We all knew spinach would make you stronger, but now we see it can also make you faster, at least in Popeye: Rush for Spinach.

Popeye and his friends are competing in the ultimate race. Whether by foot, boat, car, skateboard, pogo stick or even vine-swinging, all eyes are on the finish line! But winning the race requires speed, skill and the occasional smack on the racer in front of you.

The concept is pretty simple. You play as either Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto or Wimpy. Race through seven different areas, each with its own power-ups and traps. During the race, you can hop into a car, hop on a skateboard or pogo stick, or grab a jet pack. Otherwise, you're on foot for most of the race.

As you run through the area, you'll find power-ups. The most important, spinach, gives you an extra boost of speed. Other power-ups include land mines and lightning blasts to stun one of your opponents. Each area also has its set of traps, especially holes you can fall into, so keep your eyes on the road ahead.

Some elements of this side-scroller really stand out. Not only are the environments detailed and the character animations strong, the frame rate is exceptional.

The game includes five different modes: Quick Rush, Adventure, Challenge, Time Rush and Team Rush. You will need to win an area in certain modes to unlock them in other modes. In Team Rush, you can hook up with another player via the Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable. In this two-player mode, you can either cooperate or square off against each other.

Four playable characters

13 vehicle types

Five game modes

Seven areas

Two-player Link Mode