Putty Squad (Hands-On) (Nintendo 3DS) Preview

Want to relive the 'golden days' of gaming? Now it is possible as System 3 is bringing the classic Putty-led game back for a modern day audience, revamping the old Ocean-published title. Whilst not necessarily one of the most anticipated titles at the recent Eurogamer Expo, the lady assigned to the booth for the duration of the show did an amazing job of selling it, encouraging those passing by to jump in and stick through to the end of the demo…or until one of the various glitches were found. Sadly, a glitch was indeed what halted Cubed3's time with Putty Squad (clearing a stage froze the game completely, forcing a hard reset of the 3DS system), and on top of the multitude of elements that were not properly explained in the game, it would not be shocking to hear that this was a big disappointment.

However, with a little coaxing, and some perseverance to get past the lack of clear instructions yet abundance of text, and the problems coming from a quickly finished off pre-release build, what was experienced was a rather enjoyable platform-puzzle outing. Want something a bit different from the norm? Then Putty Squad should be placed on every 3DS owner's radar!

Putty Squad puts players in control of a small blue piece of putty that can inflate for floating purposes (although too much drains the character's energy supply), absorb enemies and objects, stretch to reach new locations, as well as use all manner of weapons and key items thanks to quick and simple use of the touch screen (throw bombs, fire missiles, and so on).

The beauty of this 3DS version is that gamers will have access to a whole host of secret levels, with them being released every two weeks as downloads. What was on offer in this early build was pleasing enough, though, if somewhat confusing in places. However, figuring out the best means of getting past enemies, collecting all of the required putty in a stage to open the final doorway, and uncovering lots of secret passages along the way was indeed great fun.