Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, and the rest of the crew are back in an all-new game– Looney Tunes Wacky World of Sports. 

A copy of Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports was provided by the publisher.

Looney Tunes Wacky World Of Sports Review

I know I can’t be the only one who remembers the SNES games Tiny Toon Adventures: Wacky Sports Challenge and Looney Tunes B-Ball. Bamtang Games and GameMill Entertainment are looking to bring back all that fun with the new Looney Tunes: Wacky World Of Sports. Lace-up as one of the original Looney Tunes and play against the others in both solo and multiplayer tournaments. As a child of the 90s, I’m always happy to see these zany characters pop up in new places and this makes an ideal setting for them. Wacky World of Sports aims to make it feel like you’re inside the cartoons, capturing the colorful world, quirky behaviors, and overall feel of those classic Warner Bros shows.

The opening sequence, with its iconic sounds, sights, and characters sets the mood. This is going to be fun, even if it is not super challenging for those of us who game all the time. The characters are fully voiced with talent like Eric Bauza, Kath Souicie, and Fred Tatasciore reprising their roles. For each of the four sports offered, game rules are fairly straightforward with no “wackiness” that is until you get a power-up. They appear infrequently and include things like Acme anvils, TNT clusters, and bottomless voids. All of this blends together for a charming and silly good time. 

Gameplay

Players choose from various modes of play. I went with the Ultimate Tournament, which allows you to choose four characters that will serve as your avatars as well as your opponents. Those Looney Tunes teammates can be any combination of Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester, Taz, Wile E. Coyote, and the Road Runner. Once assembled, a wheel is spun to determine which game is first. The Wacky Sports include basketball, golf, soccer, and tennis. The ultimate tournament also randomizes the location of the games, with places like Porky’s Barn, Whispering Woods, and Foghorn’s Farm. It is the lengthiest mode, lasting between 20-30 minutes from start to finish, and gives players the chance to unlock new locations for future games with our silly friends. 

Sports Mode lets the player choose custom settings, including removing power-ups, and also allows you to play only one sport. Challenge Mode features 80 “quests,” lasting about a minute each, that reward you with things like special clubs, rackets, and soccer balls. Despite being very different sports, the controls are pretty much the same (and shown on the bottom of the screen in case you forget what to do). Difficulty can be adjusted from easy to hard, making this a suitable game for all skill levels. 

Aspects of each character’s personality are worked in no matter if they are celebrating a good shot or fuming that they missed the mark. Each character also has distinct attributes. Bugs is a great all around player (no surprise there), Road Runner is fast, and Taz is a destructive force. Not only are there easter eggs like rabbit season signs for Elmer Fudd but the crowds watching the games also include some familiar faces. Granny even joins you for soccer, although I’m not sure who would ask her to be goalie. However, in Looney Tunes world it makes perfect sense. She did have some moves in Space Jam.

Let’s talk about the sports themselves. I know this is going to come as a shock but golf is actually the best of the four in terms of controls. I know that never happens but I promise you Bamtang Games has figured it out. There are multiple camera angles, a power gauge that not only tells you the strength behind the shot but also how far it will go, and choice of clubs. There are obstacles and I don’t mean sand pits, I’m talking lasers courtesy of Mavin the Martian. Power ups let you add in ACME chaos to the match meaning you can make these 9 rounds of golf as cartoony (or serious) as you like. 

Tennis comes in second place with some pretty hilarious gags. Tweety will randomly fly out, holding a target. If you hit it then items will be thrown at your enemies. When you aren’t dropping things on the other side of the net, you can slice, lob, and charge up your serves and returns. Tennis has a special mode that lets players activate a slow-mo effect which is helpful when a ball seems too distant. Overall, golf and tennis end up being the better games because you are not dealing with teammates (although tennis does offer doubles). With soccer and basketball, the switching between players can become a hassle. 

Similar in gameplay, soccer and basketball I found to be more entertaining when playing in local co-op mode, it removed the frustration I felt when trying to get my teammate on defense. Despite the controls, they are both foul-free games so that means you are free to chuck ACME anvils at your opponents to your heart’s content. No matter what game you’re playing, the load times between screens can take a little longer than you might like and the introductions for each character do not change despite the sports being different. This game is geared towards younger players in terms of difficulty, gameplay, and simple control mappings. However, I would also add that they definitely had us Looney Tunes fans in mind because why else would they include the sheer screwy pandemonium happening on the screen? Without sounding super old, those youngins won’t appreciate all that!

For players who love using motion controls for other tennis games (it’s me) that is also an option here as well as for golf. Playing like this in Wacky World of Sports ups the difficulty level because you’re essentially just swinging wildly. It’s fun, unless you’re over 30 and then it might make you pull something in your shoulder! Just a warning! As with other sports games, Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports has a local co-op mode which allows up to four players in a single sport or in the Acme Ultimate Cup. So if you have ever wanted to throw a pie into your friend’s face (virtually), now is your chance. Note: online multiplayer is not an option. 

Verdict

Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports is full of throwback nostalgia and zany gameplay that makes players feel like they are inside a cartoon. Power ups, chaotic moves, and zany animation show off each character’s signature chaos. For fans of the shows and films, this feels like a fun hangout with old friends. For younger players, it’s exactly what its name suggests: a wacky sports game. Sure the load times are a bit sluggish, the AI can be rough, and the controls for soccer and basketball aren’t the greatest but that doesn’t make this game any less enjoyable. It’s an ACME product that won’t blow up in your face. Someone tell Wile E. Coyote.

Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch.