Stunning good looks highlight this imaginatively styled but otherwise traditional side-scrolling shoot-'em-up, in which you must maneuver an unassuming little ship through numerous enemy-infested stages while blasting pretty much everything in your way. Platypus is easy to play using the mouse, keyboard, or joystick, and you have the option to play simultaneously with a friend. Multiple difficulty levels are also available, and unless you consider yourself a pro at classic shooters like Gradius, you'll appreciate having the "easy" setting, since the tougher options are very challenging.
The game has a good, solid feel to it, and you'll find a number of fun-to-use power-ups during the course of your missions, which include a number of battles against big, heavily armed boss opponents. Through it all, the visuals of Platypus are the main attraction, since the whole world of the game looks like it's made of clay. Great little details abound, such as how bigger enemy ships gradually break apart as you shoot them, and you can even see their crews bail out by parachute. Platypus' lively soundtrack also never skips a beat as you play, helping solidify this as a great example of a classic arcade-style game for your PC.
