/5 but the sometimes frustrating difficulty that drove me into save-state-scumming past a few slippery portions (controlling the protagonist invites cursing the physics) combined with the fact that it's simply too short makes _Looney Tunes_ overall a great but forgettable experience. It simply can't match the other big boys also released in '92 such as Super Mario Land 2 and Kirby's Dream Land, even though those games were also short. I don't see myself visiting this game any time soon, although I did enjoy playing through it. 
+
+Still, it's better than the first [Super Mario Land](/games/gameboy/super-mario-land). And that does say something. 
+
+That's all folks! \*insert tune here\*.

content/games/gameboycolor/looney-tunes-racing.md

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+---
+title: "Looney Tunes Racing: Not So Daffy After All"
+date: 2022-04-25
+score: 1
+howlongtobeat_id: 5370
+howlongtobeat_hrs: 1.5
+game_name: 'Looney Tunes Racing'
+game_genre: 'Racing'
+game_release_year: 2000
+game_developer: 'Xantera'
+---
+
+Not every _Looney_ game is a _Tune_---that's what I learned from playing this 2D Mario Kart arcade racing clone on the [Game Boy Color](/games/gameboycolor). The fact that it nowaday costs less than `€5` should probably raise an alarm bell---if collectors aren't after it, it usually also means the gameplay isn't worth chasing after. Good lesson. In my defense: my wife bought this---precisely _because_ of the _Looney Tunes_ text on the box (or cart). They've still got it, but this ain't no [Sunsoft Looney Tunes](/games/gameboy/looney-tunes).
+
+![](tracks.png "Colorful tracks included. But what's the difference, really?")
+
+The problem is immediately apparent when deciding to go for the championship and starting in the second track: the music is exactly the same, and so is the track---at least, that is my impression. After racing nearly all tracks, I can safely say that the music does stay the same, but the tracks slightly differ: a turn to the right here, a slight slope there. Sure, the visuals are impressive for a Game Boy game---but it's a 2000 GBC game, and the GBA appeared just one year later, so it better well be. 
+
+Take a look at the above screenshots. I was first focusing on the top right corner: why are all tracks circle-shaped? But then it hit me: this isn't your _track tracker_! It's just an indicator of how far you're removed from the finish line. In Mario Kart, even on the Super Nintendo, you can follow where your adversaries are on the track and clearly see the track layout. Here, not so much. Not even on the road: the downhill slopes reduce visibility and make the background eat up even more real estate. Pretty backgrounds with parallax scrolling effects, but still: what's going on? 
+
+Your racer choice does not matter at all. Everyone acts and feels the same, and besides the car skin (a carrot, a rocket with _ACME_ on it, a barnyard tractor), you're left wondering what "everyone does". Well, nothing, really. Then there's chasing and passing contestants: the game apparently can only handle drawing one enemy at the time, which only stays there for about half a second. Good thing they put a number next to the progress indicator. The start line only shows you and another car: you always start last, and the others always can be passed about halfway and 3/4th through. 
+
+![](menus.png "Again, nice menu visuals. But that's about it. Looney Tunes Racing does - not - win.")
+
+Maybe I'm being a bit harsh on an 8-bit racing game with a camera right behind the cart, but if Mario Kart can do it, why can't this game that came years and years later? I'd personally change the camera to a top-down perspective: while racing, I was in desperate need of an overview, and all I could do was press `A` and slide along in the turns. That seemed to work every single time: on top of all other letdowns, _Looney Tunes Racing_ is also way too easy. 
+
+And please, stop making games with only one single (and bad) soundtrack! For the year 2000 and a GBC game, that's simply unacceptable. 
+
+A curiosity for the _Looney Tunes_ fan that others best leave in the second hand discount bins. If you insist on a colorful _Looney Tunes_ fix, go for [Sylvester & Tweety: Breakfast on the Run](/games/gameboycolor/sylvester-tweety-breakfast-on-the-run) instead.

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