Rockin' Kats

Last updated
Rockin' Kats
Rockin Kats cover.jpg
Cover art
Developer(s) Atlus
Publisher(s) Atlus
Designer(s) Hideyuki Kubota
Programmer(s) Masami Satō
Hidetoshi Takagi
Artist(s) Sawako Satō
Composer(s) Tsukasa Masuko
Platform(s) Nintendo Entertainment System, PlayChoice-10
Release
  • JP: April 5, 1991
  • NA: September 1991
  • EU: November 19, 1992
Genre(s) Platform
Mode(s) Single-player

Rockin' Kats [a] is a platform video game produced by Atlus Software Inc. in 1991 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The side-scrolling game involves the adventures of an anthropomorphic cat in his quest to defeat a criminal gang of dogs that has taken over New York City.

Contents

Plot

The player takes control of Willy, a rising young jazz cat in New York City who goes by the stage name of "The Rockin' Kat." However, the local crime boss, Mugsy, kidnaps Willy's girlfriend, Jill. To rescue Jill and defeat the gangster, Willy must venture through seven different levels or "channels" (from a television set) that feature various themes, thugs and bosses. [1]

Gameplay

Channel 1 Rockin Kats (gameplay).png
Channel 1

Willy is armed with a punch gun, that he can launch at the various thugs, or to hook onto and swing from. Willy can also use the punch gun to grab and throw certain objects. Mastering the punch gun is critical to the player's success in the game.

There are a total of five stages. The first four stages can be played in any order and are selected at the start of the game as "channels" on a TV monitor. The fifth and final stage or "channel" becomes available only after the other four have been beaten. The levels include a carnival, a flight atop a moving plane, and a park. There's also a "shopping channel", where the player can buy power-ups with cash obtained through the game. The items include:

There is also a "bonus channel" where minigames can be played for additional cash and extra lives. The games are:

A password feature is available that helps the player keep track of their progress.

After the final credits roll, the player is given a chance to play an additional "secret" stage. In it, the player character is stripped of all the money and power-ups acquired, is only given three lives (without a chance to get more) and the stage's levels are vastly more challenging than any of those seen previously in the game and requires complete mastery of the punching gun's functions. In addition to that, the character's health is not replenished after completing a level as it is in the other stages.

Reception

Rockin' Kats garnered average reviews from critics. [7] [8] [9]

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as N.Y. Nyankies (Japanese: ニューヨークニャンキーズ, Hepburn: Nyū Yōku Nyankīzu)

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References

  1. ↑ "Features: Rockin' Kats". Nintendo Power . Vol. 26. Nintendo of America. July 1991. pp. 26–33.
  2. ↑ Miller, Skyler (1998). "Rockin' Kats – Review". AllGame . All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-16. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
  3. ↑ del Campo, Manuel (April 1993). "Lo Más Nuevo: Rockin' Kats". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). No. 19. Hobby Press. pp. 120–121.
  4. ↑ Knauf, Andreas (November 1992). "Test: Rockin' Kats". Video Games  [ de ] (in German). No. 12. Markt & Technik. p. 104.
  5. ↑ Schaeffer, Michael (September 1993). "Review: Rockin' Kats". Power Unlimited (in Dutch). No. 2. De Geïllustreerde Pers  [ nl ]. p. 30. (Transcription by PowerWeb. Archived 2003-08-29 at the Wayback Machine ).
  6. ↑ "Nintendo: Rockin' Kats". VideoGame  [ pt ] (in Portuguese). Vol. 1, no. 9. Editora Sigla. December 1991. pp. 26–29.
  7. ↑ "新作ゲームクロスレビュー: NYニャンキーズ". Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 129. ASCII Corporation. April 19, 1991. p. 20.
  8. ↑ Link, The Missing (July 1991). "Nintendo ProReview: Rockin' Kats". GamePro . No. 24. IDG. p. 30.
  9. ↑ García, Andrés (April 1993). "Consola: Rockin' Kats". Superjuegos  [ es ] (in Spanish). No. 12. Grupo Zeta. pp. 128–129.
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