Putt-Putt Travels Through Time

{{Infobox video game

| title = Putt-Putt Travels Through Time

| image = Putt Putt Travels Through Time.jpg

| caption =

| publisher = Humongous Entertainment{{efn|The 2012/2013 iOS/Android release was published by Atari, while the re-release was published by Tommo. The Steam release was co-published by Tommo and Night Dive Studios. The Nintendo Switch version was published by UFO Interactive Games.}}

| designer = Brad Carlton
Bret Barrett
Matthew Mahon
Nick Mirkovich

| producer = Ron Gilbert

| writer = Laurie Rose Bauman

| engine = SCUMM

| composer = Jeremy Soule

| artist =

| released = Released:

June 1, 1997 (Win, Mac){{Cite web|url=https://www.awn.com/mag/issue2.3/issue2.3pages/news2.3.html|title=June 1997 News|access-date=January 17, 2023|archive-date=December 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209045211/https://www.awn.com/mag/issue2.3/issue2.3pages/news2.3.html|url-status=live}}{{cite press release |url=http://www.humongous.com/parents/pr/more/news/putt4.html |title=Humongous Entertainment Crafts Its Biggest Putt-Putt Adventure Ever: Putt-Putt Travels Through Time Hits Stores June 1 |publisher=Humongous Entertainment |date=April 30, 1997 |archive-date=October 4, 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991004163634/http://www.humongous.com/parents/pr/more/news/putt4.html |url-status=dead}}
August 14, 2012 (iOS)
October 4, 2013 (Android)

Re-released:

May 15, 2014 (Linux){{cite web |url=http://store.steampowered.com/search/?developer=Humongous%20Entertainment |title=Putt-Putt Travels Through Time on Steam |author= |date= |publisher=Steam |access-date=August 24, 2016 |archive-date=May 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150519183926/http://store.steampowered.com/search/?developer=Humongous%20Entertainment |url-status=live}}
January 3, 2022 (Nintendo Switch){{cite tweet|number=1475506007992246276|title=Freddi Fish 3 and Putt-Putt Travels Through Time will be released on January 3rd, 2022!|user=HumongousEnt|author=Humongous|author-link=Humongous Entertainment|date=December 27, 2021|access-date=January 4, 2022}}
November 3, 2022 (PlayStation 4)

| genre = Adventure

| modes = Single-player

| platforms = Android, Macintosh, Windows, iOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4

}}

Putt-Putt Travels Through Time is a 1997 video game and the fourth installment in the Putt-Putt series of games developed and published by Humongous Entertainment. In 2014, Night Dive Studios re-released the iOS, Linux and Steam versions. In 2022, a port was released on the Nintendo Switch in January, as one of the first Humongous Entertainment games to be released on the system alongside Freddi Fish 3: The Case of the Stolen Conch Shell, followed by a PlayStation 4 version in November.{{Cite web |title=Playstation4 |url=https://www.humongous.com/playstation-4 |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=HE |language=en |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117182820/https://www.humongous.com/playstation-4 |url-status=live}}

