Putt-Putt Joins the Circus
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2017) |
| Putt-Putt Joins the Circus | |
|---|---|
 2002 cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Humongous Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Humongous Entertainment[a] |
| Programmer(s) | Brian Pulliam |
| Artist(s) | Edward Pun |
| Composer(s) | Scott Lloyd Shelly |
| Engine | SCUMM |
| Platform(s) | Macintosh, Windows, iOS, Linux |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Putt-Putt Joins the Circus is a video game and the sixth of adventure game of the Putt-Putt series of games. It was developed and published by Humongous Entertainment in 2000.
Plot
[edit]Putt-Putt and Pep are traveling to Apple Valley to see B.J. Sweeney's Big Top Circus. On the way, they find a hungry goat blocking the road to Apple Valley, as well as the train tracks where a train named Roll-Along Cassidy is trying to deliver sawdust to the circus. Putt-Putt coaxes the goat off of the tracks with a flower bush, but the goat eats his circus ticket afterwards. Realizing their predicament, Cassidy decides to give Putt-Putt and Pep a ride to the circus, saying that B.J. Sweeney might be able to help them.
Upon arriving at the circus, Putt-Putt learns from B.J. that all of the circus' acts are having problems. He shows Putt-Putt a piece of paper, showing the performers of the five main performers: Honko the Clown, The Flying Porkowskis, Phillipe the Flea, Reginald the Lion and Katie Cannonball. Putt-Putt volunteers to help around the circus, which Sweeny agrees to.
After Putt-Putt helps all the acts, B.J. Sweeney rewards Putt-Putt by letting him perform in the circus. At the end, Putt-Putt presses a button that opens a curtain, and all the five main circus stars perform their tricks, ending the game.
Gameplay
[edit]The game uses the same mechanics as its predecessors including Putt-Putt's dashboard interface and some minigames included. Throughout the game the player must solve characters' problems and unite all five circus actors.
Development
[edit]All backgrounds, characters and animations were hand drawn.[3]
Reception
[edit]Critical reception
[edit]| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| PC Magazine |   [4] |
| Publication | Award |
|---|---|
| Dr. Toy, Institute for Childhood Resources | 10 Best Software/CD-ROM/High-Tech Products for 2000[5] |
| Dr. Toy, Institute for Childhood Resources | 100 Best Children's Products for 2000[5] |
| National Parenting Publications Awards | Gold Award[5] |
| Parent's Guide | Children's Media Award[5] |
| Children's Software Revue | All Star Software Award[5] |
| Choosing Children's Software | Best Picks Award[5] |
The game was well received and earned a number of awards around its year of release.
Commercial performance
[edit]Between May 11 and 13, the game had debuted at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2000 in Los Angeles.[3]
During the year 2001 alone, Putt-Putt Joins the Circus sold 82,400 retail units in North America, according to PC Data.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Putt-Putt® Joins the Circus™ from Humongous Entertainment® Offers Big Top Fun for Children of All Ages" (Press release). Humongous Entertainment. July 11, 2000. Archived from the original on November 20, 2000.
- ^ "Putt-Putt Joins the Circus on Steam". Steam. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
- ^ a b "Latest Adventure Starring Everyone's Favorite Purple Car Available in June". Humongous Entertainment - News. 2000. Archived from the original on November 20, 2000. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Angela Graven (October 3, 2000). "Angela Graven reviews Putt-Putt Joins the Circus". PC Magazine. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f "Putt-Putt Joins the Circus - Awards". Humongous Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 18, 2001. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
- ^ Sluganski, Randy (March 2002). "State of Adventure Gaming - March 2002 - 2001 Sales Table". Just Adventure. Archived from the original on June 19, 2002. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ^ The iOS release was published by Tommo. The Steam release was co-published by Tommo and Night Dive Studios.