Crazy Cats Review

Anannya Sen’s Review

Get rid of those darn cats.

Who's going to help Bark the dog take down the cat queen? That's the burning question in this interesting yet disturbing rotate the screen type game from Pixalon studios.

Looks wise the game reminds me of a slightly mangaised (as in to be drawn of manga style) version of Tom and Jerry. Except that it should be with Spike the dog who's actually called Bark. Animation is pretty smooth, especially the speed with which the screen switches. Which for me is the disturbing part of the game. You see, whenever Bark the dog runs past the edge of the screen, it flips to allow him to keep running. Think of him as Spider-dog, he can climb up the edges and flip the floor as if he was playing on that screen.

Now we've seen games before where the screen flips horizontally or vertically and you know it's coming. But I haven't played a game where the screen flips at this speed. Most people will like it, but for me, while trying to play this on a crowded tube and having to concentrate on a small screen flipping all the time, I got a bit travel sick. Or a bit headachey (another made up word, in addition to mangaised I should get a job with the Oxford English dictionary) or even a little dizzy. The effect depended on where I was playing the game. But then again I'm really not good with rollercoasters either so I'm sure all of you will be fine.

It's this screen flipping element that gives the game it's uniqueness. The levels get a bit manic as you try and coral all the cats. Which you do by flipping the screen so they are on the ceiling. They will try to cling to it, but a press of the main button reveals a bark that makes them fall down and get dizzy. Once they are dizzy, get in range with your bark again and they are wiped off the screen. Do this to enough cats within the time limit and you finish the level.

It doesn't just end there. There are power ups to help you, such as shoes to make you run faster, a shield that makes you invulnerable for a short time, a golden bone for an extra life, collar that makes you jump farther and a cat face that makes all the animals freeze. In the levels themselves, you will find springs to bounce off, walls and all other types of devices. One other little aspect of the game is the fact that on the cat queen levels, the animals will try and build a wall splitting the screen in two. Allow them to do this and you have failed the level.

The music and sfx are pretty good, you have both a funky tune and a loud bark to keep you entertained. And there are plenty of levels to play, 30 in total with a boss element every 5 levels. Then the scenery changes to keep you amused. It's quite a good game really, the fun is manic, the graphics and sfx are decent and the concept of the constant screen flipping is good. Now, if it just didn't make me so dizzy, just like the crazy cats in the game.