Playdate Season 2 review: Long Puppy and Otto's Galactic Groove!!
We're officially halfway through Playdate Season Two, and so far there have been no flops. Last week brought us a balanced serving of doom, gloom and delight , but this week is all about keeping things light and silly. That's not to say the latest two games are a walk in the park, though. The third drop of Season Two features Long Puppy and Otto's Galactic Groove!! , and as playful as they are, you're still in for a challenge. But when you need a break, there's always more Blippo+ .
I'm convinced that Playdate developers are a different breed. This console has led me to some of the oddest games I've played in a while, and Long Puppy is yet another ridiculous but charming entry to the canon. It is essentially a game of fetch. You play as a dachshund on an outing with your owner, and all you have to do is retrieve the ball they've thrown. Simple enough, right? Normal, even? Of course not.
Each level is a complex obstacle course — platforms, underground chambers, rooms with doors that can only be opened from one side, etc. And you're working against the clock. After a certain amount of time passes, you'll no longer be chasing the ball alone. A ghost dog with razer-sharp chompers will show up to steal the ball from you and try to bite your head off. But none of that's the weird stuff. The weird stuff is in how you move and how you're scored.
The dachshund you play as isn't any regular dachshund. Its head can rotate a full 360 degrees, and whichever way you point it (using the crank) determines which direction you'll travel in. It doesn't just walk, either, but rather stretches forward and contracts like some sort of extreme Slinky-worm. There's food scattered throughout each level, and eating will make the dog's body grow longer and longer so it can cross greater gaps. The result is what looks like an alien wearing a dachshund suit and trying really hard to behave inconspicuously but failing. As you explore and collect food, you may also find some interesting pee to sniff. Yep, pee, and there's a pee journal that serves as a record of all the different types of urine you've encountered. Clown pee? Check! Loafing Cat pee? Check!
It's all incredibly silly. At the end of each level, once you've successfully brought the ball back to your owner, you'll have to make the dog take a massive poop using the crank, and the height of this dump (in feet) will tell you whether you finished with 100 percent completeness or not. Absurdity aside, the mechanics of this game are really interesting and make for a unique playing experience. It all seems at first like it's going to be a chill puzzle platformer of sorts, and then the ghost dog shows up to unleash chaos on everything. It's pretty fun. I am, as they say, a big fan of whatever the hell this is.
Otto's Galactic Groove!! has been both a great and terrible thing for me. It's great in that it is a really cool take on the rhythm game formula, with a cute story and some fun tunes to jam out to. It's terrible in that it triggers my perfectionism in the exact way games like Guitar Hero used to, trapping me in a loop of replaying each song until I've hit every note to achieve a perfect final score. There's a lot of screaming involved. I may not be a strict completionist in some games, but rhythm games just do something to me, and I cannot rest until I see that 100 percent at the end of it all.
In Otto's Galactic Groove!! , a space version of those adorable " sea bunny " sea slugs named Otto has been sent on a mission to explore the galaxy and find inspiration for the alien music producer Tomie. Otto stops at several different planets to chat with eccentric characters and hear their songs, and you play along with them.
Now, there are three difficulty settings for this game, but if I'm being honest, none of them are particularly easy. Casual is the lowest and it's said to be a "gentle introduction," but it didn't feel so gentle in my first two or three attempts to keep up with even the tutorial song. I cannot even fathom what playing on Extreme would be like. This rhythm game doesn't just entail hitting a button at the exact right time as the note crosses a designated threshold — the threshold here is a moving, oval-shaped slider that you control using the crank. So you need to get the oval into the right place and hit the note at the precise time when it makes contact. Finding the sweet spot was tricky, too. I first assumed the notes would need to be in the dead center of the oval, but the target is actually somewhere right before that. A patch that's since been released seems to fix this, though, making the timing more intuitive.
The songs made for this game are fun and span different genres, so you won't feel like you're just listening to the same thing over and over again (unless you are, in fact, playing the same songs over and over again, like me in my futile quest for perfection). Early on, you'll encounter a fish with a case of the blues (his "girl-fish" broke up with him), and I quite liked his heartbreak anthems. Under the Jukebox tab in the menu, you can also find songs from other Playdate games like Resonant Tale and Bloom , which is a really nice touch.
