Putty Squad Bounces Back

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, veteran UK developer System 3 is to re-launch its 1994 SNES platform game, Putty Squad, across multiple formats.

In this age of digital distribution, self-publishing and crowd funding, it’s difficult to imagine a title of 2013 suffering the fate that befell Putty Squad twenty years ago. Work on System 3’s Amiga-platformer had been completed, demo discs had been printed and it had scored 90+ in a handful of high-profile Amiga publications. Unfortunately, for System 3 and Amiga-owners alike, Putty Squad became a victim of shifting market forces, as System 3 CEO Mark Cale describes.

“It was starting to come into the time of the console and the places where we were selling products, like WH Smith, Woolworths and even Boots, all began favouring the consoles. It sounded the knell for the Amiga and commercially it wasn’t viable to put the game out to just a few indies and a handful of other stores. Unfortunately, despite being a fantastic game, and being completely finished, it was never released on Amiga.”

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It sounded the knell for the Amiga and commercially it wasn’t viable to put the game out to just a few indies and a handful of other stores.

The result of this shift was that Putty Squad was launched on SNES in 1994 and the Amiga version seemed consigned to history. However, two decades later the Amiga code has been used to form the foundation for a Putty Squad re-launch on both handheld and home console as a boxed-product. Having played it on both Vita and 3DS it’s apparent that it’s a natural fit for a handheld and, of the two, the Vita’s higher resolution screen and more vibrant display helps it to shine; by comparison the 3DS version looks washed-out and far less sharp.

Putty Squad’s mechanics have aged relatively well and while an amorphous blob of clay doesn’t make for the most interesting of character designs it does, at least, provide the scope for Putty’s myriad abilities. Simple commands see Putty punch, absorb, inflate, stretch and bomb its way through enemies and basic puzzles with the aim of finding collectibles on each level to open a portal to the next.

To better fit the expectations of modern-day gaming, a tutorial has been added to smooth the path for the wide and varied audience that Cale believes will be drawn to the title. Putty Squad’s boxed retail presence will also help it to catch the eye of those unlikely or unable to venture online, as well as helping it avoid some of the inherent discoverability issues that plague platform-holders eShops. To celebrate its presence at retail, System 3 is also collaborating with UK retailer GAME to offer regular and free additional levels, although these will also be available to buy via microtransaction for those who are impatient or have an aversion to free stuff.

Finally, for those who are still in possession of what must by now be distinctly yellow-tinged Amiga hardware, Cale is hinting that System 3 is hoping to give them a reason to dust-off their keyboards and party like it’s 1994 by way of a pre-order incentive. Nothing is currently confirmed, but Cale hopes to be able to announce something later this year. Putty Squad is set for release on Vita, 3DS, PC, PS3 and 360, with the potential for a Wii U version and possible, modified version on iOS and Android to follow.

Stace Harman is a freelance contributor to IGN and is convinced that zombies will one day inherent the Earth. You can follow him on Twitter.