Budget priced? Check.
Licensed kid cartoon? Check.
Obligatory episode of said cartoon on disc? Check.
Tepid gameplay accompanied with mundane art and sound bits? Whoa, not so much!

Before I even put the disc in my PS2 I was nearly ready to write this one off, as I imagine a lot of you guys would do when you walk past this in the game aisle at your local retailer. Nothing about the cover art screams out "gotta play" to me, and at the age of 27 I have absolutely no clue what an "El Tigre" even is.

That said if you've wanted to play a fun, albeit easy 2D style platformer (and let's face it, who doesn't?), then you should at least be willing to give El Tigre a try. The developers at Blue Tongue have managed to craft a pretty stylized platformer filled with the typical jump and run antics that we've all grown familiar with throughout various Nintendo and Sega titles in the 80's and 90's. Combined with a good eye for level design, and a enemy placement that meshes together well with the timing of moving platforms and other obstacles, you're left with what I would consider a great game to introduce platforming to your own kids, nieces, nephews, or whoever.

El Tigre's gameplay is separated by 4 stages filled with a particular theme that differs depending on the boss character for that level. The story isn't anything spectacular, and once I was finished playing I wasn't left with any real lasting impression of El Tigre and his friends. There's no plot that will hold the interest of an adult, but for the kids and fans out there they might find it serviceable enough. If you want a bit more background on the character you can tune into the episode that's been tossed on the disc, but once again it's something that definitely doesn't feel like it's geared towards adults.

However, the game itself plays wonderfully. The controls are tight and responsive, and the level layout is so well done that you can, in theory, run and jump thru each level without stopping, assuming you're able to keep your concentration for the 10-15 minutes that each level will last. The unfortunate side of things is that the game is over far too quickly, and most players will be able to finish the whole thing within an hour. There are a few bonus levels that you can unlock, and costume changes along with that, but there's not much of a replay factor here. Granted, at $20 maybe we shouldn't expect much, but since you have unlimited lives in each level it doesn't always feel like the price tag is entirely worth it.

The end result is a game that ends up being surprisingly fun, for as long as it lasts. It's definitely a step in the right direction for a licensed game based on a kids cartoon, and at the budget price of $20 it's not a bad idea to check it out. I'd hesitate to do so if you don't have kids in the house though, since the easy difficulty might make you feel like you wasted a bit of cash on this one.