He was a real jive cat, that guy.

Posted by ASandoval on August 31, 2008 under Games | Be the First to Comment

With the Bionic Commando cult following back in full swing after the release of Rearmed, (And you can decide to kill me for that pun after you’ve read the rest of the article) I figured now would be as good of time as any to reveal the not so dark nor hidden secret that I’m not a big fan of the game. I’m sure all you enthusiasts of the game are already racking in your brains all the prudish reasons I might have this opinion. Sure, it could be the fact that I didn’t play the game for the first time ‘til sometime last year. Maybe it’s the fact that I can’t get around the lack of any sort of jumping.

Personally, though, I blame Rockin’ Kats.

Released in Japan as New York Nyankees, because those crazy Japanese love puns more than I do, Rockin’ Kats is a little known NES game from Atlus circa 1991. The story is about Willy, described as a ‘young jazz cat from New York’ in the game’s manual, who needs to save his girlfriend, Jill, from the evil gangster dog Mugsy. The game has an interesting television show theme running about, with each level acting as a different ‘episode’ where Jill gets kidnapped and Willy has to rescue her. This probably says something about Willy as a boyfriend.

As usual for the NES, the story serves merely to ensure you play from beginning to end. What really matters is the gameplay. Much like other beloved sidescrollers from the era, Rockin’ Kats wouldn’t be worth mentioning without some sort of gimmick, and as you probably guessed by now it revolves around swinging mechanics. Willy’s main weapon, the classic cartoon punch glove gun, has the ability to latch on to many different objects in the background. Unlike Bionic Commando, where your swinging is limited from side to side, Willy will spin in 360 degrees until you decide for him to let go. It’s fairly simple to use, but the game’s design isn’t very dependant on it. You will, however, have to master its other abilities to great extent, like grabbing objects and throwing them back at enemies or punching walls to bounce to higher ground and other hard to reach areas.

Aside from the selectable 5 levels (One of which is locked out until you complete the other 4), there are also 2 other channels to choose from: The store and the game show networks. Their functions are probably self explanatory but what kind of journalist would I be if I were so presumptuous? Throughout the game, you get money bags, and after each level (Or if you lose all your lives, whichever comes first) you can use the money to buy stuff at the store. This includes useful gun upgrades that add a bit of range or power to the old boxing glove or simply give you more lives for the next level you decide to try. The game show allows you to earn more money for the store or extra lives by competing in 3 different mini games. None of the games are really in-depth or that exciting, but it gives a nice break to the gameplay that you can play at any time if you’re getting bored of platforming for a bit.

What else? Oh, yes, and did I mention you can jump?

 

I kid, I kid. It’s not a perfect game by any means and I can see why it didn’t catch on like Bionic Commando. After all, even though they were a lot more popular in the early 90s, anthropomorphic characters don’t exactly have the same appeal of a super soldier meets Inspector Gadget with a thirst for blood.  Regardless, it’s still a great and often overlooked NES platformer that’s worth a look even if you’ve had more experience with Captain Lad/Rad. It’s unfortunately hard to find and usually goes on eBay for about 30 bucks. If you’re a retro enthusiast and have a little cash to spend, then be sure to pick me up a copy. Oh, and you might want to get one for yourself, too.