A
decade earlier, this never would’ve happened.
I’m not talking about the game—there were tons of games like this in the eighties.
I’m talking about Tiny Toons.
See, animation had been in decline for a long time...but if its Golden Age ended in the
1960s, the 1980s ushered in its dark age.
The cartoon had become a marketing tool, and the creative process was in the hands not
of cartoonists, but of businessmen.
Of course, out of nowhere, that all changed in the 1990s.
Channels like Nickelodeon were crazy enough to try this wacky concept called “letting
cartoonists make cartoons.”
This led to some of the best animated programming in decades...actual cartoons from actual artists
who revered old-school animation.
Case in point, Tiny Toons.
The show was so successful, it led to a bunch of toys and games, which was a huge shift
from the 1980s.
This was toys based on cartoons...not the other way around.
And this particular Tiny Toons game is actually quite interesting.
Buster’s Hidden Treasure was the first Tiny Toons game released for a SEGA console, and
while the previous ones kind of followed a similar formula...this one broke away a bit.
In fact, Konami employed some smart design here by creating a Tiny Toons game that specifically
caters to the SEGA fan base.
So unlike the two NES releases, Buster’s Hidden Treasure is essentially Buster The
Hedgehog.
That is to say...this is extremely Sonic.
Buster builds momentum, he runs fast, he uses ramps to go flying through the air...he’s
even blue, for god’s sake.
Actually, that one’s more of a coincidence.
I love the concept of a different Tiny Toons for an audience that has different tastes
in platforming.
But there are a few problems that keep this game from being as good as its predecessors...specifically,
its mechanics and the fact that, sometimes, Buster’s Hidden Treasure seems to forget
that it’s supposed to go fast.
See, if you’re going to go Sonic, a big part of that is having levels that allow it.
The levels in a game like this should be different from a Mario game, for example, which is a
slower and more deliberate game.
But these levels try to mix the two approaches, which doesn’t work very well.
A fast character, Sonic or Buster, is just ill-equipped for precise platforming, which
Tiny Toons at times requires.
Plus, Buster is way too heavy.
Must’ve eaten, like, a million carrots.
Fortunately, though, there is a lot to like about the game, as well.
The fact that it’s just different is a good thing, but it also looks pretty good.
And the game is huge, with more than 30 levels across plenty of different worlds.
But again...the level design hurts the Sonic feel, and the mechanics make platforming harder
than it should be.
If you’re a Genesis fan who wants in on some Tiny Toons nostalgia, Buster’s Hidden
Treasure isn’t quite an anvil to the head...but it’s not exactly a trip through Wackyland,
either.
Huge thanks to our friend Andrew from Philadelphia for sending this in...and giving me the chance
to talk about cartoons.
It’s Buster’s Hidden Treasure for the SEGA Genesis.