Taz in Escape from Mars
From Sega Retro
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Taz in Escape from Mars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System, Sega Game Gear | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Publisher: Sega Tec Toy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Developer: HeadGames Al Baker & Associates Tec Toy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Supporting companies: Nu Romantic Productions (audio) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distributor: Majesco Sales (US Mega Hit Series re-release) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Licensor: Warner Bros. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sound driver: GEMS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Genre: Action[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of players: 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Taz in Escape from Mars, also known as Escape from Mars Starring Taz, is a platform game developed by HeadGames and published by Sega for the Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear. The Master System version of the game was ported from the Game Gear version by Tec Toy, and was released in March 1997, exclusively to Brazil. It is a sequel to Taz-Mania that follows Taz escaping from Mars, and his captor: Marvin the Martian.
During development, it had the longer title of Tasmanian Devil in Escape from Mars.
Contents
Story
Marvin the Martian visits his Martian zoo and finds an empty cage. He looks in his book for Earth creatures and finds Taz, the Tasmanian devil. Marvin gets the idea of capturing Taz for his zoo and heads to Earth to capture him. Meanwhile, Taz is minding his own business, when suddenly, Marvin beams Taz up into his flying saucer and takes Taz to his Martian zoo, where subsequently Taz escapes.
Gameplay
Mega Drive version
The game is a platformer that plays similarly to its predecessor. Taz walks with and . He jumps with and jumps down through certain platforms with +. He spins into a tornado with , during which he moves faster and can run into enemies with impunity. Spinning while airborne from a jump allows for a farther jump; spinning while between two close walls climbs by bouncing Taz back and forth. Taz can spin into curved surfaces onto walls and ceilings. He can also dig into certain patches of soft ground with + or +.
Taz can eat various objects by walking into them, including helpful items such as food or hazardous items such as bombs. He can pick up items with . Some levels have switches that he can flip with or doorways that he enters with and exits with . Taz completes most levels by reaching the "Exit" sign and eating it, but in the final level of each world, Taz fights a boss.
Taz has a health gauge worth 12 hit points. He takes one point of damage from enemy attacks or from touching an enemy while not spinning. He loses a life if he runs out of health. The game ends if Taz runs out of lives, but it can be continued from the beginning of the level as long as the player has continues remaining. Most enemies are defeated by one hit, but only one non-boss enemy takes more than two hits to destroy. Some enemies, like the fly or armored soldier (in the Haunted Castle) cannot be defeated by the spin but only by power-up abilities, while others, such as Yosemite Sam (in Mexico), cannot be defeated at all. Most bosses take six to eight hits.
Items
Taz eats items by walking into them. Spinning into items destroys them.
Levels
Mars | |
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Taz begins on Mars in the Martian zoo Marvin brought him to. The first level sees Taz navigating through zoo cages and busting through walls. Scattered around are teleporters to teleport Taz to different parts of the level. The second level sees Taz navigating a multitude of obstacles, including moving platforms hovering above spikes, and metal pipes that Taz can spin along, allowing him to move across walls and ceilings in a style similar to Sonic the Hedgehog. The boss is an alien resembling an elephant. The alien swings its long spines around in circles, then shoots exploding mines that bounce around. Dodge the first attack by spinning along the walls and ceiling in a circle. Then avoid the mines. The alien will then open his eyes. Spin into him to defeat him. | |
Moleworld | |
Moleworld has hunters in the form of moles. There is also dirt that Taz can dig into, often littered with spiky mines. The second level involves a underground mine with a mole hunter driving a large tunnel boring machine that constantly moves forward and takes Taz's life away instantly. The boss is one of the mole hunters in a large spaceship in an area where Taz constantly falls with rocks along the way. | |
Planet X | |
Planet X involves some flying, and a little water. The first half of the first level involves land exploration with sliding along waterfalls and fast-moving rivers at the last half. The second level is entirely extensive waterfalls with many octopus and its tentacles. The third level is entirely flying. The boss is a large green centipede-like creature with spikes covering its body making several curves and zigzags each time it comes out of the ground. | |
Mexico | |
Having arrived back on Earth, Taz is placed on a long, fast-moving wagon train pulled by mules with occasional cows and bulls along the pathway. Falling off this causes Taz to lose health and get dragged back slowly. Yosemite Sam sometimes appears here as well with a bird flying along that drops sticks of dynamite from the air, Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner also appear. The second level involves Taz exploring a Mexican town. Yosemite Sam fires his guns wildly in two places and it is the first level that introduces going indoors. The boss is a bull fight with Toro the bull, of which Taz needs to trick Toro into slamming into the walls of the stadium. | |
Haunted Castle | |
The haunted castle is the last world visited while Taz is on Earth. The first level is outdoors. The last two levels are both indoors. The last indoor level is in a laboratory. The boss is an evil scientist with Gossamer. | |
Marvin's House | |
Taz visits Marvin's house to confront him. The first level is outside where the level is drifting along the stars. The dog, K-9, is seen in two occasions as is even twice as powerful than any boss. The second level is a laser maze where Taz must shut off four lasers in order to access Marvin. Touching the lasers causes Taz to take damage. Gravity in the laser maze level is also varies on any of four basic directions: the usual straight down, but also up, left, and right. The final boss is Marvin himself.
