Peeking Duck

***Peeking Duck*** (sometimes subtitled *in: Haunting at Polka-Dot Park!*) is a 3D Platformer developed by Puzzle Box Entertainment. In this game, private investigator Marlowe Mallard is hired to investigate strange goings-on at a theme park. It is a tribute and homage to many early 3D platformers, such as *Spyro the Dragon, Banjo-Kazooie,* and *Sly Cooper*.

## Plot Synopsis

Running out of options, theme park owner Otter Lorre hires disgraced private eye Marlowe Mallard to investigate a haunting at Polka-Dot Park. Shortly after arriving, Marlowe finds electrician Harper who is working on restoring power to various areas of the park, but needs Marlowe's help collecting "conduits" to continue. The primary ghost behind the haunts, Phantos, soon makes himself known, sparking chaos around the park to make it harder to traverse. While progressing through the park, Marlowe finds clues hinting that Phantos is not a real ghost, and that the truth lies in the upper levels of the park's central landmark, a castle. Here, Marlowe exposes the ghost to be the corrupt police chief Schnauzer. Exposed, he flees to the park's observation tower, where he engages in a final battle with Marlowe. When the observation tower comes crashing down and Schnauzer, without the aide of his Phantos suit, engages in a last stand against Marlowe in the fiery crater. Defeated, he is arrested by his subordinates. They are then revealed to also be crooked and attempt to escape, but immediately crash into some conduits, electrocuting all of them. Marlowe's honor as a detective is restored and business begins to boom.

In a post-credits epilogue, it is revealed Schnauzer and his lackeys actually are ghosts now and plan on haunting Marlowe.

## Main Characters

* Marlowe Mallard: An inquisitive mallard P.I who is the playable character in *Peeking Duck*.
* Phantos: The self-proclaimed "Ghost Lord", who has taken over Polka-Dot Park.
* Roza: A mouse electrician who was one of the only employees brave enough to stick around.
* Otter Lorre: The current owner of Polka-Dot park, an Otter who is a caricature of actor Peter Lorre.
* Chief Schnauzer: A rude, crooked police chief who has a rivalry with Marlowe.
* Chandler Gander: A goose private detective and a business competitor of Marlowe's.
* Pauline: Marlowe's secretary who is only heard over the phone and is never seen.
* Captain Purr-Monocle: A pirate cat who appears in an early level and regularly reappears out-of-place.
* Dottie: The ladybug mascot of Polka-Dot Park.
* Scannon and Coolidge: A wild boar and clam, officers under Chief Schnauzer.

## Levels

* Dottie's Barnyard Blitz: A tutorial level on a small farm-themed roller coaster
* Phantos Tower: The Final Level, an observation tower modified by Phantos

### Franchise Studios

Rides based on in-universe movies.

* Oasis: An ancient temple hidden in an arid desert oasis
* 2O2OPOLIS: A futuristic city enveloped in a kaiju war
* Raiders of Rogue Island: A pirate-themed ride with large ships and a sinister island
* Dinocano!: A prehistoric volcano and surrounding caves inhabited by dinosaurs

### Amusement Alley

Traditional amusement park attractions and thrill rides.

* Frosty Falls: A log flume on a snowy mountain
* Splish-Splash Beach: A water park and beach resort
* Crystal Canyon: A gold-rush era mine roller coaster
* Palm Coast Speedway: A go-kart racetrack

### Glitter Kingdom

Based on fairytales and fantasy.

* Mushroom Gardens: A Wonderland-esque forest garden
* Thumbelina's Cottage: A scaled-up house that makes you appear tiny
* Dragon Caves: A cave system along a swampy river full of dragon bones
* Dreamspace: An ethereal royal palace floating in space

### Employees Only

The staff-only maintenance zone.

* Storeroom: A warehouse full of ramps for skateboarding
* Glitch in the Mainframe: The park's virtual system
* Down in the Dumps: A garbage processing plant
* Waterworks: The water pumps and sewer

systems

### The Castle

* Castle Entrance: The foyer, lobby, and kitchen of the castle
* Castle Yards: The courtyard and surrounding grounds of the castle
* Castle Suites: The castle's upper floors and hotel rooms
* Castle Rooftops: The attic, rooftops and tower areas

## Gameplay

Players control Marlowe Mallard as he fights against various enemies and obstacles using martial arts, his camera, and glide abilities. His health is indicated by a health bar with four segments, which can be replenished by chasing down and popping specially marked balloons. The game is split up into four main hub worlds connected by a central area as well as a monorail. Each level contains a certain number of collectibles, which can be earned by completing tasks for particular NPCs. Gathering collectibles is required in order to progress into new area of the park. Swimming lets Marlowe dive underwater to reach submerged collectibles and hidden tunnels, climbing lets Mallard climb up certain surfaces, and the bill bash lets Marlowe perform an overhead smashing attack which can break rocks and certain cages. In addition, each level has a prize machine, activated after defeating a specific number of enemies in a level, which grants Marlowe a temporary super-ability. The power-up can grant invulnerability or the abilities to fly, shoot projectiles, or super jump to reach high up areas.

The collectibles are as follows:

* Game Tokens: The most common collectible, also used as currency. Come in four different denominations: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
* Conduits: Obtained by completing level objectives, used to open new areas.
* Health Balloons: Refill Health by one point when popped.
* Tickets: Dropped by common enemies. Collect all to redeem a power-up.
* Dottie Dolls: Five hidden in each world, collecting all gives you a
* Rubber Ducks: Give you an extra life.
* Videotapes: Give you hints and tips.
* Clues: Found from defeating the first four bosses, progress the story.

## Additional Gameplay Modes

* Marlowe's Nightmare: Unlocked after beating the game, this mode serves as a pseudo-sequel to the games main plot and features Schnauzer's ghost recreating the events of the main story mode. It plays the same with the exception of being at a much higher difficulty: enemys have twice as much health, health pickups and checkpoints are much more sparse, and collectibles are harder to find. Many surfaces have a Silent Hill-inspired rust texture, and the soundtrack has a spooky remix.
* Multiplayer Modes (2-4 players):
	+ Co-Op Campaign: Replay levels after you 100% them in single player
	+ Laser Tag: Played in the a variation of the "Glitch in the Mainfraime" level: find keys while hunting down other players.
	+ Speedway: Go-Kart racing, played on the palm coast speedway
	+ Yeti Rampage: Compete to wreak the most havoc in Frosty Falls
	+ Minigame Party: Replay randomlized minigames from story mode for a trophy