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Platypus is a new side scroller from Astraware. As is typical these days, Platypus has a bit of a 80s retro feel, with audio that hearkens back to the days of the Commodore 64 and Coleco. How does it separate itself from tons of other games that try to do the same thing?  The most interesting feature of Platypus is the "clay" graphics, which make the entire game look a bit like a claymation cartoon. It's as if everything in the game was put together from rounded globs of clay. The effect is actually very well done: the graphics don't look at all cheap or cut and paste: they're a bit simpler-looking than sprites and appear to have a very smooth surface. When looking at everything on the screen and how smoothly it moves, the eye tends to slide easily over the screen. The "clay" effect seems to work especially well on the ground effects of the landscape, which consists of multi-layered parallax scrolling. The 3D effect is excellent, especially when you fly over power lines. Clearly, a lot of work went into the game's graphics. 

And how does the game play? Zipping through the first few levels shows a great balance and moderation. Enemies are neither too numerous or too sparse; and they're made up of a number of types: some appear in waves, some individually. Some move in a scripted pattern; others move more freely and will try to follow the player. Thankfully, thanks to the graphics, they're all very easy to see and spot against the game's background. Power-ups are also included in the game, although they only last a limited time in order to prevent the game from being too easy.

Overall, Platypus is a fun game, and the graphics are so unique that it really stands out from the other action games out there. The game's mechanics are pretty solid as well, making for a pretty good title overall despite the fact that scrolling shooters are so common.
 

Title: Platypus	Developer: Astraware
Genre: Scrolling Shooter	Demo: Y
Platform: Pocket PC 2003+	Price: $19.95
Discuss this game	Rating (of 4): 3.5