After defeating Marvin, Taz jacks a space ship and pilots it back to Earth. The game ends when the animal eats a pile of fruit on the way home and went away spinning all the way. |
Production credits
Mega Drive version
- Developed for Sega of America by: HeadGames, Inc.
- Producer: Bert Schroeder
- Director: Jonathan Miller
- Design: Joshua Singer, Steven Ross, Doug Nishimura, Jonathan Miller
- Art: Doug Nishimura, Steven Ross, Yongki Yoon
- Lead Programmer: Joshua Singer
- Programming: David Eader, Meilin Wong, Alex Tyrer, Jonathan Miller
- Music and SFX: Neuromantic Productions, Mark Steven Miller, Jim Hedges
- Lead Tester: Ben Szymkowiak
- Assistant Lead Testers: Joe Cain, Tony Lynch
- Testers: Tim Spengler, Jeff Junio, Matt McKnight, Chris Lucich, Fernando Valderrama, Rachel Bristol, Jason Kuo, John Amirkhan, Gregg Vogt, Aaron Hommes, Renato Alferez, Maria Tuzzo, John Melchior, Derek Carmichael, Siegie Stangenberg, Alex Fairchild, Christine Watson, Mike Baldwin, Ilya Reeves, Arnold Galano, Ben Cureton, Bob Lee, Xen Lang, Alex Villagran, Mike Williams, John Jansen, Dave Martin, Marc Dawson, Mark Griffin, Darin Johnston, Greg Fleming
- Additional Design Support By: Keith Higashihara, Mark Lindstrom
- Producer: Bert Schroeder
- Assistant Producer: John Pedigo
- Design, Art & Programming: Headgames, Inc.
- Director : Jonathan Miller
- Design: Joshua Singer, Steven Ross, Doug Nishimura, Jonathan Miller
- Art : Doug Nishimura, Steven Ross, Yongki Yoon
- Programming: Joshua Singer, David Eader, Meilin Wong, Alex Tyrer, Jonathan Miller
- Music & Sound Effects: Neuromantic Productions, Mark Steven Miller, Jim Hedges
- Product Marketing Manager: France Tantiado
- Associate Product Marketing Manager: Ami Blaire
- Marketing Assistant: Jaime Wojick
- Additional Design Support: Keith Higashihara
- Lead Tester: Ben Szymkowiak
- Assistant Lead Testers: Siegie Stangenberg, Tony Lynch
- Testers: Tim Spengler, Jeff Junio, Matt McKnight, Chris Lucich, Fernando Valderrama, Rachael Bristol, Jason Kuo, John Amirkhan, Gregg Vogt, Aaron Hommes, Renato Alferez, Maria Tuzzo, John Melchior, Derek Carmichael, Joe Cain, Alex Fairchild, Christine Watson, Mike Baldwin, Ilya Reeves, Arnold Galano, Ben Cureton, Bob Lee, Xen Lang, Alex Villagran, Mike Williams, John Jansen, David Martin, Marc Dawson, Mark Griffin, Darin Johnston, Greg Fleming
- Manual: Carol Ann Hanshaw
- Special Thanks: Clint Dyer, Joe Owens, Catherine Sollecito, Sonya Sigler, Thom Abramson, Holly Stein, Christine Bertoglio, Sutton Trout, Diane Fornasier
Game Gear version
- Developed by: Al Baker & Associates
- Design and Direction: Thomas L. Fessler
- Programming: Al Baker
- Assistant Producer: Raoul A. Faulkner
- Artwork: Chuck Ernst, Dave Pasciuto, Paul Johnson, Rick Incrocci, Nathan Baker, E.M. Letwenko
- Music/SFX: Matt Scott
Magazine articles
- Main article: Taz in Escape from Mars/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
also published in:
- Sega Visions (US) #21: "October/November 1994" (1994-xx-xx)[14]
- Sega Visions (US) #22: "December/January 1994/1995" (1994-xx-xx)[15]
Merchandise
Artwork
Physical scans
Mega Drive version
72 | |
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Based on 34 reviews |
Mega Drive, US (Mega Hit Series) (Sega) |
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Mega Drive, US (Mega Hit Series) (Majesco Sales) |
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Master System version
Game Gear version
Sega Retro Average | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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64 | |
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Based on 11 reviews |
Technical information
- Main article: Taz in Escape from Mars/Technical information.
