While it might be hard to believe looking at today’s game industry, there was a time when point-and-click adventure games were one of the most popular genres. Many 1990’s adventure games still have a dedicated fan base, and no conversation about gaming history is complete without mentioning classic adventure games from studios like Lucas Arts and Sierra.
Humongous Entertainment was one such adventure game studio. It was known for educational series like Putt-Putt and Freddi Fish. Now, Humongous is bringing two of its games, Putt-Putt Travels Through Time and Freddi Fish 3: The Case of the Stolen Conch Shell, to the Nintendo Switch next month.
The Putt-Putt games are a series of children’s point-and-click adventure and puzzle games starring the titular Putt-Putt, an anthropomorphic purple convertible. Initially released in 1997, Travels Through Time follows Putt-Putt through various time periods to rescue his dog and recover his school supplies after a time-machine malfunction. Meanwhile, Humongous released Freddi Fish 3 the following year. It tasks players with recovering a stolen ceremonial conch shell to save the Founder’s Day Festival and clear Freddi’s uncle’s name. Both titles come to the Nintendo Switch eShop on January 3rd, 2022, in Europe and North America, with an Asian release on January 6th.
Humongous Entertainment opened its doors in 1992 and built a reputation for easy-to-understand, educational children’s puzzle games. The Freddi Fish and Putt-Putt games were two of Humongous’ most successful series, along with other adventure game franchises like Pajama Sam and Spy Fox. Considering these games were targeted primarily at children, most adult gamers probably won’t get too much challenge from playing through these titles. However, they might be a fun look back for gamers who grew up with them or a good way for gaming parents to introduce their kids to the hobby.
Humongous itself is something of a game industry relic. The original studio closed in 2006 due to financial problems, having already changed hands between multiple parent companies. The brand was then reconstituted under Atari SA, only to be sold off again as part of Atari’s bankruptcy negotiations in 2013. The modern iteration of Humongous exists as a trademark of Tommo Incorporated, who acquired the rights to many classic Atari games.
Starting in 2014, Tommo rereleased several Humongous Entertainment games for iOS, Linux, and Windows PC. The ported titles included both Putt-Putt Travels Through Time and Freddi Fish 3. They’ll be the first Humongous games to appear on modern consoles, though it’s unclear for how long they’ll be the only ones.
Putt-Putt Travels Through Time and Freddi Fish 3: The Case of the Stolen Conch Shell are available on PC and mobile, with Switch ports releasing January 3rd, 2022.