Putt-Putt did a lot. It had a profound impact on me as a game designer. I found out there's a whole new level of storytelling you have to do with kids. You can't just construct a game full of puzzles, which you can get away with in a mainstream adventure game.
Kids are more interested in the story being told.
And kids are pure critics. If they hate it, they'll tell you. They're not interested in how many polygons can be displayed. They're fundamentally interested in story and game design. It was amazing to have the opportunity to create for that pure an audience.