References
- ↑ File:TiEFM GG EU Box Back.jpg
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "August 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 132
- ↑ Mega Play, "August 1994" (US; 1994-0x-xx), page 48
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Game Players, "Vol. 7 No. 10 October 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 106
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Press release: 1997-06-19: BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND -- SEGA RELAUNCHES GENESIS GAMES AT VALUE PRICES
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Mega, "October 1994" (UK; 1994-09-29), page 54
- ↑ Computer Trade Weekly, "" (UK; 1994-09-19), page 20
- ↑ File:DailyExpress UK 1994-09-23 46.jpg
- ↑ Game Players, "Vol. 7 No. 12 December 1994" (US; 1994-1x-xx), page 11
- ↑ Sega Pro, "September 1994" (UK; 1994-08-11), page 8
- ↑ File:Taz in Escape from Mars MD credits.pdf
- ↑ File:Taz Escape From Mars MD US Manual.pdf, page 9
- ↑ File:Taz in Escape from Mars GG credits.png
- ↑ Sega Visions, "October/November 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 111
- ↑ Sega Visions, "December/January 1994/1995" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 11
- ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 105
- ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 237
- ↑ Aktueller Software Markt, "Januar 1995" (DE; 1994-12-05), page 30
- ↑ Consoles +, "Septembre 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 122
- ↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 219
- ↑ Computer & Video Games, "October 1994" (UK; 1994-09-15), page 102
- ↑ Digitiser (UK) (1994-09-30)
- ↑ Electronic Games (1992-1995), "October 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 82
- ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "September 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 36
- ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 5, "" (RU; 200x-xx-xx), page 221
- ↑ GamePro, "October 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 52
- ↑ Gamers, "Januar 1995" (DE; 1995-01-08), page 23
- ↑ GamesMaster, "October 1994" (UK; 1994-09-22), page 66
- ↑ Games World: The Magazine, "November 1994" (UK; 1994-09-29), page 14
- ↑ Game Informer, "November 1994" (US; 1994-1x-xx), page 36
- ↑ Igry Sega Luchshiye iz luchshikh. Vypusk 2, "" (RU; 2001-08-27), page 351
- ↑ Joypad, "Septembre 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 112
- ↑ Joypad, "1/1995" (HU; 1995-xx-xx), page 12
- ↑ Mega Force, "Septembre 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 92
- ↑ Mega Fun, "10/94" (DE; 1994-09-21), page 66
- ↑ Mean Machines Sega, "October 1994" (UK; 1994-08-xx), page 92
- ↑ Player One, "Septembre 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 84
- ↑ Play Time, "11/94" (DE; 1994-10-05), page 107
- ↑ Power Up!, "Saturday, October 01, 1994" (UK; 1994-10-01), page 1
- ↑ Secret Service, "Listopad 1996" (PL; 1996-11-01), page 69
- ↑ Sega Power, "October 1994" (UK; 1994-09-01), page 44
- ↑ Sega Pro, "October 1994" (UK; 1994-09-08), page 64
- ↑ Sonic the Comic, "September 30th 1994" (UK; 1994-09-17), page 10
- ↑ Todo Sega, "Octubre 1994" (ES; 1994-xx-xx), page 62
- ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 196
- ↑ Video Games, "11/94" (DE; 1994-10-26), page 96
- ↑ VideoGames, "October 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 74
- ↑ Consoles +, "Janvier 1995" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 157
- ↑ GamePro, "January 1995" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 162
- ↑ Gamers, "Januar 1995" (DE; 1995-01-08), page 25
- ↑ Games World: The Magazine, "February 1995" (UK; 1994-12-xx), page 23
- ↑ Mega Fun, "02/95" (DE; 1995-01-18), page 102
- ↑ Player One, "Janvier 1995" (FR; 199x-xx-xx), page 114
- ↑ Play Time, "3/95" (DE; 1995-02-08), page 106
- ↑ Sega Magazine, "December 1994" (UK; 1994-11-15), page 96
- ↑ Sega Power, "February 1995" (UK; 1994-12-15), page 77
- ↑ Sega Pro, "February 1995" (UK; 1994-12-29), page 56
- ↑ Video Games, "3/95" (DE; 1995-02-23), page 109
Taz in Escape from Mars | |
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Main page | Comparisons | Hidden content | Magazine articles | Video coverage | Reception | Region coding | Technical information | Bootlegs |
Looney Tunes games for Sega systems | |
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Taz-Mania (1992) | Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure (1993) | Sylvester and Tweety in Cagey Capers (1994) | Taz in Escape from Mars (1994) | Tiny Toon Adventures: ACME All-Stars (1994) | Daffy Duck in Hollywood (1995) | Desert Demolition Starring Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote (1995) | Cheese Cat-Astrophe Starring Speedy Gonzales (1995) | Bugs Bunny in Double Trouble (1996) | Road Runner (unreleased) | |
Taz-Mania (1992) | Desert Speedtrap Starring Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote (1993) | Taz in Escape from Mars (1994) | Daffy Duck in Hollywood (1994) | Cheese Cat-Astrophe Starring Speedy Gonzales (1995) | Bugs Bunny in Double Trouble (1996) | |
Taz-Mania (1993) | Desert Speedtrap Starring Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote (1993) | Daffy Duck in Hollywood (1994) | Cheese Cat-Astrophe Starring Speedy Gonzales (1995) | Taz in Escape from Mars (1996) | |
Space Jam (1996) | |
Looney Tunes: Space Race (2000) | |
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