Sylvester and Tweety in Cagey Capers

Bringing cartoon characters to video games seems like the de rigueur thing to do these days. Some make the grade, while others simply dry up and blow away. S&T makes the grade, all right... and graduates with honors.

I'll Never Be Your Beast or Birdie

The classic formula from the S&T cartoons is prevalent here. Cat chases bird. Bird gets away. Cat devises numerous schemes and faces insurmountable obstacles to get bird. Bird still gets away. As you take Sylvester on his seven-stage quest forTweety, you'll see more of your favorite Looney Tune characters, such as Cranny (who chases you with a broom and is invincible), Spike the Bulldog (who pesters you and always comes back for more), Baby Kangaroo (who kicks you all over the screen) and even the hideous Jekyll-and-Hyde Tweety (which changes Tweety from an innocuous victim to a vicious predator in a flash).

Thufferin' thuccatash! With a cast of characters like that, you'll definitely need some help, and you get it in the form of Acme hardware: Pogo Sticks for extra leaps, Umbrellas for soft landings, Boxing Cloves and Bones to ward off Spike, and a Shrink Potion to turn the Tweety Monster back to his widdle ol' self.

The seven harrowing stages include a runaway train (Mayhem Express), a science lab gone bad (Hyde and Shriek), and a cruise ship that's not shipshape (Oceans of Trouble). The object is to get Tweety, who'll usually end up resting at the end of each stage. Each stage has its own difficulty level, and you'll have to stack objects and find power-ups to get through safely. There are even warp zones that can take you back to the beginning of the stage or into an area that was previously inaccessible.

A Thight for Thore Eyes

The graphics in S&T are not groundbreaking, but they follow the straight-edge lines and primary colors of the cartoon very closely (S&T cartoons were animated in a very spare, minimalist style). The characters are well animated, and Sylvester's movements mimic his cartoon style perfectly. All the other characters also follow their cartoon personas to a tee.

The music is sparse and unobtrusive. The sound effects are right on target. You'll even clearly hear Sylvester's lisp as he exclaims, "Hello, breakfutht!" As for control, you may find yourself saying "Thufferin' thuccotash!" often. There's a learning curve involved with the controls. Once you get it down, you shouldn't have any trouble with it. You also need to be extra careful with the controls because seemingly small tumbles result in a hit to Sylvester's health bar.

Twick and Tweet

S&T is a very enjoyable, amusing, and complex game. Although the subject matter seems geared towards cartoon-minded gamers, the challenge is universally appealing. Some stages require a good deal of puzzle solving and item gathering in order to progress, so be prepared to spend some time with this game.

So is the game more fun than spending Saturday morning watching the cartoon? Well, you'll definitely use your brain more, and believe it or not, you'll miss the commercials, but if you've got the time, TecMagik has a Tweet in store for you.

The antics of Tweety and Sylvester hit your Genesis in a major way. You play as Sylvester, the famous cartoon cat who wants to dine on a Tweety bird dinner. You'll do anything to get it, even if you must risk life and limb.

You must chase Tweety through a number of levels, most using elements of the classic cartoons.

Famous Warner Brothers characters will make cameos throughout the game. Some will help while others will attack you.

Cagey Capers is a great action game for the Genesis. The levels are colorful and large. There are lots of items to pick up and use, so strategy is involved. If you enjoyed the comedy of the classics, you'll laugh through the thrills of this cart.

Sunsoft beware! There is a new player in the looney bin - Tecmagik. They are now entering the Genesis platform with their Warner cartoon-to-game with the antics of Sylvester and Tweety, and have they got it right. The animation is fantastic - having you do all the comical things that Sylvester does to get Tweety. Some examples are: stacking things up so that you can reach Tweety, hiding in lampshades, and dodging all other kinds of pests. The sounds are great and the music actually interweaves with what Sylvester does. An example of this would be when he goes up a flight of stairs - the music does a melody of rising notes, just like the cartoon! There are plenty of items to get, and the unique game play will really catch your attention - having you chase Tweety all around the level back and forth into different areas until he reaches a point where you can finally nab him. This (plus all the clever little animations, gags and interactive music that have been thrown in) will make the title soar high above all the other cartoon-to-cartridges made.

Sylvester and Tweety are up to their old tricks again in this awesome new cart.

Sylvester will do anything to get to Tweety and he usually gets into a lot of trouble while doing it. This game features these two characters in hilarious situations directly from the cartoons. You control Sylvester on his quest to catch Tweety. He has a lot of moves and the game requires you to solve various puzzles. Chase Tweety around the huge levels, stacking boxes, and avoiding the dog, the cat, and even the old lady who are all out to get him. Sufferin' succotash!