Hare-Brained Team - Episode 1: What's Up, Tláloc?
0Originally recorded: January 18, 2024
---
Welp, we're about halfway into January 2024 and you know what that means. It's time for another slate of livestreams. But as opposed to the usual format, this year I'll be doing something a little different. Back in 2017, I underwent the "JRPGauntlet" -- each member of my friend group was allowed to pick a JRPG for me to play, which ate up most of that year. I've always wanted to revisit the concept, but sadly, when it comes to that genre, my dance card for the foreseeable future is a little packed.
With that in mind, I'd like to welcome you to Platformerama, where I'll be playing through a batch of platformers of various styles and ages, as nominated by my cabal of imaginary friends -- as well as one picked by yours truly. I started off this year by spinning the wheel to determine the first game, which was none other than Bugs Bunny & Taz: Time Busters for the original PlayStation. From there, the person who nominated the game will pick the next one... and so on and so forth, until we get through the entire batch. If my game gets picked, then I'll just have to spin my choice. After all, since I'm the only one who knows who picked what, I've got the opportunity to play favorites.
My first impression of Time Busters isn't the best. It's not a terrible game, but it's basically a case of -- as the youths would say -- "we have Banjo-Kazooie at home". Dari sees more similarities to Spyro, which makes sense because I've always felt like that series was meant to be the PS1's answer to the N64's literal avalanche of collect-a-thon 3D platformers. It's also got the usual stench of wonky perspective that has always made that particular sub-genre a chore for me back in fifth-gen.
That being said, I don't *truly* hate it... yet. I'm going to try to go for a 100% run in this game, since there's apparently a true ending in this one. Seriously, I'm shocked that Infogrames put as much effort as they did into a licensed Looney Tunes game that came out on the PS1 in 2000. Well, either way, this is just a tentative plan: it'll all depend on just how bad things get.