Fatty Bear's Birthday Surprise

Fatty Bear's Birthday Surprise is a point-and-click adventure game from Humongous Entertainment. It launched in 1993 on 3DO, MS-DOS, and Classic Mac OS, with a Windows version arriving in 1995.

This was the studio's second title, released after Putt-Putt Joins the Parade, and it remains the only full adventure starring Fatty Bear. The character later appeared in the minigame collections Fatty Bear's Fun Pack and the crossover Putt-Putt & Fatty Bear's Activity Pack. In July 2013, the Fatty Bear license was acquired by Tommo during Atari's bankruptcy proceedings.

Plot

The story begins as a girl named Kayla falls asleep the night before her birthday, excited about a surprise present her parents mentioned. While she sleeps, her stuffed animals come to life to get ready for the party.

Fatty Bear, Kayla's teddy bear, decides to bake a chocolate chip birthday cake and enlists the help of Matilda Rabbit, a stuffed bunny. Meanwhile, Kayla's doll, Gretchen, volunteers to decorate the room, including making a "Happy Birthday" sign on the bulletin board. Fatty Bear and Matilda Rabbit head to the kitchen to start baking.

In the kitchen, Fatty Bear finds a present box and becomes curious about its contents. A female puppy bursts out of the box and causes chaos around the house. When Fatty Bear returns to Kayla's room, Gretchen tells him the puppy stole three letters from the birthday sign and asks him to find them, as well as blow up five balloons.

Fatty Bear completes both tasks. Using a bone and a ribbon he found, he lures the puppy back into its box and wraps it up again. After baking the cake and returning the missing letters, Fatty Bear jumps onto Kayla's bed and reverts to a stuffed animal as morning arrives.

Kayla wakes up, delighted by how beautiful her room looks. Her father brings in her surprise—the puppy. Kayla thanks everyone, especially Fatty Bear, whom she hugs, ending the game.

Gameplay

Gameplay is similar to the Putt-Putt series. Players control Fatty Bear by clicking on spots in each location to move him. He can store items in his pockets to solve puzzles. Several minigames are also available throughout the adventure.

Reception

Electronic Gaming Monthly rated the 3DO version 7.2 out of 10, noting its similarity to the Putt-Putt games but suggesting gamers choose a Putt-Putt title instead.