XBLIG Review: LaserCat

My "I no thinks interwebs iz redee 4 LAZER kitteh" shirt is in the mail, thanks.

By: Jess Castro

Everyone has a really great friend they can depend on. Maybe even a “best friend,” a “bro,” an “uh-uh, gurlfriend” or a “BFF.” And because you know that person will stick their neck out for you in times of despair, you would do the same for them in a heartbeat. You’d be just like LaserCat, the new Xbox Live Indie Game release from MonsterJail Games. This charming platforming adventure shows what being best friends is all about: saving one another when locked up in a sky castle by a magic space frog.

Our hero, LaserCat, must save his/her best friend, Owlfriend, from the evil clutches of Wizzord the Magic Space Frog, who  has prepared 225 rooms of lava pits, wind gusts, treadmills, killer bees, birthday cakes and other incomprehensible oddities to conquer. And LaserCat has only one weapon at his/her disposal to help find the 30 magic keys needed to unlock Owlfriend’s cage: jumping. That’s right. Jumping.  If you’re looking for a cat that actually shoots lasers, go re-watch the unrelated SNL digital short, Laser Cats, because all you get here is hot pixel-cat jumping action!

This is fundamental platform gaming at its most basic: press A to jump to avoid obstacles and enemies and press B to descend from certain types of surfaces.  Collecting the keys scattered throughout the castle is done by touching them and entering the Riddle Realm.  Within, deadly trivia awaits; answering a multiple choice question correctly will grant possession of the key while failure results in an immediate dive into a lava pit. Storage of the keys is available at any of the castle’s save points, which happen to be sleepy TVs. (I know; cats, owls, frogs, trivia, sleepy TVs, gorillas with dynamite. Just go with it.)

Defenseless, the digital kitty must not touch any of the baddies unless uneventful exploding is something you like to do. It’s a bold statement in game design to have no forms of offense, but, really, that’s all this game needs.  LaserCat has smooth control and nice maneuverable jump mechanics that anyone can hop into.  Rooms have creative enemy and obstacle layouts that are well thought out and increase in challenge at a very good pace. The word “challenge” should be taken very lightly though, because LaserCat is easy like Sunday morning. On top of having unlimited lives, the game doesn’t push any thresholds in difficulty.

The map screen is like a Metroid for beginners; a paneled room layout with multiple save points that can be activated with Y. Pressing X at these will activate a warp to other save points previously found on the map. With all these factors, it’s a cinch to find 100 percent of the rooms and keys and perfect the critical timing found in the game’s latter trials. Looking for a wall-punching, hair-pulling and controller-throwing experience? Sorry, hardcore thrill-seekers, you’ll need to look elsewhere. This party is for the cool and casual looking for a breeze.

Still, this game is fun, plain and simple. LaserCat has classic platforming with glossy Atari throwback looks and a set of catchy tech-tunes. Ridiculous enemy design show a pleasant sense of humor also apparent in text messages scattered throughout. The Riddle Realm’s trivia questions are amusingly obscure or obtuse and dying will sometimes result in some referential gag to taunt you with. (A nice nod to MST3K by exclaiming “Watch out for snakes!” was most appreciated!) Whether it’s rage-induced monkeys on the loose, cynical warnings of obvious dangers or the spirits of daft fallen kitties who forgot to eat, there are plenty of smile-inducing moments to be had.

It’s a short quest that could be completed in roughly a couple of hours, but at the low cost of 80 MS Points, this tale of “best friends forever” is worth it. Besides, who doesn’t want to see LaserCat reunited with his/her pal, Owlfriend (whose gender is also not confirmed)? Isn’t everyone curious? Right? At least once… during college?

Wait, what?

OVERALL (3.75/5)

LaserCat, courtesy of MonsterJail Games, pounces into the Xbox Live Indie Game scene with retro love for adventure-platforming armed only with a jump button. Borrow a $1 from your “bestest fwiend” and enjoy this game! Like most indie efforts, LaserCat doesn’t have the depth or challenge that bigger budget games can benefit from, but its charm, creativity and overall quality execution in all departments make it a sweet little package.