Garfield: Saving Arlene is a 2005 3D platformer, developed by Eko Software and published by Hip Games and Titus Interactive, which was released on PC and PlayStation 2 (but only in European regions).
One sunny day, the fat orange cat himself, Garfield, is woken up by Odie from a nap. Upon hearing a vehicle outside, he investigates and finds Arlene being carried away in an Animal Annihilation Facility truck. Initially too lazy to get up and do it himself, Garfield sends Odie to save her, but then decides to get up and rescue her himself.
The game was followed by a sequel, Garfield: Lasagna World Tour, a year later.
Garfield: Saving Arlene contains examples of:
- Absurdly Spacious Sewer: The second and fifth stages take place inside some unnecessarily large sewers, with steam and large stretches of water serving as obstacles.
- All Just a Dream: The ending reveals that the game was just Garfield's dream.
- Book Ends: The game begins and ends with Odie jumping onto a couch and waking up Garfield, who will "take some more of that cheese."
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: After Odie falls into a sewer at the end of the first stage, Garfield asks if the game's actual name is "Garfield: Rescuing a Dumb, Stupid, Slobbering Dog™".
- Cats Hate Water: Garfield straight up refuses to swim on the grounds that it's too exhausting, and that he just put on some silky coat shampoo.
- Cats Have Nine Lives: Garfield starts with nine lives.
- Cheat Code: Put in "left, left, left, left, up, left, left, left, left, down" during gameplay to put a sheriff hat on Garfield. Repeat the code to cycle through bunny ears, a pirate hat, a fireman's hat, and no hat.
- Circling Birdies: Enemies knocked out by Garfield and Odie will end up seeing stars. Similarly to Metal Gear, the stars will disappear, one by one, as the enemy is closer to getting back up.
- Damsel in Distress: Arlene, courtesy of the Animal Annihilation Facility.
- Demoted to Extra: Jon cameos on a few billboards and gets mentioned by Garfield in the ending, but that's it.
- Distressed Dude: Odie is on the receiving end of this multiple times;
- Odie falls into a sewer at the end of the first stage, requiring Garfield to detour into the sewers to regroup with him.
- During the third stage, he gets locked in an alarm clock factory, mandating another deviation from the main adventure by Garfield.
- In the game's ending Odie gets captured by the Animal Annihilation Facility. Garfield can't be bothered to go and help him this time, and would much rather just get back to relaxing.
- Eternal Engine: The fourth stage takes place in a factory that produces alarm clocks.
- Fire-Breathing Diner: The end result of Garfield making chili. It's good for destroying wooden barriers.
- Foe-Tossing Charge: Garfield can knock out big dogs by kicking Odie behind them and then whistling for Odie, who will dash straight through the dog on his return trip.
- Gold-Colored Superiority: Collecting 10 Pooky dolls gives Garfield an extra life. While the classic brown bear gives one, there's also Golden Pooky dolls that give 5.
- Hearts Are Health: Garfield's health is represented by four hearts.
- Hyperactive Metabolism: Garfield can restore himself to full health at any time by making and eating a lasagna.
- Just Add Water: Garfield can create Power-Up Food with just the ingredients despite not having any tools to properly prepare the food. Got cheese, meat, and tomato on hand? You can instantly form a lasagna.
- Megaton Punch: After eating a Big Kicking Burger, Garfield can kick Odie with the force you'd expect of a cat who's been doing so for years.
- Non-Lethal K.O.: Garfield is only capable of briefly knocking out anybody he fights with his kicks and spins, but they'll get back up quickly.
- One-Hit Kill: Big dogs will take down Garfield in a single hit.
- Pounds Are Animal Prisons: The Animal Annihilation Facility, if it can even be considered a pound, gives off this vibe, what with the barred windows, ominous lighting and tons of foreboding architecture.
- Power-Up Food: One of the main mechanics of the game is that Garfield can collect ingredients to make food that gives him extra abilities.
- Lasagna: made with tomato, meat, and cheese, this Italian meal restores Garfield's health.
- Big Kicking Burger: a bun, meat, and cheese combine into a burger that grants Garfield the power to kick Odie very far.
- Cheesecake: mixing sugar, cheese, and milk gets Garfield a dessert that lets him do a floaty, extended jump.
- Vanilla Milkshake: combining vanilla ice cream, milk, and sugar creates a dessert that lets Garfield briefly dash.
- Chilli (sic) Con Carne: beans, meat, and spices let Garfield make a hot, hot meal that lets him breathe fire.
- Sprint Shoes: The vanilla milkshake lets Garfield break into a dash for a short moment.
- Stock Animal Diet: Odie the dog will chase after bones if Garfield throws them.
- Super Drowning Skills: Zig-zagged; Garfield loses a life if he falls into water, but he can still stay afloat just fine, if a little grumpy about it. Odie has no qualms about floating in the water, however, and Garfield can use him as a floating platform, as well as a moving one if Odie is going towards a bone.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Garfield and lasagna, of course. This time around, it behaves as a healing item.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Downplayed; Garfield can function fine in the alarm clock factory, but he makes it very clear that he's not happy about being there.The only thing I hate more than mornings is an alarm clock!
