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This week on XBLIG Fridays, I bring you another game with cats in it. What can I say… I love the adorable furballs! Also, for lots of fun, type "LaserCat" into the Google image search engine. You wont' be finding many screenshots to this game, that's for sure!
LaserCat is an interesting and entertaining little title. The story is funny, yet thread-bare: You, as the titular LaserCat, are off to save your friend Owl, who was kidnapped by the evil Wizzord. In order to save Owl, you have to find and collect the thirty keys hidden around Wizzord's (poor security) castle, and free the poor guy, or else… well, something happens. It's a very simple premise and execution, but it has enough charm to go around to make it stand out from other games of its ilk.
On the game's Xbox page, LaserCat is described as "a retro styled exploration platform game". For comparison, think of it sort of like the Metroid games, or like the later portable Castlevania titles: The key focus of the game is exploring and finding what you need to in order to progress. Unlike the games mentioned above, however, LaserCat cannot attack his enemies. That's right, our hero cannot shoot lasers from its eyes, nor do anything involving lasers, unfortunately. You'll have to dodge the enemies in order to move from room to room, but the game is not difficult… even if you die, you'll simply get pushed back to the last checkpoint you visited, which are frequent enough so that you'll never lose much progress. As for the graphics, the 'retro' part of the description should clue you in; the game mainly uses single color sprites, and the floor and walls are all the same checker-look, though the color changes from room to room. It's minimalist, but the simple look is very refined, and fits it perfectly with this kind of game.
Now, you might be wondering why I added 'edutainment' in my description… well, every time you pick up a key, you are asked a riddle/trivia question in order to get the key. Answer wrong, and you'll find a lava filled death waiting for you; but, answer right and you can take the key and go to deposit it at a nearby checkpoint. Most of these questions are easy, but some of them are a little more on the difficult side… and then there's the questions that are pretty ridiculous, such as, "If LaserCat were to buy a convertible, which color would he get?" It's a neat little feature, and since the questions aren't difficult, it's not there to frustrate you, more to get a few chuckles out of the player. In fact, there are quite a few amusing things throughout the game; from room titles to the random signs strewn about, there is a lot for you to keep you entertained, even for the laughs alone.
Hint: This isn't really a riddle
LaserCat is a short game, and you can get through it in an hour or two if you really wanted to. However, it comes together in such a neat and charming little package that it's impossible not to recommend. This certainly won't keep you entertained for the entire weekend, but the little time you do spend with the game will be well worth it!
Interested? LaserCat is 80MS Points ($1), and you can check it out here.
Got any Xbox Indie Games that deserve some attention? Post it in the comments, and I'll give you cookies (and credit for the find)!