Fury of the Furries
| Industry | Video game development |
|---|---|
| Products | Fury of the Furries |
Fury of the Furries is a puzzle-platform game created by Atreid Concept and distributed by Mindscape for platforms including Amiga, Amiga CD32, Macintosh, and DOS. Subsequently, Namco acquired the license and rebranded it as Pac-In-Time, incorporating characters from the Pac-Man universe.
Plot
The storyline centers on a faction of Tinies who come back to their home world only to discover it overtaken by The Wicked One, a malevolent Tiny responsible for capturing their king and converting the Tinies into soulless creatures through a device known as "the machine." The player assumes control of a Tiny whose mission is to defeat The Wicked One and restore peace to their planet.
Gameplay
Players guide a delicate Tiny across eight varied environments—Desert, Lagoon, Forest, Pyramids, Mountains, Factory, Village, and Castle—each distinguished by its own soundtrack, visual style, and comprising 10 levels along with hidden bonus stages. The ultimate objective requires penetrating an industrial facility referred to as the machine to dismantle it.
A defining aspect of the gameplay is the protagonist's capacity to morph into four elemental variants: yellow (fire), red (earth), green (air), and blue (water). Each form offers unique abilities essential for solving puzzles and overcoming barriers. Availability of these forms fluctuates depending on the level; some puzzles restrict or enable specific powers. For instance, the yellow form launches fireballs, the red form can destroy parts of the environment, the green form swings on ropes and manipulates objects, while the blue form swims underwater and fires harmful bubbles.
Reception
In its April 1994 issue, Computer Gaming World criticized Fury of the Furries for its weak narrative and lack of originality in gameplay but acknowledged its impressive graphics and addictive nature. Additionally, PC Gamer UK ranked it as the 40th greatest computer game in 1994, describing it as essential for players with a strong preference for arcade-style games.
Legacy
The year 1994 saw Fury of the Furries licensed to Namco, who transformed it into Pac-In-Time by updating visual elements and music to fit within the Pac-Man franchise. The MS-DOS and Macintosh editions remained mostly intact aside from featuring Pac-Man as the main character.
Canceled Remake
A planned 3D remake by Kalisto Entertainment in 2002 was ultimately abandoned due to the company's financial collapse.