Puggsy for Genesis

Image: MobyGames

Puggsy

One-person Lost Vikings

Genre: puzzle - platform

Publisher: Psygnosis

Year: 1994

System: Genesis

Gameplay Score: 3

Gameplay Notes:

I debated whether to call this a puzzle or a platformer but settled on calling it a Lemmings-style puzzler. Oddly enough, much of the puzzle elements in each level are optional which I suppose gives the game replay value. Gameplay is...awkward. You've got a ridiculously short jump. You can pick up one moveable item at a time, some of which can be "used", such as firing a gun. Other items can simply be moved around to create a platform or to solve a simple puzzle. What's weird is that literally everything has collision so while carrying an item you bounce off of or knock around other items. As a result, there's a high degree of precision required in your movements, which again are very small. So you hae to pick up an item, raise or lower it to just the right height, move or jump in very small, measured increments, and drop or use the item in just the right spot. Before long this precision becomes more tiresome than fun. Oh and everything is a one hit kill.

Level Design Score: 2

Level Design Notes:

Stages are very weird. There is so much optional that it's hard to figure out what is required. Enemies fly as if they're in a combat-friendly platformer instead of a puzzle game. Combine this with one-hit kills and this becomes a major annoyance.

Theme Score: 1

Theme Notes:

No idea what's going on here

Art Style Score: 4

Art Style Notes:

Is there a worse main character? Ok fine, Lester the Unlikely is worse, but this...whatever...looks like a living jester's hat. Outside of the game's questionable character models the graphics here are quite lovely. They have that distinct Amiga look that you'll either love or despise but without the busy backgrounds that plague so many other Amiga ports. I daresay these are some of the best graphics on the Genesis. Except for the horrible sprites, of course.

Audio Score: 3

Audio Notes:

Perfectly pleasant, but also unremarkable

Overall Score: 55

Review ID: 1175