Overview
Platypus is a sci-fi side-scrolling shoot-'em-up developed by Squashy Software and published by Idigicon Limited for the PC in Europe on May 14, 2002, with a worldwide digital release by Retro64 on January 25, 2004, then by KISS on August 15, 2014 (via Steam), later by Claymatic Games.
In Platypus, players pilot the F-27 "Platypus" as they defend the primitive country of Mungola from the neighboring industrial city of Collosatropolis. Along with being an arcade-style shoot-'em-up sold for the PC in the early 2000's, the game is known for its multiple control options (including mouse controls), its extensive use of claymation, and its soundtrack comprising of existing remixes of Commodore 64 chiptunes from the record label C64Audio.com.
The game was later ported to the PlayStation Portable by MumboJumbo on November 17, 2006, to iOS, Windows Mobile, and other mobile devices by BitRabbit and Astraware throughout 2008, and to the Xbox 360 (as an Xbox Live Indie Game) by Escapist Games on November 23, 2009.
The game later received a sequel in 2007, titled Platypus II, which was developed without the involvement of Squishy Software. In 2019, the license to both games were acquired by the game's original designer, Anthony Flack, for his studio Claymatic Games. A remake of the game is in development.
Gameplay
The game is also different from other shooters in that weapon upgrades only last for a limited amount of time.
There are five types of weapons, the latter four of which are obtained by finding a power-up star and shooting it until it becomes a certain color:
- Basic fire - player starts with and reverts to this after a power-up has been depleted
- Auto-fire - obtained by collecting a blue star
- Wide shot - obtained by collecting a yellow star
- Rockets - obtained by collecting a red star
- Sonic Pulse - obtained by collecting a green star
Soundtrack
In all versions except iOS, the game's music consists of shortened versions of remixes of Commodore 64 chiptunes (including games, loaders, and demos) from the record label C64Audio.com.
- Level 1 - "Comic Bakery" by Martin Galway, performed by Tomas Danko from the CD "Back in Time 2"
- Level 4 - "Driller" by Matt Gray, performed by Darren "SeDi" Izzard from the CD "Back in Time 2"
- Boss 1 - "Trap" by Ben Daglish, performed by Chris Abbott, Alistair "Boz" Bowness" and Jason "Kenz" Mackenzie from the CD "Back in Time 3"
- Boss 2 - "Armalyte" by Martin Walker, performed by Fabian Del Priore, Tom Boecker, and Phil "Puffy64" Reifke from the CD "Back in Time 3".
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