This is another Playdate game in which the central story is told through a comic that you scroll using the crank, and I remain a fan of that approach. While it might not look like it from an outsider's perspective (my partner checked in on me multiple times RE: all the screaming to make sure everything was okay, especially after the game crashed and I lost all of my initial progress) I'm enjoying Otto's Galactic Groove!! a lot… just in a way that feels kind of masochistic.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Engadget
a day ago
- Engadget
Playdate Season 2 review: Shadowgate PD and CatchaDiablos
Earlier in this Playdate season, I commented in a review that I "love a game that pisses me off a little." Well, I may have shot myself in the foot with that one. Week four of Playdate Season Two brings us not one game that got my blood boiling, but two. CatchaDiablos is a roguelike with a unique movement mechanic that is both pretty cool and absolutely infuriating: running in circles with the crank. Shadowgate PD , on the other hand, is a remade-for-Playdate version of the classic point-and-click adventure that's filled with tricky puzzles and hidden death traps. This week is not for the faint of heart. Am I having fun? Yes. Am I suffering? Also yes. I haven't yet had a chance to check out the latest update to Blippo+ because I've been fighting for my life with these two titles, but I sure am looking forward to turning my brain off soon and getting lost in that strange, strange world as a treat after all this. Amano, the developer behind CatchaDiablos, kind of has a knack for games featuring unusual methods of movement. Amano previously gave us Pullfrog Deluxe , a Tetris -like (that I highly recommend checking out) in which you rearrange falling blocks as a frog that pulls itself around using its tongue. In CatchaDiablos , things are a bit more complicated. You play as something of a demon wrangler on an unnamed moon, rounding up "Diablos" that are scattered all over the place. Of course, as any witch knows, the way to do this is by drawing a chalk circle around the entity, so that's exactly what you do. But, following the chalk line is also the only way you can move. CatchaDiablos basically throws you right into the deep end. There is a very brief tutorial at the beginning to introduce you to the idea of traveling along an arc of pre-determined length, but then you're on your own to take on swarms of the little devils. To make a circle, you aim using the crank and, once you've got the outline placed where you want it, you hold the A button to draw. You have to draw a complete circle around a monster (or a group of monsters, for more points) in order to catch it, but when it comes to moving, you can stop the drawing at any point and you'll only move as far as the chalk extends. Doing this while trying not to run into any Diablos — you take damage every time one touches you — is hard. It gets even harder when some of those Diablos start firing projectiles at you, and they're surrounding you in greater and greater numbers. Everything descends into chaos and it becomes really difficult to try and think fast enough to outmaneuver the Diablos while also trying to run in haphazard half-circles by swinging the crank. And after some time has passed (three eyes at the top of the screen will open), a boss will show up to make things even worse. This is a roguelike, so once your health is depleted, you're dead for good and have to start it all over. I want to be clear: I really, really like this game. I found it hard to put down once I got going, and it's another fun example of how the crank can be used in unexpected ways. It's just kicking my ass. A lot. CatchaDiablos isn't entirely unforgiving, though. As you catch monsters, a status bar on the right side of the screen will start to fill up, and you'll eventually be rewarded with power-ups that can dramatically improve your odds. These come in the form of discs that will pop up in random places and bring perks like extra health spaces, the ability to draw a wider chalk circle and faster movement. Roguelikes aren't for everyone, but if you are into them, this is a great one for the Playdate. As a plus, there's a "Diablory" bestiary of sorts where you can see drawings of every type of creature you've encountered so far. You can access this from the title menu, and it's really worth flipping through after you've sunk a good deal of time into the game. "You seem to be wasting your time." It wasn't exactly a good sign for me when Shadowgate hit me with this message repeatedly in the first room of the damn game, where I found myself stuck for much longer than I'd like to admit and clicking on literally everything in my desperation. Anyone familiar with Shadowgate (1987) or the NES version (or the several other versions beyond that) might already have been