Hello, it is time again for another instalment of Lost Gems, covering games that are no longer officially on sale. This week, I will be covering a classic title that was an exclusive for the SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis. The side scrolling platformer Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster’s Hidden Treasure, developed and published by Konami in 1993. So let us take a look at the solo platformer in the Tiny Toon series for SEGA’s 16-Bit system.
Disclaimer: while the game discussed here is no longer officially on sale, there are ways to obtain the game. This can be either through the second hand market, or through unofficial digital roms/rips. I do not condone or promote piracy, so there won’t be any links to roms or rips of the game being covered.
So with the introductions out of the way, let’s get started. I will be discussing the general game experience, then give my personal thoughts on the title.
About the game
Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster’s Hidden Treasure, is a 16-Bit platforming adventure taking place in the Tiny Toon universe. In this adventure, Buster Bunny finds a treasure map, which is stolen by Montana Max as he wants the treasure for himself. To achieve his goal, he hires Dr. Gene Splicer, who brainwashes several of Buster’s friends. Elmyra Duff also captures others, leading Buster to set off on an adventure to get to the treasure first and save his friends.
The game is made up of over 30 levels, split between standard platforming stages, boss battles and special stages. The core of the gameplay experience takes place across the platforming stages, where the objective is to reach Gogo Dodo at the end of each stage. Buster has a very simple move set, where he can move left to right and jump, with the height being tied to how long the button is held down. This gives a good amount of control for platforming.
There will be gimmicks like moving platforms, pits, spikes and even lava that appear. Many of the hazards that appear in stages will quickly kill Buster, sending him right back to the start of the stage. Learning the different layouts can prevent the player from losing lives and getting a game over. The player starts with a set number of lives, with the ability to earn more by finding items, or by hitting set score milestones during play.
Buster can also jump on most enemies to kill them, like many traditional platformers, with the ability to chain jumps to defeat multiple enemies. But jumping isn’t the only way to take out enemies, as Buster can use a special slide attack. As he moves through the stages, he will pick up speed and entering a full sprint, allowing him to us his slide attack. This can take down multiple enemies at once with the slide, but there are some risks to relying on the slide.
Throughout the different stages, there will be trip hazards that buster can get caught out by. If Buster is walking they will trip for a moment, but if the player is going at full speed, he will fall flat on his face. This can lead to getting hit by enemies, as the player will be unable to move for a moment. Buster can take three hits (shown as hearts) without dying, which can be increased to five if the player picks up bells during the game.
While travelling through a level, Buster can collect carrots that have been scattered throughout. If 50 of these are picked up during that stage, a special item will be added that Buster can use. These items can be used when in a pinch, clearing the screen of enemies to protect Buster from the dangers on screen. If the player can clear the stage holding any of these assist items, a bonus will be awarded on the completion screen.
If the player explores the stages, they will be able to find hidden items and special extras. The items that can be found include extra lives, supporter items and hearts to restore damage taken in stages. If the player is lucky, they will be able to find invincibility items, which will allow them to avoid damage for a short time. By exploring the stages, not only will players find items, there is a chance that a rainbow gate will appear, leading to a super special bonus stage.
Hidden in some of the stages are secret exits, which will send the player to alternate levels. This is reminiscent of Super Mario World, as there is also a fairly large overworld map. On this map, the player will be able to move between stages, with the ability to replay cleared stages, separated into yellow for action and red for boss stages. All of the action stages can be cleared, but the boss stages cannot be challenged again.
Speaking of the boss stages, these follow a rather unique mechanic, as they differ from the traditional style of platformer boss fights. In most of the battles, the player will need to avoid hazards, then jump onto the main boss to defeat them. The hazards include Buster’s brainwashed friends, which will use attacks to try and stop Buster. These unique gimmicks make the boss battles distinct from other platformers of the time.
Last to cover is way that progression is saved during gameplay. There is no battery save with the cartridge, so the player will need to use passwords to record progress. These will show up at the game over screen, with each password made up of twenty characters. They are easy to use and note down, as they only use the standard alphabet with no special characters. A password can be generated at any time, allowing the player to jump right back in at any time.
Personal Thoughts
I have fond memories of the Tiny Toon Adventures franchise, including Buster’s Hidden Treasure which I owned on Mega Drive as a kid. I was never able to clear the game when I was young, but I did return to it several times as I got older, managing to get through it to the end. I remember playing the game early in the morning at weekends, with nothing but the TV and myself while everything was quiet, alongside other games like Sonic 2.
The sprite work has the vibrant colors and cartoony charm, which made the TV series and specials so enjoyable. Konami did a great job with this, much like their other games based on licensed properties, like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The platforming and general feel is responsive and fun, the only minor downside is that it can take a moment to get to full running speed. But it can be easily adapted to while playing the game.
This game has a lot of the traits that made platformers of the time, but with the special mechanics like the running and slide. This can be a little off putting for some, but if given a little time, there is a lot of satisfaction to be had, running through stages and using the slide to take out multiple enemies. This is combined with the collectibles and alternate paths, where players can try different paths to see what rewards are available.
The only negative to the game that people may have is the sound, as the music can be a little bit shrill to some. However, the music is composed well, with a good use of the Tiny Toon Adventures theme. The effects are done well too, providing a well balanced experience for players to enjoy. All of the different elements of the presentation work together, making it feel like an interactive cartoon.
It is fairly expansive for an early 16 bit platformer, offering over 30 stages to play, with plenty of replay value. This is due to the secret exits, bonus stages and hidden objects that will have players coming back for more. Buster’s Hidden Treasure is a bit of hidden gem on the System, as the Super Nintendo release Buster Busts Loose gets more attention. This relative obscurity thankfully hasn’t resulted in super high prices on the secondary market.
I have a deep appreciation for this release, through both fond memories and a little bit of nostalgia. So I hope that the Tiny Toon Adventures games get a re-release in the future, but sadly as is the nature of licensed games, it is highly possible these will stay vaulted. We have passed several anniversaries and even a reboot of the series, but there has been nothing on the game front, so we may never see these games get a re-release.
If you have enjoyed this feature, then please stick around and see what else catches your eye. I cover a wide range of games in reviews, get special previews and put out regular features. I have Lost Gems, Retro Revival where I discuss re-releases and the occasional Gaming Oddities piece, where I cover weird and wacky titles. So stay a while and have a look around.
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