Putt-Putt (series)
Video game series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Putt-Putt is a series of point-and-click adventure games and puzzle video games aimed towards children created by Humongous Entertainment. This franchise was Humongous Entertainment's first game series to be developed.[1] They primarily involve clicking to get to a destination, although some sub-quests and mini-games involve the keyboard. The main character, Putt-Putt, an anthropomorphic purple convertible, and his dog, Pep, travel to various locations.
Atari
Infogrames
Night Dive Studios
| Putt-Putt | |
|---|---|
 Putt-Putt and Pep | |
| Genres | Adventure, edutainment |
| Developer | Humongous Entertainment |
| Publishers | Humongous Entertainment Atari Infogrames Night Dive Studios |
| Creator | Shelley Day |
| Platforms | DOS, Microsoft Windows, 3DO, Macintosh, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 |
| First release | Putt-Putt Joins the Parade November 6, 1992 |
| Latest release | Putt-Putt's Fun House May 22, 2013 |
History
Putt-Putt was originally thought up by Shelley Day as a series of bedtime stories for her son, Travis; the first story involved Putt-Putt saving a cat caught in a tree.[2][3]
Child actor Jason Ellefson provided Putt-Putt's voice for the first eight games. In the next three games, Nancy Cartwright voiced Putt-Putt. Michelle Thorson voiced Putt-Putt in Pep's Birthday Surprise.
The games are supported by ScummVM and thus can be played on other platforms such as handhelds. Humongous has brought several Putt-Putt and other titles to iOS[4] and Android.
In 1997, Humongous made an agreement with Lancit Media Entertainment to create an animated TV series titled Putt-Putt 'n Pals, along with films and home video releases.[5][6] Ultimately, the deal fell through.
Several games from the original series were later re-released by Humongous on Steam in April 2014,[7] alongside games from the Pajama Sam, Freddi Fish, and Spy Fox series.[8][9] The first two games used pixel art graphics; starting with the third game, the series uses hand-drawn animation.
Games
Humongous Entertainment classified the adventure games as Junior Adventures for kids 3-8.
| Adventure Games | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Release date | Platforms | Developer/Publisher |
| Putt-Putt Joins the Parade | November 6, 1992 (MS-DOS)
|
3DO, Android, iOS, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows, MS-DOS | Humongous Entertainment |
| Putt-Putt Goes to the Moon |
| ||
| Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo |
|
Android, DVD, iOS, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 | |
| Putt-Putt Travels Through Time |
|
Android, iOS, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 | |
| Putt-Putt Enters the Race[10] |
|
Android, iOS, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows | |
| Putt-Putt Joins the Circus[11] |
|
Android, iOS, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows | |
| Putt-Putt: Pep's Birthday Surprise |
|
Macintosh, Microsoft Windows | |
| Junior Arcade | |||
| Title | Release date | Platforms | Developer/Publisher |
| Putt-Putt and Pep's Dog on a Stick |
|
iOS, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows | Humongous Entertainment |
| Putt-Putt and Pep's Balloon-o-Rama |
|
Handheld, Linux, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows |
|
| Activity Packs | |||
| Title | Release date | Platforms | Developer/Publisher |
| Putt-Putt's Fun Pack | March 26, 1993 | 3DO, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows, MS-DOS | Humongous Entertainment |
| Putt-Putt and Fatty Bear's Activity Pack |
|
Macintosh, Microsoft Windows | |
| Putt-Putt's One-Stop Fun Shop | May 23, 2000 | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows | |
| Putt-Putt's Fun House | May 22, 2013 | iOS |
|
Customization
Players can change Putt-Putt's color to original purple, red, orange, yellow, green or blue. All colors can be painted on again. This also changes the color of the dashboard in Putt-Putt Enters the Race and Putt-Putt Joins the Circus. In Putt-Putt Joins the Parade and Putt-Putt Enters the Race, each color change costs three coins that can be collected in the game world. In Putt-Putt: Pep's Birthday Surprise, Putt-Putt's color can only be changed temporarily before reverting to purple after some traveling. His color can also be changed in certain levels of Putt-Putt and Pep's Balloon-o-Rama by using Pep to pop certain balloons tied to paint buckets, then catching the bucket containing the desired color as it falls to change Putt-Putt to.
Availability
- For Steam the games were released as single games,[12] or bundled together in the "Putt-Putt Complete Pack"[13] or came packaged with all Humongous Entertainment games in "Humongous Entertainment Complete Pack".[14]
- Humongous Entertainment released 2 CD-packs titled "Humongous Entertainment Triple Treat" 1 and 2. The first pack included Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo, Pajama Sam's Sock Works and Freddi Fish and the Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds,[15] while the second pack included Putt-Putt Travels Through Time, Pajama Sam: No Need to Hide When It's Dark Outside and Freddi Fish and Luther's Maze Madness.[16]
- Humongous Entertainment released a "Putt-Putt Fun & Learning Kindergarten Edition"[17] package with a Putt-Putt notebook and a CD that included Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo and Big Thinkers Kindergarten.[18]
- Putt-Putt and Pep's Balloon-O-Rama was released for Windows and Macintosh on a compilation CD titled "Super Duper Arcade 1",[19] along with Spy Fox in: Cheese Chase, Pajama Sam's Sock Works and Freddi Fish and Luther's Water Worries.[20]
- Putt-Putt and Pep's Dog on a Stick was released for Windows and Macintosh on a compilation CD titled "Super Duper Arcade 2",[21] along with Spy Fox in: Hold the Mustard, Pajama Sam's Lost & Found and Freddi Fish and Luther's Maze Madness.[22]
- Putt-Putt Travels Through Time was released on the Nintendo Switch eShop alongside Freddi Fish 3: The Case of the Stolen Conch Shell in January 2022. The next month, Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo was released alongside Pajama Sam: No Need to Hide When It's Dark Outside, Pajama Sam: Thunder and Lightning Aren't so Frightening, and Spy Fox in: Dry Cereal.
Books
Various children's books about Putt-Putt have been published by Lyrick Publishing and Random House. A cassette tape audio adaptation was created for Putt-Putt's Night Before Christmas.
| Title | Date | Writer | Publisher | Illustrator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putt-Putt's Night Before Christmas[23] | December 1995 | Laurie Bauman Arnold | Humongous Entertainment | Derek McCaughan, Edward Pun |
| Putt-Putt and Pep[24] | May 7, 1996 | Del Thompson | Random House Books For Young Readers | |
| Putt-Putt: The Great Pet Chase[25] | July 2000 | Laurie Bauman Arnold, Tricia Legault | Lyrick Publishing | |
| Go, Go, Putt-Putt Go![26] | 2000 | Laurie Bauman Arnold, N.S. Greenfield | Darren McKee | |
| Putt-Putt: Lost In Time[27] | January 2001 | Nancy Parent | Josie Yee | |
| Putt-Putt: Race Against the Clock[28] | July 2001 | Gayla Amaral | Sue DiCiccio | |
| On the Road With Putt-Putt[29] |
Reception
The Putt-Putt series received various awards including "All-Star Software Award" from Children's Software Revue, "Reader's Choice Award" from Mac Home Journal and "2000 Best Picks Award" from Choosing Children's Software.[30]