Putt-Putt Joins the Circus

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Description:

Hot Ziggety! Putt-Putt and Pep are back! In their latest adventure, Putt-Putt Joins the Circus, our heroes journey to Apple Valley to see the world famous B.J. Sweeny Circus. However, things do not go exactly as planned. On the way, a hungry goat eats Putt-Putt’s ticket, and he’s forced to hitch a ride to the circus on the friendly freight train, Rollalong Cassidy. Then, when Putt-Putt arrives, he finds the circus in shambles! All of the main five acts: Honko the Clown, Reginald the Lion, Phillipe the Flea, the Flying Porkowskis, and Katie Cannonball, are missing important items that they need to perform. The ringmaster, B.J. Sweeny, promises Putt-Putt free circus admission for life if he can save the show.

Along the way, Putt-Putt meets some new friends, as well as some familiar acquaintances. Mama Mombassa and Baby Jambo (from Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo) are traveling with the circus this summer, and are ecstatic when they run into their friend. The curious purple convertible will search far and wide-- from between a bear’s hairs to far above the big top on the high wire--for the things the circus acts need. While playing, children are not just having fun, but learning social skills and critical thinking.

Features:

• Fun, lovable characters
• Effective, full-motion cartoon graphics
• Contains good puzzles that challenge children
• Hundreds of clickable hotspots add zest

Technical Aspects:

As with most Humongous Entertainment products, Putt-Putt Joins the Circus is extremely stable. Try as we might, my family and I could not make this product crash, outside of a few glitches. The animation (stylized cartoons) was very smooth, except for the opening cut-scene. The voices could be rated as fair, as Putt-Putt's voice has changed and (in my 6-year-old's opinion) changed for the worse. There is no text option for hearing impaired users, except for a couple of rogue SCUMM (the engine the game is built on) glitches. Therefore, I would not recommend this product to hearing impaired purchasers.

Report and Conclusions:

Putt-Putt Joins the Circus is a fun game for children ages 3-8. My 6-year-old thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. However, most Humongous Entertainment games have a feature that randomizes the game every time it is played, providing virtually infinite replayability. Putt-Putt Joins the Circus lacks this feature. After children have completed the game, they will have no reason to play it again. This did not seem to deter my daughter for the first few replays; but, after three game sessions, her enthusiasm diminished. Also, it took her--unaided--less than an afternoon to complete all of the game options. If your children favor repetition, and are fond of the Putt-Putt characters, this software will probably be much enjoyed. However, if your software-investing funds are limited, or your child bores easily, this title may not be the wisest choice.