Production

File:Concept_art_for_Merlin_the_Medieval_Sorcerer.jpg

The production team brainstormed ideas for the follow-up title in the Putt Putt franchise. Among the alternate titles were: Putt-Putt Goes to the Carnival, Putt-Putt Saves the Universe, and Putt-Putt Learns to Fly. They eventually settled on Putt-Putt Travels Through Time.{{Cite web|url=http://www.humongous.com/Clubhe/Playroom/putt/page2.html|title=The Making of Putt-Putt Travels Through Time – Page 2|access-date=2017-01-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980210052324/http://www.humongous.com/Clubhe/Playroom/putt/page2.html|archive-date=February 10, 1998|df=mdy-all}} While the designs of the main characters were already established, the team had to work on designing to look of new characters such as Merlin the Medieval Sorcerer.{{Cite web|url=http://www.humongous.com/Clubhe/Playroom/putt/page3.html|title=The Making of Putt-Putt Travels Through Time – Page 3|access-date=2017-01-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980210062500/http://www.humongous.com/Clubhe/Playroom/putt/page3.html|archive-date=February 10, 1998|df=mdy-all}} The scripts was written and storyboards were created to layout how each scene would work as a self-contained piece, as well as part of a larger story.{{Cite web|url=http://www.humongous.com/Clubhe/Playroom/putt/page4.html|title=The Making of Putt-Putt Travels Through Time – Page 4|access-date=2017-01-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980210065313/http://www.humongous.com/Clubhe/Playroom/putt/page4.html|archive-date=February 10, 1998|df=mdy-all}} Background artists then interpreted both the script and storyboards to create the look and feel of the game through the backgrounds; part of their job was to leave sufficient space for clickable hotspots. Once the basic design sketch was approved, it was given more detail and finally painted.{{Cite web|url=http://www.humongous.com/Clubhe/Playroom/putt/page5.html|title=The Making of Putt-Putt Travels Through Time – Page 5|access-date=2017-01-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980210070505/http://www.humongous.com/Clubhe/Playroom/putt/page5.html|archive-date=February 10, 1998|df=mdy-all}} Next, animators created series of drawings based on the storyboards which when viewed together would simulate movement; each of the 30,000 drawings were then individually scanned into a computer, where they were cleaned up and had imperfections removed.{{Cite web|url=http://www.humongous.com/Clubhe/Playroom/putt/page6.html|title=The Making of Putt-Putt Travels Through Time – Page 6|access-date=2017-01-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980210071008/http://www.humongous.com/Clubhe/Playroom/putt/page6.html|archive-date=February 10, 1998|df=mdy-all}} The next stage was for artists to colour frames and animate clickpoints; Humongous noted that while this stage was "tedious", it allowed low-level artists to be creative and use their initiative.{{Cite web|url=http://www.humongous.com/Clubhe/Playroom/putt/page7.html|title=The Making of Putt-Putt Travels Through Time – Page 7|access-date=2017-01-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980210071205/http://www.humongous.com/Clubhe/Playroom/putt/page7.html|archive-date=February 10, 1998|df=mdy-all}} The work was handed over to programmers who wrote code to ensure the game responded to player choices, and who added sound effects to synch up to the animations.{{Cite web|url=http://www.humongous.com/Clubhe/Playroom/putt/page8.html|title=The Making of Putt-Putt Travels Through Time – Page 8|access-date=2017-01-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980210071259/http://www.humongous.com/Clubhe/Playroom/putt/page8.html|archive-date=February 10, 1998|df=mdy-all}} The music was created by Humongous, while voice actors were auditioned by the company (if new to the franchise), then sent to a studio to record their lines.{{Cite web|url=http://www.humongous.com/Clubhe/Playroom/putt/page9.html|title=The Making of Putt-Putt Travels Through Time – Page 9|access-date=2017-01-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980210071347/http://www.humongous.com/Clubhe/Playroom/putt/page9.html|archive-date=February 10, 1998|df=mdy-all}}

Putt Putt game designer Nick Mirkovich commented that there was a design philosophy of creating immersive interactive world for players to explore, and that like other games by Humongus, items needed for game completion were programmed to be in different places for separate playthroughs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Humongous+Entertainment+crafts+its+biggest+Putt-Putt+adventure+ever:...-a019359023|title=Humongous Entertainment crafts its biggest Putt-Putt adventure ever: Putt-Putt Travels Through Time hits stores June 1. – Free Online Library|website=www.thefreelibrary.com|access-date=2017-01-18|archive-date=January 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118224811/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Humongous+Entertainment+crafts+its+biggest+Putt-Putt+adventure+ever:...-a019359023|url-status=live}} Players could go behind the scenes into the game's production via the company website.

Plot

Putt-Putt visits Mr. Firebird's laboratory with the intention of showing him his new school supplies. At the lab, Mr. Firebird demonstrates a machine made to view different time periods like a television. The demonstration turns chaotic, however, when the machine opens a portal that sucks Putt-Putt's items and Pep into four different dimensions (Stone Age, Medieval, Old West, and the Distant Future). Since the portal can't be shut down until everything is brought back from the other eras, Putt-Putt is forced enter the portal to search for everything.

After finding every item and Pep in the eras, Putt-Putt returns to the laboratory and Mr. Firebird shuts off the portal to prevent any more chaos. Putt-Putt then leaves for school, promising to show his school items to Mr. Firebird later. At his classroom, Putt-Putt tells everyone about what he learned by time travelling as the credits roll.

Gameplay

The game mechanics are the same as in the predecessors including the glove box inventory, horn, radio and accelerator. The locations of the items and Pep vary throughout each playthrough; they each have four variations of where they could be, with one variation being in each of the eras and there cannot be more than one item in an era in each playthrough. There are also a number of optional minigames throughout the four eras.{{Cite web |title=ADVANCE RELEASE |url=http://www.humongous.com/about/pr/more/news/putt4.html |access-date=2024-05-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980210025337fw_/http://www.humongous.com/about/pr/more/news/putt4.html |archive-date=February 10, 1998}}

