Top 5 Looney Tunes Games

It often occurs to me that some movie franchises or series are perfect for video game adaptation. In my opinion, one such is the Looney Tunes franchise. The silly nature of these animated films is ideal for video games. I watched Space Jam: A New Legacy again two days ago, and I believe now is the perfect time to pick five of my favorite Looney Tunes games.

Without further ado, here are my favorites:

Looney Tunes: Back in Action was not a particularly good film because it focused on the cast but a much more interesting cast of animated characters. The game made after the film may not be a masterpiece, but it stayed in my good memory because the antics of the Looney Tunes characters are the main thing here. In this platformer title, you could play as a Daffy Duck or Bugs Bunny, trying to stop the main villain in an attempt to turn all humans into monkeys. 

The gameplay came down to the classic collection formula already familiar to those who play 3D platformers, but it was all spiced up with Looney Tune's charm. In each area of the game, you had to tackle challenges that most often had some sympathetic connection to the world of Looney Tunes.

At one point, you have to change all the signs in the woods so that they say Fudd Season, which will help you stop the evil hunter Elmer Fudd. This game didn't get the best reviews, but I think it evoked the craziness for which cartoons are famous.

4. Sheep, Dog ‘n’ Wolf

This game was specific in that it focused on one Looney Tune dynamic that is perhaps not best known to a wider audience - the one between Sam Sheepdog and Wolf Ralph. Ralph is a character who is practically identical to Wile E. Coyote, but instead of Road Runner, he wants to catch sheep. The dog itself is a guard dog who manages to defeat the coyote every time and protect the herd in the cartoons. So Sheep, Dog ‘n’ Wolf puts us in the role of Ralph, who has to steal sheep on different levels without Sam noticing.

The game may look like a regular platformer at first, but there was a lot of brainstorming and use of stealth mechanics here. Ralph could sneak on his toes and hide in the bushes, and things would become more and more dangerous for him the closer he got to the guard dog.

You spent a lot of time in this game solving various puzzles, ie finding ideal ways to steal sheep, with the help of various ACME devices that you could recognize from cartoons. In short, this game successfully put you in Ralph's paws, and you had a feeling that this time the plans of the unfortunate wolf would finally work.

3. Bugs Bunny and Taz: Time Busters

Bugs Bunny and Taz: Time Busters is an indirect sequel to another Looney Tunes game called Bugs Bunny: Lost in Time. The story this time goes something different - the Daffy Duck broke Grandma’s time machine, and in the process, the gems that power the machine got lost in different periods. Grandma decides to hire Bugs Bunny and her pet Taz to find the already mentioned jewels. Bugs Bunny and Taz: Time Busters is, at first glance, quite similar to Lost in Time, but the main innovation was the addition of a new playful character in the form of a Tasmanian devil.

While Bugs Bunny could sneak or hover with his ears, Taz could lift heavy objects or destroy obstacles with aggressive twisting. You could have switched between these two characters in case you were playing alone, but nothing stopped you from playing this with a friend in co-op mode.

Puzzle aspects were in great focus in this game, and you solved most of the puzzles by combining the specific powers of both characters. Bugs Bunny and Taz: Time Busters may have been less platform-oriented than its predecessor, but the addition of a new playful character and creative puzzles made this game a lot of fun.

2. Looney Tunes Racing

When I consider the ideal genres for Looney Tunes, kart racer would be at the top of my list. Fortunately, in 2000 we got Looney Tunes Racing, which was practically Mario Kart combined with the world of these cartoon characters. In the game, you had a wide range of drivers at your disposal, and each of them had a specific map. Bugs Bunny had a carrot-shaped vehicle, Daffy Duck drove a kart in the shape of his beak, and Taz's vehicle had teeth drawn on it that perfectly evoked his aggressive character.

We also had a bunch of iconic Looney Tunes charm here. The characters would constantly insult each other as they competed in the races, and the tracks were based on some of the franchise’s most famous cartoons.

You had the woods where hunter Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny fought many battles, the lab where the red monster Gossamer was created, and the city where the futuristic alter ego Duffy Duck lives. This kart racing game also had one interesting innovation when it comes to collecting weapons to use on the tracks.

In other similar games, you would get a random item when you break a box, for example, but here you get more and more powerful weapons by collecting coins. With one coin you could throw a pie, while with five you could throw an anvil at other players. Looney Tunes Racing may not have been at the level of greats like Crash Team Racing or Mario Karta, but it still offered a quality kart racing adventure in the world of Looney Tunes.

1. Bugs Bunny: Lost in Time

There are a lot of Looney Tunes games I’ve played, but Bugs Bunny: Lost in Time is still my favorite among them. In this 3D platformer, Bugs Bunny accidentally activates a time machine in a warehouse and, as a result, gets lost in time. To go back in time, he has to collect watches and golden carrots at different ages. I think this game is my favorite because it ideally adapted Bunny's most famous animated adventures.

Each level had references to the history of the crazy rabbit, and some of them were quite obscure and showed that the developers cared about the original material. In the pirate world, we fought Yosemite Sam and saw plenty of reminders of the Rabbitson Crusoe cartoon, while larger Looney Tunes fans were able to recognize Rocky and Mugsy mobsters in the third world of the game. Cutscene had those classic Looney Tunes tricks, and some of the introductory spikes from the cartoon were used while loading for this game.

The developers combined this rich animated history with interesting mechanics, which resulted in a 3D platformer that may not have been of the highest quality, but had some charm of its own. Players had to use their skills to pass classically designed platformer levels like the Stone Age canyon, but sometimes developers peppered things with street rides or ice skating. All in all, I wouldn’t say Bugs Bunny: Lost in Time is a fantastic game. However, I would very much like to see some remaster.

Not everyone will probably agree with our list, but that’s why there are comments. Write us which are your favorite Looney Tunes games and why.