Platypus - A Fun Fast, Side-Scrolling Arcade Shooter With a Twist
Astraware's newest release of side scrolling shooter Platypus has just recently landed in the App Store. Based on the fan-created classic Mac classic by Idigicon, Platypus (also known as River City) is a fast-paced, action-packed side scrolling arcade shooter featuring original artwork from IDigi, Macchi, and a lot more. I love how the whole game is painted in high-gloss polygonal detail; it looks like an expensive art piece that could possibly be part of a limited-edition collector's set. The first thing I thought of when I saw the game was that it was probably inspired by the arcade classic Megaman.
The story behind the game revolves around the exploration of a post-apocalyptic world where humans have turned to robots in order to fight off marauding mutated creatures called maulers. You play the role of Tucker, a courier who helps maintain order amongst the human population by sending messages and distributing power-ups amongst them. The only problem is that you are unable to shoot anything because all your attacks end up failing, and this is where your journey begins. You'll have a wide range of weapons to use against the maulers, such as the powerful but slow f-27 platypus, a machine gun, sniper rifles, and also the infamous chainsaw, which you can pick up after one of the missions.
The story behind Platypus follows one mission: protect the president of the United States from maulers on a plane flying to Seattle. You'll need to shoot down several aircraft before reaching the final destination, which is an airport guarded by robot sharks. However, this isn't just any run-and-gun platformer; it's also a side-scrolling arcade shooter that has a great deal of depth and replayability. After taking down a couple of planes, I recommend going back and completing some other missions in order to earn extra credits so that you can buy better weapons and items for the rest of the game. If you enjoy simple, but entertaining games, then you'll love playing Platypus. Its simplicity and casual style will appeal to everyone, while its exciting, action-packed gameplay will make it a top seller on itch-worthy downloads websites.
