Insert Muttley Snickering here.
Wacky Races is an NES Platform Game released in 1991 and developed by Atlus. As the name implies, it is based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon of the same name.
The game, interestingly enough, isn't a racing game as one would expect, but rather a platforming game where you take control of Dick Dastardly's dog, Muttley. You guide Muttley through several stages avoiding quirky enemies, and taking on the Wacky Racers, who behave as the level bosses.
The game consists of three linear courses:
- Hip Hop, which covers Europe and Africa;
- Splish Splash, which covers Asia and Australia, and
- Go Go America, which covers North America and South America.
This game provides examples of
- A Day in the Limelight: Muttley is the playable character, and the bosses of the game are the other Wacky Racers driving their respective karts.
- Adaptational Wimp: Most of the Wacky Racers don’t utilize the features of their karts to attack Muttley. Best exemplified with the Convert-A-Car, which doesn’t change into any other form when you fight it.
- Beauty Is Never Tarnished: While many of the other racers receive comical damage and/or injuries upon being defeated, Penelope Pitstop gets off relatively easy (the Compact Pussycat a little less so, since her umbrella is wrinkled and hood is popped open).
- Big Boo's Haunt: The second half of Stage A-1 takes place in a haunted house, which is filled with bats, knights (both kinds), and mummies. The boss of this stage is Big Gruesome and Little Gruesome in the Creepy Coupe.
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: Giant insects serve as enemies throughout Stage B-3. Perhaps justified as the first half of the stage is made of cakes and candies, while the second half is made of flowers.
- The Cameo: Yankee Doodle Pigeon from Dastardly & Muttley in Their Flying Machines appears in the first story.
- Car Fu: Being that the bosses are the other Wacky Racers that fight while still in their vehicles, they drive and leap around in an attempt to ram Muttley with Collision Damage.
- Death Mountain: Stage C-4 takes place in a rocky mountain. The boss of this stage is Rock and Gravel Slag in the Bouldermobile.
- Distressed Dude: Dastardly gets captured by desperados in Go Go America. Muttley has to save him.
- Downer Ending: Muttley gets captured and he and Dick Dastardly still ended up losing the race. It might be consolation to know that none of the other racers finished since he smashed all their cars, but that’s stretching it.
- Evil Living Flames: Anthropomorphic flames appear as enemies in Stage A-2.
- Excuse Plot: Each of the three courses have their own individual plotlines to give Muttley something to do.
- Hip Hop: While trying to Stop that Pigeon, Dastardly crashes his plane and has to be rescued.
- Splish Splash: The Mean Machine's engine breaks down and Muttley has to get a new one.
- Go Go America: Dick Dastardly is captured by bandits! Are you a bad enough dog to save him?
- Hearts Are Health: Muttley starts off with three hearts in his health bar, and can expand it up to six when he selects the heart option.
- Heli-Critter: Once Muttley has the flight mechanic equipped, he can use his tail to hover, as he does in Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines. If he loses a life, then he loses his ability to hover until he re-equips it.
- Hero Antagonist: The other Wacky Racers appear in the game as bosses who attempt to fight Muttley.
- Idle Animation: Leave Muttley alone for a few seconds and he will snicker. Leave him alone long enough and he will fall asleep.
- Level Ate: The first half of Stage B-3 takes place in a world made of cakes and candies.
- Level in the Clouds: The second part of Stage C-1 takes place in the cloudy skies.
- The Lost Woods: The second half of Stage A-3 takes place in a forest, where gorillas, snakes, and owls serve as enemies. The boss of this stage is Rufus Ruffcut and Sawtooth in the Buzzwagon.
- Man Bites Man: Muttley's standard attack in a lunging short-ranged bite.
- Mole Miner: Moles with mining helmets serve as enemies in the first part of Stage B-2.
- Mythology Gag: The scenario of Hip Hop has nothing to do with the Wacky Race in general, but rather the spinoff Dastardly And Muttley in their Flying Machines.
- Quicksand Sucks: Quicksand is present throughout Stage A-2. The battle against Sergeant Blast and Private Meekly in the Army Surplus Special at the end of the stage takes place entirely over a stretch of quicksand. Strangely, while Muttley is able to sink in the quicksand, the Army Surplus Special can't.
- Sequential Boss: Each of the game's bosses has two phases. Once they lose half their health, they phase out, phase back in, and change their strategy and movement patterns.
- Shifting Sand Land: Stage A-2 takes place in a desert, with giant armadillos, scorpions, and quicksand. The boss of this stage is Sgt. Blast and Private Meekly in the Army Surplus Special.
- Skyscraper City: The second half of Stage C-2 takes place in a massive city with skyscrapers in the background. The boss of this stage is the Anthill Mob in the Bullet-Proof Bomb.
- Slippy-Slidey Ice World: Stage C-1 takes place in the arctic. Enemies include snowmen, eskimos, walruses, and polar bears. The boss of this stage is the Red Max in the Crimson Haybaler.
- Smelly Skunk: Skunks serve as enemies in the second part of Stage C-4. They attack Muttley by spraying gas clouds at him.
- Super Drowning Skills: Zigzagged. If Muttley falls into the water, he instantly loses a life, but at the same time, there are swimming stages in the game, where Muttley can swim just fine.
- Throw Down the Bomblet: The bomb power-up lets Muttley throw arcing bombs, which have a wide and useful blast radius.
- Timed Mission: Muttley has five minutes to complete each stage in the Japanese version, and three in the North American version.
- Under the Sea: The stages in Level B-2 has Muttley underwater, where he has to avoid numerous underwater enemies and explores a sunken ship.
- Underground Level: The second half of Stage C-3 takes place in a cave, where Muttley must dodge rolling boulders. The boss of this stage is Lazy Luke and Blubber Bear in the Arkansas Chug-a-bug.
- Villain Protagonist: Muttley is the game's main character.
- The Wild West: The first half of Stage C-3 takes place in a western town. Enemies include raccoons, desperados, and tapirs.
- World Tour: Muttley travels around the world to rescue Dastardly and battle the Wacky Racers. His destinations are Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North and South America.
