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[img width=250 height=400]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-095/bf/U-095-S-02950-A.jpg[/img]
If you've been following my blog for a while now, then it's no secret to you that I've become a pretty big fan of shmups. And when I'm collecting for a system, it becomes near impossible for me to pass any up at the right price. This means that constant trips to GameStop have resulted in some peculiar purchases. Y'know the old saying of judging books by their covers? I don't really buy into all that. I tend to know the sort of games that I enjoy. And I tend to believe that many game companies knew enough to market a lot of their games as such. If I see a shmup that has an anime witch with odd-colored hair and the screenshots boast bright pink or green bullets, then guess what? I'm probably gonna like it. But then there's a game like Platypus. I mean forget the cover -- just take a gander at that title: Platypus? Really?
[img width=300 height=200]http://i.imgur.com/SXS3J.jpg[/img] [img width=300 height=200]http://i.imgur.com/kH8fp.jpg[/img]
Platypus is a horizontal shmup that seems to draw inspiration from the Cute-em-up sub-sub-genre. To put it bluntly -- everything is made out of clay. It's sort of like Gradius meets Clay Fighter. Your ship has several power-ups to its main gun, and no secondary weapons. One interesting feature is that rather than lose your power-up at a death, instead there's a count-down timer on each power-up you collect. So while you may find one power-up more useful than another, it's also in your interest to keep grabbing new ones so as to not be demoted down to your standard shot.
[img width=300 height=200]http://i.imgur.com/BiBxX.jpg[/img] [img width=300 height=200]http://i.imgur.com/eGRO7.png[/img]
I'm not going to pretend that Platypus is some amazing hidden gem. It's not. It's basically a very so-so shmup. But it is at least unique in its presentation. And it boasts thirty levels, which means it will keep you busy for at least a bit. Perhaps more importantly, it's very cheap on the after-market. Basically you're getting into a just good shmup, but for the low premium why not? The visuals are at least interesting, which is at least saying something. The bit of searching I tried to do on the game's developer, Squashy Software seems to say that this is their only game so far (and it was released in 2006). I'd at least give them a chance to see what they do next considering their attempt at putting a unique visual spin on such a long-running genre.
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I feel like I've seen this before. I probably saw this in a preview or something back in the day.
So was there a platypus in the game at all?
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I have this on XBLA and had no idea it was released for the PSP. Must track down a copy. Great article btw.
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@noiseredux I recently found a decent shmup on DSiWare called Metal Torrent. It has been eating my spare tme as of late  Nice Article BTW
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Good to know that I'm not the only one who primarily snaps up shmups for every system that I own. Great read.
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Does this mean you want a Clay Fighters sequel?
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I'm completely with you on this overview, noiseredux. Like you I grab any shmup I find (sometimes whether I can afford it or not ) and I really wanted to champion this one for its unique presentation. But as you stated, it's really only average gameplay at best, though fun to look at. I'm very glad it is going so cheap (I picked mine up for just over $3) because I'd have still felt compelled to buy it if it were pricey and I'd have been really let down. As you said, for the price it is worth picking up for a shmup fan or a collector, otherwise you'll probably not get much out of it.
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@ShellShock: absolutely NOT.
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@ShellShock:I would love to see a new Clayfighters, but I guess I will have to make do with the DSiWare remake.
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I think you described the game perfect. When I bought it years ago I had hopes it would be great. Expectations, they are fragile things sometimes. Still, for the PSP shooters are a rare treat and the few we get are far too rare unless you import.
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Great review! Fun and unique graphics, some interesting targets/bosses, and some nifty powerups but all in all it wasn't terribly difficult to get through. I really enjoyed it because as Fuyu said, PSP shooters are a rare treat and I don't do many imports. I guess I should, though. Any recommendations for PSP shmups?
Side note - really looking forward to Dream Trigger 3D for the 3DS, as it looks like a fun 3D shooter! I guess we'll see...
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@Deadman: as far as recommendations, just keep yr eyes on this here blog! 
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