Reception

{{Video game reviews

| rev1 = Metzomagic

| rev1Score = {{rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.metzomagic.com/showArticle.php?index=246 |title=Putt Putt Travels Through Time Review by metzomagic.com |author=Rosemary Young |date=July 1998 |publisher=metzomagic.com |quote=It's a worthy challenge for pre-schoolers and a particularly good game choice for a young first time adventure game player. |access-date=September 6, 2016 |archive-date=February 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216222137/http://www.metzomagic.com/showArticle.php?index=246 |url-status=live}}

| rev2 = Greenman Gaming

| rev2Score = 52%{{cite web |url=https://www.greenmangaming.com/games/putt-putt-travels-through-time/ |title=Putt-Putt Travels Through Time |author=NeoJ |date=March 24, 2015 |publisher= |quote=Some puzzle parts in a classic point and click procedure with cute graphics and lots of charismatic characters. |access-date=September 6, 2016 |archive-date=September 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914001920/https://www.greenmangaming.com/games/putt-putt-travels-through-time/ |url-status=live}}

| rev3 = The Electric Playground

| rev3Score = 8/10{{cite web|url=http://www.elecplay.com/pc/freddie.html |title=Putt-Putt Travels Through Time – Electric Playground |author=Bonnie James |date=May 15, 1997 |publisher=Greedy Productions |quote=If your kids liked any of the other Junior Adventures, they will like this one too. |access-date=September 6, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970804194723/http://www.elecplay.com/pc/puttputt.html |archive-date=August 4, 1997}}

|rev4 = Macworld

|rev4Score = {{rating|4|5}} / 8.7/10{{r|"macworld"}}

| award1Pub = Macworld

| award1 = Best Kids Game (1998){{r|"macworld"}}

}}

Computer Shopper felt the game was fun, but ultimately failed to live up to predecessors of the genre.{{Cite magazine|magazine=Computer Shopper|date=1997-09-01|title=Putt-Putt Travels Through Time. (Humongous Entertainment)(The Learning Arcade) (Software Review)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19662897.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115224747/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19662897.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2018-11-15}} The Cincinnati Post deemed the game "outstanding", and recommended that younger children purchase an earlier title in the Putt-Putt series first to acquaint themselves with computers before attempting this more "challenging" title.{{cite news|newspaper=The Cincinnati Post|date=1997-06-14|title=NEW PUTT PUTT MOST CHALLENGING.(AT HOME)|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-72816515.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121002006/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-72816515.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2018-11-21}} The Boston Herald gave the game a rating of 4.5 stars, praising the abundance of clickable hotspots in every scene which would keep kids entertained while completing the adventure.{{cite news|newspaper=The Boston Herald|date=1997-05-25|title=KID TECH: Players 'Putt-Putt Through Time'.|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-56395136.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117164442/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-56395136.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2018-11-17}} The newspaper also deemed the game one of the "finest kid titles ever".{{cite news|newspaper=The Boston Herald|date=2002-11-03|title=New Yu-Gi-Oh! 'Duelist' game hits its mark.(Arts and Lifestyle)|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-93897725.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121012732/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-93897725.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2018-11-21}} Rocky Mountain News gave it a B, commenting that it lived up to the quality standard of Humongous Entertainment.{{cite news|newspaper=Rocky Mountain News|date=1997-07-25|title='HERCULES' A CAN'T MISS BABY-SITTER.(Entertainment/Weekend/Spotlight)(Review)|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-67728134.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008195227/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-67728134.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2016-10-08}} The Washington Times wrote that the game was "delightful" and "uncomplicated".{{cite news|newspaper=The Washington Times|date=1998-05-26|title=Dachshund, Frog Help Math Skills Take Leap|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-58337780.html}}{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Macworld rated the game 8.7 out of 10 and inducted it into its 1998 Game Hall of Fame in the Kids category, saying that while the point was "to encourage junior adventurers to master the reasoning and problem-solving skills necessary to complete the task [...] the bottom line is fun, and as in grown-up adventures, the journey itself is the reward".{{cite magazine | magazine=Macworld | title=1998 Game Hall of Fame | last1=Levy | first1=Steven | last2=Crotty | first2=Cameron | authorlink1=Steven Levy | page=82 | date=January 1998 | publisher=Mac Publications, LLC}}

In the fourth quarter of 1997, the game was the 4th biggest seller in the PC Kids/Edutainment category.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Top+PC+and+Video+Games+Spur+Strong+Growth+for+The+Interactive+...-a020060836|title=Top PC and Video Games Spur Strong Growth for The Interactive Entertainment Industry – Free Online Library|website=www.thefreelibrary.com|access-date=2017-01-18|archive-date=January 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118224617/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Top+PC+and+Video+Games+Spur+Strong+Growth+for+The+Interactive+...-a020060836|url-status=live}}

References

External links

{{moby game|id=/putt-putt-travels-through-time}}
[http://humongous.com/games/putt-putt-travels-through-time/ Putt-Putt Travels Through Time at Humongous Entertainment]

Putt Putt Travels Through Time

Category:Android (operating system) games

Category:Classic Mac OS games

Category:Infogrames games

Category:IOS games

Category:Linux games

Category:Nintendo Switch games

Category:PlayStation 4 games

Travels Through Time

Category:SCUMM games

Category:ScummVM-supported games

Category:Single-player video games