braced for the difficult path forward from the get-go, but as someone who never played the original… let's just say we got off to a rougher start than expected. Such a rough start that I was forced to do something I generally avoid at all costs: look for a guide online. So, I must concede that while I have navigated the treacherous castle halls, I had a good amount of help in doing so, which makes it feel like much less of an accomplishment. Bruised ego aside, though, Shadowgate makes for a really cool game on the Playdate. You must explore the castle room by room, solving puzzles, picking up keys and items to access locked areas along the way, defeating enemies and generally just trying not to die. It's a lesson in persistence, really. There are many different ways to die, and much of the fun in games like these for me lies in keeping track of all those that I succumb to. There are the classic deaths, like plummeting after a floor suddenly drops away or getting incinerated by a dragon, and then the silly, unexpected ones, like tripping in the dark and falling flat on my face… fatally. (You really need to pay attention to your torch use). Thankfully, you'll be revived in the room where you died so you don't lose too much progress every time. The art and music really elevate the whole experience. The atmosphere is just right.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Mom Is Accused of Never Putting ‘Limits' on Her Daughter's 'Fun' in a Fight With Her Husband Over a Playdate
A woman said that her husband 'was not happy' when she allowed their 5-year-old daughter to have an unplanned playdate with a friend She added that he claimed it would throw off their afternoon and argued that their daughter already had 'more than enough fun' that day The woman detailed her story on a popular community site, and opinions were mixed over which parent was in the rightA woman says she and her husband had differing opinions on the best way to handle a situation with their 5-year-old daughter — and she's asking others for an outside perspective. The woman detailed her experience in the 'Am I Being Unreasonable?' forum on the U.K.-based community site a place where parents can seek advice about interpersonal dilemmas. In her post, the woman said that her husband is generally slow to get ready when leaving the house, and that she is 'always' waiting for him. The woman explained that their daughter recently had a birthday party to attend. She continued, 'My [daughter's] friend's mom asked if I could watch her [daughter] for a couple of hours after the party. It was a morning party, so she'd be ready to be picked up at 2:30 from my house.' The original poster said that while she and her husband had plans to drop by his parents' house that day, the timing was flexible so she didn't think a playdate after the birthday party would be an issue. She added that she figured she could watch the children while her husband took the extra time he needed to get ready for the next part of their day. Because of this, she agreed to the playdate. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! 'My [daughter] was so excited,' the woman recalled, adding that her daughter is 'constantly asking for playdates with her friends and we don't do it that often. However, the mom said that her husband 'was not happy about this,' claiming that the playdate would 'hold them up' for the rest of their day. He also told her that she never puts 'limits' on their daughter's fun and that 'going to a party was more than enough fun for her in one day.' The woman said that by the time they got back from the party, the other child was only with them for 'an hour or so," at which point they went about their day as planned. 'Who's unreasonable?' the woman asked her fellow community members at the end of her post. Many commenters said that they think the woman's husband was being unreasonable in this situation. 'He wants you to put limits on your daughter's fun…..? Wha…? YANBU [you are not being unreasonable],' one person said. Another person added, 'He's the unreasonable one. I wouldn't have even considered this as being a 'play date.' It's doing a favor for another parent, and you never know when you might need a favour in return.' 'He sounds quite irritating,' yet another commenter replied. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. One person, however, admitted that they would have been irritated as well if a spouse changed the day's plan without consulting them first. 'I don't like the 'limits on fun' part, but it seems you did unilaterally make plans on what's actually a shared family day, without consulting or discussing with him. So I think overall, YABU [you are bring unreasonable],' they said. Read the original article on People
Engadget
14-06-2025
- Engadget
Playdate Season 2 review: Long Puppy and Otto's Galactic Groove!!
