Platypus (video game)

Squashy Software

Industry	Video game development
Founder	Anthony Flack
Key people	Anthony Flack (designer), George Bray (producer), Michael W. Boeh (programmer)
Products	Platypus

Platypus is a side-scrolling shooter created by Squashy Software, with design by Anthony Flack, production led by George Bray, and programming handled by Michael W. Boeh. The gameplay involves steering a vintage spacecraft using the mouse to dodge and eliminate adversaries.

Gameplay

In the game, players pilot the final surviving ship of the fictional F-27 Platypus fleet, defending the planet Mungola against the expansionist city of Colossatropolis, which aims to conquer its lands. The title consists of four stages, each divided into five segments culminating in a boss encounter. Various power-ups are available to upgrade weaponry, increase firing speed, add secondary guns, or double the points earned from enemies and collectibles.

Players accumulate points by defeating foes and gathering bonus coins and fruits. Additional score bonuses are granted at the conclusion of each segment depending on the number of targets destroyed. Losing a life occurs when the player’s ship collides with enemies or is hit by their fire.

The game provides players with a limited number of credits to continue after all lives are lost. Bonus credits are awarded upon completing the first three stages, while finishing the final stage grants a significant bonus related to any remaining credits.

Production

The entire visual content was crafted using claymation techniques. Due to scarce plasticine supplies in New Zealand during development, designer Flack repurposed a single piece of grey clay for all character models, digitally photographing each pose and then enhancing the images with color in Adobe Photoshop. Except for the iPhone version, the soundtrack features remixed tracks from Commodore 64 games created by various artists, licensed through C64Audio.com and High Technology Publishing Ltd., with Jonathan Dunn represented by Bucks Music Publishing Ltd. Complete credits were included in accompanying distribution text files.

By 2019, Anthony Flack and Claymatic Games had acquired the rights to Platypus along with its sequel.

Releases

Initially launched on CD in May 2002, Platypus was later adapted by Retro64 for online distribution starting January 2004, introducing an easy difficulty setting and mouse compatibility. A subsequent release addressed bugs and added support for several languages such as Chinese and Japanese. On November 14, 2006, the game debuted on Sony's PlayStation Portable, followed by a PlayStation Network release on March 26, 2009, featuring slight adjustments to fit the PSP's screen dimensions. It became available on Xbox Live Indie Games on November 24, 2009. Both Platypus and its sequel were launched on Steam on August 15, 2014.

Reception

Critical response to Platypus was mostly favorable. The PSP edition holds a Metacritic score of 59/100. GameSpot awarded the Windows version an 8.0/10 rating and gave the PSP version a 6.8/10, noting its appeal to enthusiasts of traditional side-scrolling shooters. GameSpy rated the PSP version 3.5/5 while IGN scored it 5.0/10, criticizing its conventional gameplay and graphics. The iOS version received a 3.5/5 from Pocket Gamer, whereas X-Play rated the PSP port lower at 2/5.

Additional evaluations include Clubic’s 3/5 for OS X, Extreme Gamer’s 6/10 for PSP, Game Tunnel’s 8/10 for Windows, Kidzworld’s 4/5 for PSP, MacLife’s 4/5 for iOS, and Slide To Play’s 3/4 for iOS.

Sequel

In February 2007, Idigicon published Platypus II, developed by Citric Games without participation from the original creators.

Remake

Following the acquisition of rights from Idigicon, the original developer is working with a new team to create a remake named Platypus Reclayed. A PC demo version was released on June 9, 2025, coinciding with Steam Next Fest.

External links

• Platypus on GameFAQs
• Platypus on Giant Bomb
• Platypus on MobyGames