"Puggsy is one of those rare gems most people don't know about."

Introduction
During the Mega Drive stage as a kid, I rented out numerous titles from my local game shop as they were quite cheap at only fifty pence each. I got Sonic 3, Calafornia games, Flashback, Shadow of the Beast 2, and eventually I got Puggsy.

Story
If there was one. Puggsy is a weird orange alien that likes to jump a lot. His spaceship crash lands on a planet inhabited by thieving raccoons. The raccoons steal Puggsy's spaceship and so he has to trek through the large world in order to get it back.

Gameplay 9/10
Puggsy is one of those rare gems that is actually a joy to play. I cannot say that about many titles. The objective in Puggsy is to get back your ship. There are 57levels in all. Platforming is the main deal here, but Puggsy also lays heavy emphasis on puzzle solving. Stuff like taking an item to a certain location, or stacking items atop of each other in order to get to a platform, or even using items to figure out puzzles for, for example: You have a match and you need to use it to light a cannon to let out the cannon balls. Puzzles are inventive and are fun.

Puggsy also uses physics. Items differ in weight and will topple if stacked the wrong way, and if they fall off on a slope/hill, the lighter items will slide down the hill much faster and go much father than let say, a cannonball. Supposedly, Puggsy was one of the first titles to also incorporate physics into its gameplay and around the time was something completely new in games.

Sound/Visuals 8/10
The Audio and Visuals in Puggsy are great. They look nice and sound nice. The soundtrack is easy on the ears and the level design is pretty interesting and backdrops vary between sandy beaches to dark forests. All levels are bright and full of colour. I like the space levels the most. The enemy designs are also pretty good, especially the raccoons and the bosses, for a 16 bit game were highly detailed.

Replay Value 8/10
Puggsy holds loads of secrets. Expect secrt levels, secret endings and secret cinematic sequences. Puggsy for a title made on the MD has surprisingly deep, puzzle intense gameplay that offers tons of enjoyment for everyone.

Conclusion
I was glad that I decided to rent this title. I had a lot of fun and if provided me hours of fun as a kid. Puggsy proves that you don't need to be a next gen console to be a good game. With its simple graphics and interesting gameplay mechanics, Puggsy can easily match some of the most respected platformers about, and in some cases, it's much better.

Pros and Cons

+ 57 levels of puzzle and platforming goodness
+ It's fun
+ Has a ton of secrets and gimmicks

- Can be frustrating at times.

If you liked this you may like

Ristar (Sega Mega Drive)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/29/09

Game Release: Puggsy (EU, 1993)