Down to the Woods (video game)

Down to the Woods is a 3D action-adventure platforming video game developed by Ministry Interactive Software and published by Cradle Network. It was released for the PlayStation 2 on 13th February, 2004, with a Xbox port following two months later.

Plot
Set in an old-fashioned village (though seemingly taking place in modern times, as televisions and game consoles are seen and mentioned), ten year-old mischievous troublemaker Gwendolyn is warned about Malicious Mick, supposedly the nastiest robber in the kingdom. Gwendolyn encounters Mick, and guides him to the village after he bribes her with a chocolate bar. Mick proceeds to steal from the village's people and also kidnaps Gwendolyn's brother, Hyd, when he gets in Mick's ways. Feeling guilty about what she has done, Gwendolyn goes forth to rescue Hyd. On the way, she meets some new people and begins to warm up to the friends she makes.

Gameplay
Down to the Woods is a 3D action platformer. Playing as Gwendolyn, the player travels thrpugh a large selection of levels, each of which have standard platforming levels as well as minigames.

The standard platforming levels play similar to other games in the genre. Gwendolyn attacks enemies by using items that area collected throughout the game. She can also come across upgrades that give her additional powers such as double jumping and performing a dropkick. However, only one item and upgrade can be equipped at once. The player can open up a menu that allows them to change which item and upgrade Gwendolyn possesses.

It is impossible for the player to die, as getting hit simply stuns Gwendolyn and/or cause a comical animation to play, whilst falling off the stage simply causes Gwendolyn to get carried back onto the stage. However, the Xbox version allows the player to earn Platinum Stars next to each level - in order to earn a Platinum Star, the player must beat the level without taking damage.

The PlayStation 2 version has the player immediately travelling from one level/minigame to another. The Xbox version, meanwhile, has a map which shows the player's progress.

Collectibles
The game's main in-game collectibles are Forest Coins. Gwendolyn drops ten every time she gets hit (though she can still pick them up before they disappear after a few seconds). Collecting Forest Coins and bringing them to the end of the level saves them in the player's inventory. The player can use their Forest Coins to purchase content for the game's Party Mode. Collecting all the Forest Coins in a level awards the player with a Tree Bottle Cap Badge.

Time Attack mode
After completing the game, players unlock Time Attack mode, where they can replay previously beaten levels and try to beat each one in the fastest time possible. It also gives the player another chance to earn a Platinum Star and Tree Bottle Cap Badge if they were unable to collect either the first time.

Development
Development on Down to the Woods began in mid-2002, a short while after the release of Penny's Paradox World. The character of Gwendolyn was created as being sneaky and troublesome, with the idea that playing as a flawed protagonist would make the game more entertaining. The one-off segments and minigames were added into the game in order to stop it from appearing too similar to other platformers.

Down to the Woods features minor profanity, with the words "hell", "damn", "crap" and "piss" being said several times. This was supposedly done in order for the game to be awarded a higher rating and to prevent the idea that games produced by Ministry Interactive Software are only targeted towards little girls.