The game's certainly on the short side (with just 18 total songs), but unlike many previous attempts to capitalize on Looney Tunes nostalgia, Cartoon Conductor's whimsical presentation actually matches up well with the fast-paced, familiar rhythm approach -- creating the rare licensed experience that may bring a legitimate smile to your face.
BC Gaming writes: "Looney Tunes: Cartoon Conductor for the Nintendo DS is like Guitar Hero for your kid brother. You are the conductor, leading an invisible orchestra through famous classical pieces.
Three taps of the stylus start the orchestra. Numbered shapes appear, some connected by dotted lines. Each shape has a "timer ring." It starts out wide, then shrinks down flush with the shape. When the timer ring lines up with its shape, tap it with the stylus, then follow the dotted line to the next number in the sequence. While there are some numbers that pop up alone, don't lift your stylus if there is a dotted line - it breaks the rhythm. If you hit the notes at the proper time, the music continues along beautifully. If not, then you get sour notes. Each musical piece also include a "tap note" section. A target bar appears at the bottom of the screen. Notes fall from the top and must be tapped when they fall in line on the target bar."
Looney Tunes. They're classic, they're timeless, and now they headline a new rhythm game on the Nintendo DS. It's pretty clear that Looney Tunes Cartoon Conductor lifts most of its design inspiration from Elite Beat Agents but it's not a direct copy. The game's also incredibly challenging for a rhythm game with a seemingly younger skewing target age. You'll have to have a fancy for the old-school animation references as well as a taste for MIDI classical music to enjoy what this game has to offer, but on the whole it isn't a bad effort.
The last time the Looney Tunes license hit the Nintendo DS was in last year's Duck Amuck, a game with incredible animation production values but not much in the way of gameplay. In Looney Tunes: Cartoon Conductor it's the other way around: the gameplay is solid but at the expense of animation that really doesn't fit the style of the classic cartoons.
When you think about rhythm games, you generally envision something that's set to rock or techno with a good, driving beat. Beethoven and Bach probably aren't high on the list, nor is the "William Tell Overture" or Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries." Looney Tunes: Cartoon Conductor brings out these classics and more for some stylus-waving musical action that serves up more childhood nostalgia than real challenge.
The Good:
* Features all the classic Looney Tunes greats
* Voice clips enhance the setting.
The Bad:
* Not especially challenging
* Stylus dragging is sometimes awkward with music
* Song repetition makes game feel padded out.
