Galactic Taz Ball

Game review by
Michael Lafferty, Common Sense Media
Galactic Taz Ball Game Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 8+
(i)
Average arcade-style romp has a bit of cartoon violence.
Save
Rate game
Play or buy

Parents say

No reviews yetAdd your rating

Kids say

No reviews yetAdd your rating
Galactic Taz Ball Game: Screenshot #1 X of Y
Galactic Taz Ball Game: Screenshot #2 X of Y
Galactic Taz Ball Game: Screenshot #3 X of Y

Did this review miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive, diverse representations in books, TV shows, and movies. Want to help us help them? Suggest a diversity update

A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

Positive Messages

There is an overt theme of greed -- Taz is oblivious to everything as he hunts for a chicken leg while Marvin wants to steal Earth's landscapes -- but it's all so over the top that kids are unlikely to make connections between what they see in the game and anything in the real world. 

Positive Role Models & Representations

Though a cartoon, Taz is still a mindlessly violent character. His behavior is meant to be fun but should never be emulated in real life.

Ease of Play

An in-game tutorial explains the basics, but it may not be needed; this game is fairly easy to pick up and play. Taz is controlled by using a ball -- similar to a mouse ball -- on the touch screen. Moving Taz and hitting the B button to jump-slam an enemy is a bit tricky, and there are times when players engage in unnecessarily complex finger aerobics.

Violence & Scariness

Taz can be defeated by the minions of Marvin the Martian and can fall off ledges or fall onto spikes, but there is no bloodshed. The game merely resets from the last starting point. When Taz defeats Marvin's helpers they simply disappear in a puff of smoke.

Language
Consumerism

Galactic Taz Ball plays off characters and attributes from the Warner Bros. cartoon library. It relies on players' familiarity with its characters and the appeal of the titular protagonist.

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Galactic Taz Ball is an arcade-style game that pits Taz and the henchmen of Marvin the Martian in battles with violence roughly on par with Looney Tunes cartoons. It's single player only, and not particularly long.

Continue reading Show less

Stay up to date on new reviews.

Get full reviews, ratings, and advice delivered weekly to your inbox. Subscribe

User Reviews

  • Parents say
  • Kids say

There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

Add your rating

There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

Add your rating

What's it about?

In GALACTIC TAZ BALL, Taz is oblivious to Marvin the Martian's intent to steal Earth's landscape. Consequently, our hero unwittingly thwarts Marvin's scheme during his quest to find a giant chicken leg. This is a platform-based arcade-style game with 25 levels, each with items to collect as a means of determining player performance. There are multiple difficulty levels for players to set the challenge that is right for them.

Continue reading Show less

Is it any good?

While Galactic Taz Ball has a decent number of levels and two distinctive world styles -- the Overworld and the Underworld -- there is not a lot of variety in the actual levels. Taz's motion is fun to control and it doesn't take long to achieve a level of comfort with the track ball movement scheme. The characters look good on the DS platform and Taz's antics are worth a smile or two.  

Continue reading Show less

Talk to your kids about ...

  • Families can talk about the difference between depictions of violence in cartoons and live action entertainment. How do they differ? Why is it generally easier to stomach cartoon violence? 

  • Families can also discuss how to solve puzzles in a manner that does not lead to frustration. If you get stuck on a puzzle do you want to quit playing?

Continue reading Show less

Game details

  • Platforms: Nintendo DS
  • Price: $29.99
  • Available online? Not available online
  • Developer: Warner Bros. Games
  • Release date: September 3, 2010
  • Genre: Arcade
  • ESRB rating: E for Comic mischief
  • Last updated: November 11, 2020
Continue reading Show less

Our editors recommend

Despicable Me: The Game - Minion Mayhem Game Poster Image
Despicable Me: The Game - Minion Mayhem
Fun puzzler may be too challenging for younger fans.
age 10+
The Last Airbender (DS) Game Poster Image
The Last Airbender (DS)
More kid-friendly -- and better -- than the Wii version.
age 9+
Ivy the Kiwi Game Poster Image
Ivy the Kiwi
Fun retro platformer with beautiful storybook graphics.
age 8+

Top advice and articles

10 Most Violent Video Games of 2014 (and What to Play Instead)
Games That Support Kindness and Compassion

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate

About these links

Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes when you use our links to make a purchase. Thank you for your support.

Read more

Our ratings are based on child development best practices. We display the minimum age for which content is developmentally appropriate. The star rating reflects overall quality and learning potential.

Learn how we rate