We're officially halfway through Playdate Season Two, and so far there have been no flops. Last week brought us a balanced serving of doom, gloom and delight , but this week is all about keeping things light and silly. That's not to say the latest two games are a walk in the park, though. The third drop of Season Two features Long Puppy and Otto's Galactic Groove!! , and as playful as they are, you're still in for a challenge. But when you need a break, there's always more Blippo+ . I'm convinced that Playdate developers are a different breed. This console has led me to some of the oddest games I've played in a while, and Long Puppy is yet another ridiculous but charming entry to the canon. It is essentially a game of fetch. You play as a dachshund on an outing with your owner, and all you have to do is retrieve the ball they've thrown. Simple enough, right? Normal, even? Of course not. Each level is a complex obstacle course — platforms, underground chambers, rooms with doors that can only be opened from one side, etc. And you're working against the clock. After a certain amount of time passes, you'll no longer be chasing the ball alone. A ghost dog with razer-sharp chompers will show up to steal the ball from you and try to bite your head off. But none of that's the weird stuff. The weird stuff is in how you move and how you're scored. The dachshund you play as isn't any regular dachshund. Its head can rotate a full 360 degrees, and whichever way you point it (using the crank) determines which direction you'll travel in. It doesn't just walk, either, but rather stretches forward and contracts like some sort of extreme Slinky-worm. There's food scattered throughout each level, and eating will make the dog's body grow longer and longer so it can cross greater gaps. The result is what looks like an alien wearing a dachshund suit and trying really hard to behave inconspicuously but failing. As you explore and collect food, you may also find some interesting pee to sniff. Yep, pee, and there's a pee journal that serves as a record of all the different types of urine you've encountered. Clown pee? Check! Loafing Cat pee? Check! It's all incredibly silly. At the end of each level, once you've successfully brought the ball back to your owner, you'll have to make the dog take a massive poop using the crank, and the height of this dump (in feet) will tell you whether you finished with 100 percent completeness or not. Absurdity aside, the mechanics of this game are really interesting and make for a unique playing experience. It all seems at first like it's going to be a chill puzzle platformer of sorts, and then the ghost dog shows up to unleash chaos on everything. It's pretty fun. I am, as they say, a big fan of whatever the hell this is. Otto's Galactic Groove!! has been both a great and terrible thing for me. It's great in that it is a really cool take on the rhythm game formula, with a cute story and some fun tunes to jam out to. It's terrible in that it triggers my perfectionism in the exact way games like Guitar Hero used to, trapping me in a loop of replaying each song until I've hit every note to achieve a perfect final score. There's a lot of screaming involved. I may not be a strict completionist in some games, but rhythm games just do something to me, and I cannot rest until I see that 100 percent at the end of it all. In Otto's Galactic Groove!! , a space version of those adorable " sea bunny " sea slugs named Otto has been sent on a mission to explore the galaxy and find inspiration for the alien music producer Tomie. Otto stops at several different planets to chat with eccentric characters and hear their songs, and you play along with them. Now, there are three difficulty settings for this game, but if I'm being honest, none of them are particularly easy. Casual is the lowest and it's said to be a "gentle introduction," but it didn't feel so gentle in my first two or three attempts to keep up with even the tutorial song. I cannot even fathom what playing on Extreme would be like. This rhythm game doesn't just entail hitting a button at the exact right time as the note crosses a designated threshold — the threshold here is a moving, oval-shaped slider that you control using the crank. So you need to get the oval into the right place and hit the note at the precise time when it makes contact. Finding the sweet spot was tricky, too. I first assumed the notes would need to be in the dead center of the oval, but the target is actually somewhere right before that. A patch that's since been released seems to fix this, though, making the timing more intuitive. The songs made for this game are fun and span different genres, so you won't feel like you're just listening to the same thing over and over again (unless you are, in fact, playing the same songs over and over again, like me in my futile quest for perfection). Early on, you'll encounter a fish with a case of the blues (his "girl-fish" broke up with him), and I quite liked his heartbreak anthems. Under the Jukebox tab in the menu, you can also find songs from other Playdate games like Resonant Tale and Bloom , which is a really nice touch. This is another Playdate game in which the central story is told through a comic that you scroll using the crank, and I remain a fan of that approach. While it might not look like it from an outsider's perspective (my partner checked in on me multiple times RE: all the screaming to make sure everything was okay, especially after the game crashed and I lost all of my initial progress) I'm enjoying Otto's Galactic Groove!! a lot… just in a way that feels kind of masochistic.
