Billed as a “Classic Claymation Side-Scrolling Shooter,” Platypus is a twenty-dollar look back into the heyday of the shooter. The clay graphics are really a main selling point of the game, going by its own advertising and quote on the back of the box that states that the game is, in fact, a shooter that is in clay. There you go.

Beyond the presentation, though, the game consists of an extremely basic (classic, to some) game design that offers little more than a barebones experience of the genre. The game calls for a one-button response, pitting you against air mines, planes, and traditional UFOs set up against a fantasy backdrop. Taking your plane through six somewhat varied levels, you will encounter wave upon waves of said enemies doing the things that enemies in shooters do.  This includes flying in intertwined formations that serve no real purpose; erratically flying at you with a bunch of fellow kamikaze pilots; and sneaking in from behind with no regard for their own safety. It’s a by-the-numbers affair that manages to offer a few kicks in the process.

Platypus is set apart, like so many other shooters, by how it treats its weapons. Instead of selecting a load layout or having a chargeable blast or what-have-you, you instead have to either shoot down crates that contain bonuses or a specific formation of fighters that leave stars behind. The star is generally changeable by attack, so if you prefer auto-fire over wide shot, sonic pulse, rockets, or lightning, you would shoot the star until it flips to the desired weapon’s corresponding color. Each star is good for 20 seconds worth of ammunition of that particular weapon, but the time is also cumulative, with subsequent stars expanding the original 20 seconds by 20 more. The special weapons are both desperately needed and in very short supply, due to the stars often making themselves scarce and a default weapon that is extremely weak. Some of the special weapons, like the projectile-destroying sonic pulse, are also on the faint side. As a touch of salt in the wound, the projectiles can also be very hard to see, often being lost among surrounding ships, falling debris, and the background. In other words, expect quite a few misses and surprise deaths.

Aside from offering you the chance to save Mungola in the story mode, you can forego tackling the six levels and try to go commando in survival mode. Unlike story mode, there are no multiple lives or continues in survival mode; as you would expect, it’s you and your credit against waves of enemies. A nice addition is a co-op mode, though it’s accessible through Ad Hoc only. Still, at $20 apiece, it wouldn’t be too difficult to have a friend pick up a copy so that you can get a bit more out of the title, and it’s a true treat when you consider how rare a simultaneous two-player shooter is on the PSP.

Overall: 5/10