When loading up Woody Woodpecker initially, it turned out to be not what we were expecting. First it looked like it might be a cartoon themed platformer. Then the character selection screen comes up and it looks like a kart racer. Turns out that's not exactly right either. Basically this game is what would happen if you took Tiny Wings and turned it into a racing game, with each character from the Woody Woodpecker show vying for first position when they cross the finish line. An inventive use of a license to say the least.

Each character has three stats that change how they perform on the peaks and valleys of the tracks; speed, acceleration, and handling. Then when the race starts, you have access to a speed boost and a special move, which usually stuns the other racers if they get hit. These are on a timer, but funnily enough they seem to be more disastrous than helpful. Oh sure the speed boost can send you rocketing over the hills, and the attack is useful to get the jump on that rival right in front of you, but they mess up your flow, and any player who has spent anytime playing Tiny Wings can tell you your flow is critical for landing the perfect slide. In the time spent reviewing this game, more races were won without any use of either of these power ups than with using them. Make of that what you will.

And while a novel concept, the problem arises in the level design variety department. Aside from a background swap changing the scenery, there's not much you can do with the rolling hills that lay at the crux of how the game works. This is less an issue in multiplayer where the thrill of beating your opponent outweighs the same-ness of the level design, but perhaps something like floating islands as an alternate path could have brought more to the table.

So there you have it. Whether or not this game is worth your time and money is based on the concept and your love of Woody Woodpecker. Just as a final note, the theme song has been altered slightly and as a fan of the cartoons, it was a bit of a letdown as hearing the theme song at the menu screen was something to look forward to. At least Woody's trademark laugh stays intact.