If you remember Gossamer, the red monster with tennis shoes from the Looney Tunes short, "Hair-raising Hare" and "Water, Water Every Hare," (called "Rudolph" in the cartoon), you may remember his master and creator, the nameless mad scientist. Said Mad Scientist serves as the villain, and after 61 years finally earns a name: Dr. Frankenbeans. The evil Doctor has decided to get his revenge on the Looney Tunes by building a time machine to eliminate their ancestors, so it's obviously up to you and the gang to stop him and his assortment of robot minions.

The game plays as a standard 3-D action platformer for the most part, broken up by some vehicle-based levels that add some nice variety. The player has a choice of a couple attacks with the option for some simple combos, but for the most part, combat is a button-mashing affair. The "Arsenal" part of the title refers to the various weapons available as power-ups, allowing for ranged attacks, but they can also create a stronger "punch" for the player. The weapons offer a convenient auto-lock feature, but no convenient way to choose which enemy (or box) to lock onto.

The game begins with Bugs Bunny and Marvin Martian playable, with Daffy Duck,Duck Dodgers,The Tasmanian Devil,Foghorn Leghorn,Gossamer,Big Furry Green Bugs (remember when Bugs drank the Mr. Hyde potion?), andWile E. Coyote becoming available later in the game. Players can either switch between available characters or play split-screen cooperatively with another player. (Sorry, no online play for Wii or PS2.)

The game provides a nice variety of levels based on various classic Looney Tunes settings, like the Mad Scientist's castle, World War I, Camelot, the old West, Mars, and others, with cameos by a large lineup of supporting cast, including the Abominable Snowman.

The gameplay is easy to pick up and just freeform enough to leave you frequently asking, "Where am I supposed to go from here?" This comprises the puzzle element of the game. While the weapons add some variety to the combat, the fighting gets quickly repetitive, and the Wii version will either strengthen your wrist or give you repetitive stress injuries, especially when whirling the Wii-mote repeatedly to attack five robots at once. The Wii controls will also lead to occasional "false positives" if you move the Wii-mote a bit too much when not attacking, which is usually just annoying, but can really frustrate if standing by a ledge and unexpectedly launching into an attack and falling. Because of this, even though the Wii version takes full advantage of the Wii-mote and nunchuck and produces somewhat original game play, I preferred the controls of the PS2 version simply because it's easier on the arm muscles.

Graphically, the Wii version slightly outshines the PS2 version in that the lighting and shapes are smoother, but the difference isn't enough to influence a buying decision and almost has to be seen side-by-side to notice the difference. The PS2 makes itself unique with an extra level and character skin. (The XBox 360 version boasts much better graphics and XBox Live support, but we didn't test that version.) But given that the game is based on classic 2-D animation, I'd love to see cell-shaded graphics instead of standard 3-D models and would have enjoyed the game much more with that simple change.

Comically, the game has its funny moments, especially when the characters "break the fourth wall," but it doesn't live up to the timeless cartoons that inspired it. That said, those shows are a tough act to follow, so I guess we'll have to settle for the frequent references and memories. I enjoyed the faithful-to-the-original character movements, though, especially Marvin's wheel-like running, and the voices use current Looney Tunes talent, although the voice of the mad scientist sounds more like Porky Pig (sans stuttering) than the mellow mad scientist from the cartoon. Signs and chalkboards were worth stopping to read, too, and some produced a chuckle.

While the game allows for manual camera adjustment, which is a plus, the lighting and limits to the camera movement (If you're standing against a wall, the camera will bump into the wall instead of moving through it and turning it translucent.) can distract at times and leave you guessing where a particular path leads or whether a hole will lead to your death or a lower level. Playing split-screen further limits visibility and can lead to additional frustration. Sometimes, the camera gets stuck on some scenery, requiring moving your character without knowing where you're going.

The game also features a 2-player battle mode, which includes multiple weapons and lots of ammunition. Players wander around a choice of arenas based on the various worlds with a choice of characters, seeking each other out. When you see the other player's character, start blasting! Options allow for different criteria (time limit vs. number of kills, etc.). This adds a nice touch and extends the replayability of the game. A racing minigame based on the vehicle levels would have been nice, too, but that's just wishful thinking.

Overall, this is a typical action platformer with nothing really new. Looney Tunes fans will enjoy it as a rental, and die-hard Looney Tunes fans might consider adding it to their home collection if they don't have anything else higher on their wish lists, although a DVD collection of some of these classic cartoons will probably give longer-lasting enjoyment and replay value. If you have an XBox 360, you'll probably want that version, but between the Wii and the PS2 version, I prefer the PS2 version for the easier controls and the extra level. Kids will likely prefer the Wii version for the control variety and a chance to move around a bit while playing. Teresa prefers the Wii version and controls, although she admits that she started with the Wii version and got used to the controls more quickly.

The lower price tag ($40 for the Wii and 360 versions, $30 for the PS2) will make this game a decent stocking stuffer for Bugs-loving tweens, but if you have a DS, get Duck Amuck instead.