Puma Loco and White Pantera are kidnapped and it is up to El Tigre, Frida and Black Cuervo to save the Rivera family members. The party responsible? Why none other than Mikla, the Prince of Doom, and his minions, the AzTech.

Of course, you can’t just waltz up to Mikla, shake his hand and ask for your father and grandfather back. Oh no! You will have to fight a host of mini bosses along the way, like the dreaded Guacamole Monster.

If this sounds like the stuff that Saturday morning cartoons are made of, then you are not far off. It is, in fact, based on the popular Nickelodeon series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera. In the case of this THQ release for the PlayStation 2 console system, El Tigre is a side-scrolling platformer that is perhaps a bit too difficult for the younger set.

Emma, age 11, kept plugging away at this game and had trouble getting to the end of the first level. As she neared her fight with the Guacamole Monster, she had recorded more than 900 knockouts. Knockouts are akin to deaths, and after being taken down, players are teleported to the last save sport (and there are several through each level – just reach the piñata to save progress in the level).

“I thought the game was fun, but it was frustrating, too,” Emma said. “I like the characters, but sometimes I got tired of having to go through the same areas again and again because I couldn’t get through.”

Like any platformer, the game requires that you negotiate a series of obstacles through timed leaping, or fighting. There are minions to fight and other animated creatures to avoid. For example, in the first level, you will encounter birds that fly in set patterns. You can’t unleash El Tigre’s attack against them (he has two, one that is a spinning move on the ground and the other that is an aerial pile driver-style blow) because merely touching them results in a knockout. You have to time your leaps to miss them completely, which is not always easy with the fall-away balconies or rolling boxes. The same goes for the rats that race from side to side on a platformer chasing or juggling cheese – not sure what exactly they are doing other than creating a decently wide swath that must be avoided. 

The game features four levels plus two bonus levels. Defeating enemies earns ‘macho points’ and those act as the level score. En route from one end of the level to the other, you will encounter bonus areas that are basically a race against time through many of the same obstacles you encountered in the regular level. There are tacos, though, in the timed areas and collecting those increases the time remaining.

But while the game may be considered a touch repetitious and a tad hard for younger gamers, it is accessible and graphically it mimics the cartoon show very well. The controls are responsive and the game moves forward at a steady pace – unless you fail. However, if you are able to zip through the levels, the game ends up being a bit short.

In addition to the solid cartoon graphics, the game disk even features an episode of the cartoon, just to get you in the mood for the game. That’s a nice addition.

The game itself is not overly deep and the storyline is certainly nothing that would intrigue an older gamer and keep them glued to the game. When it comes to the style of the game, much has been borrowed from older platformers, with little – outside of the central characters and general theme – new. Still El Tigre is a challenging game for younger gamers that should requires timing and reflexive skills.

Gameplay: 7.0
Accessible controls with platforming gameplay that will challenge those youngsters new to the genre. The game does make decent use of the license in the overall theme.

Graphics: 7.0
For a 2D platformer, the game does a good job of capturing the essence of the TV show.

Sound: 5.5
Minimal and average.

Difficulty: Medium
Depending on the age and familiarity with the platform genre, this game can prove to be hard for some and easy for the experienced gamer.

Concept: 6.0
A lot has been borrowed from the platform games that have gone before. This is all pretty standard stuff overlaid with the El Tigre theme.

Overall: 7.0
A solid challenge for younger gamers, the game treads familiar platforming ground, but manages to capture the themes of the television show. Not overly original, still the license is used decently here to power a solid side-scrolling platformer.