Cats'n Critters (Nellybyte)
Game title: Cats'n Critters
Game description: Cats'n Critters is a single screen platform game where your role is to take control of a cat whose job it is to protect the garden from creatures who threaten to disrupt the harmony within. The basic premise of the game is to use your cat to collect blue and white magical butterflies in order to build up your magic meter. Once this meter is filled, a yellow butterfly appears which gives you a spell that eliminates the nasty creatures and then you move onto the next level. The garden will also contain red butterflies that will curse your cat in a number of ways that impede your progress. To remove the curse you will need to perform a specific action that is indicated at the bottom of the screen. Your cat can also collect super state spells that give enhanced powers, just as double jumps and invincibility. Your cat starts off with 9 lives with a life lost for every time you come into contact with a critter. Cats'n Critters contains 12 levels and also includes a co-op mode.
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Production - 72%
72%
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Fun - 52%
52%
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Depth - 73%
73%
Summary
I am not sure what to make of Cats’n Critters. Its game play contains unique elements and generally plays well but I can’t help but feel that a lot more could be added to it to make it a much more compelling play through.
The implementation of the ‘spell’ mechanic is well done and the most interesting part of the game, the controls are responsive and the co-op mode is a fun addition. But everything else fails to hit the mark. Building up your spell meter feels like a long drawn out process and the game feels repetitive. Enemies are limited and basic in their movement zones and I perhaps would have preferred to have the need to collect less white & blue butterflies but make it more difficult to collect them by expanding the game area to provide a sense of a bigger game world. The levels do feel limited and lack variety.
There is a good game hidden somewhere within Cats’n Critters, it just needs more work and a re-think on a couple of design elements so that it can be the most it can.
Overall
66%User Review
( votes)Pros
- Interesting spell concept
- Good control mechanism
Cons
- Limited enemies
- Levels can drag out a bit
