Developer: Atlus Publisher: Atlus Released: September 1991 Genre: Platformer
Atlus is not a name I have ever associated with 2d platforming. While they are synonymous with RPGs now there was a brief period early on when they experimented with every genre to pay the bills. If this under the radar late release is anything to go by than damn I wish they would make more. Rockin’ Kats is an excellent side scroller, full of great mechanics and solid presentation. We could have used more creative games like this late in the system’s life.
Rockin’ Kats takes place in a vague 1920s setting and stars Willy, an anthropomorphic cat and aspiring musician. Together with his girlfriend Jill they are trying to make it in New York City. But jealous crime boss Mugsy has other plans and kidnaps Jill. With his wind up gun Willy has to travel across the country to get his girl back.
Willy’s punch gun is a multi-purpose tool with a variety of uses. The default attack stretches a decent distance to keep enemies away. You can also send it flying in eight directions. Aside from attacking you can also use it to grab and throw items. But in spite of this you will most likely use it to aid in platforming. By grabbing a pole you can swing around, hitting enemies and also launching yourself forward. The cash collected can be used to buy different upgrades for the punch gun. The hammer punch is stronger but cannot grab ledges and has shorter reach. Twin Balls releases two small balls with every attack; not very strong but the added reach makes it the best. Bombs are self-explanatory but not worth the cost. The jet sneakers let you hover after each jump. If you suck at swinging these are useful but otherwise worthless.
The versatility of the punch gun is what makes Rockin’ Kats so great. In addition to the numerous uses I’ve already listed there are all kinds of secondary functions that the levels take advantage of. Punching the ground while jumping will give you some extra height. If you punch a wall the rebound can also damage enemies. The game loves to place enemies in tight spots which is perfect for this move to avoid damage. The swinging jump is leaned on heavily throughout the game. The first level provides plenty of opportunity to safely play around with the mechanic. From there the game expects you to master it in short order. The timing needed for some of the late game platforming can be tricky but the game offers an out in the form of the jet sneakers. But I think it more satisfying using the default punch gun.
Each of Rockin’ Kats levels is presented as a channel on a television. The TV style format of each level helps it largely avoid the standard video game tropes in terms of its level themes. As you move from one creative scenario to the next the game has an awesome and tangible sense of adventure that belies its cute facade. I like the gangster aesthetic and the game’s wonderful character designs help it stand out in a crowded field. As a late 1991 release Rockin’ Kats arrived when 16-bit was in full swing and so looked less impressive. But compared to some of the titles on the platform released that year it comes across as a first class effort.
Overall Rockin’ Kats is easy for the most part. Willy can take a lot of punishment and life restoring hearts are plentiful. Even though there are only five levels each is pretty long. The game has plenty of extra lives lying around and you can buy more with cash. There are not many tricky platforming segments and as I mentioned before these can be circumvented with the jet sneakers. The boss battles are an exercise in tedium as they are large damage sponges. The annoying boss rush at the end is little deterrent against moderately skilled platform veterans. For those that want one last challenge there is an optional stage after the credits that will put your skills to the test. But most will have little trouble with this one.
In Closing
Rockin’ Kats is a great game, highly underrated yet better than many of its contemporaries. The punch gun is a fun mechanic and the level design uses it to its fullest extent. Atlus did not create many platformers but if this is the caliber of their work I would love to see them revisit the genre someday, Rockin’ Kats is excellent.
