In Woody Woodpecker: Escape From Buzz Buzzard Park, the 3D environments that Woody and crew must travel through are fairly lush, with wildly colored stages as abundant as the amount of wood you get to... um, peck. Although these worlds are truly three-dimensional, the characters of the game take advantage of the still somewhat new cel-shading technique.

Keeping up with the latest advances in graphical power, one would think that the sound quality would be equally as well done. But it's not. Sure, background music and sound fx are fine, but it's with the cut-scenes that I am extremely disappointed. It seems that somewhere in the journey from the world of cartoons to the world of video games, Woody Woodpecker has forgotten how to articulate his words. In fact, there is no voiceover whatsoever, making the game seem even more kiddish than the difficulty would infer (see below). At least Woody's trademark laugh makes it into the game.

If you have ever played games like Gex and Mario 64, then you'll recognize the gameplay of Escape From Buzz Buzzard Park without batting an eyelash. Essentially you'll start in a main world that offers gateways to other worlds. It is in these other worlds that Woody must look for his niece and nephew, Splinter and Knothead (who also speak gibberish), who have been kidnapped by Buzz Buzzard. Familiar to every platformer ever put into the video game market, you will find yourself performing many death-defying leaps of faith. At least in Woody Woodpecker, you are initially given a lot of lives to suck from.

Just don't even think for a moment that you can just 'continue' after your last life, so save often, or you will have to start from your last save point! There's no second chance. So, can you possibly beat the game? Yes. Scattered throughout the worlds are not only free life pickups, but also dollar sign pickups. These dollars can then be used at a slot machine, which is your lifeline in Woody Woodpecker. Be careful though. The slot machine giveth, but it also taketh away.

The only real problem with the game is that even though lives are initially plentiful, you'll soon realize how precious they are. Many jumps are made slightly more difficult by the camera angle you're set up with. Luckily, you do have the option to reset the camera, but as soon as you start running, it will potentially move to an unwanted position. Now don't get me wrong, the camera is 90 percent perfect. It's just that other 10 percent that makes certain situations extremely hard to navigate.

These situations include making timely jumps that aren't directly in front of you. Sometimes, in order to obtain all of the "W's" (similar to the coins in Mario 64), you will have to make sideways jumps that aren't exactly easy, especially when the platform you land on disappears from under your feet. But even more precarious is the situation in which you have to navigate through the instant-death lasers pointing in all directions. Without re-adjusting the camera, it is very tough to jump and lay down. It is because of this that what I would normally consider to be a game targeted at kids 10 & under, maybe should be targeted toward the 12 to Adult range.

Woody Woodpecker: Escape From Buzz Buzzard Park is actually very, very easy to get into. Besides the camera control buttons, all you will ever need to worry about are three actions. You will be able to jump, lay down, and attack by using your beak as a defensive weapon. In the same manner, you also will have to 'peck' your way to the top of wooden platforms. There are also times throughout the game where you will actually have to move through a traditional 2D environment (with no camera options), giving the game a bit of nostalgic value for older gamers (that remember the good ol' days!).

This Woody Woodpecker game has got a lot going for it if you're looking for a solid platformer. The camera controls can be frustrating at times, but overall do a good job. If you (as an adult) can get by the childish nature of the game, you may want to check it out at your nearest rental shop before buying.