Nine Lives Ninja: Explore!

About

"Nine Lives Ninja: Explore" is a feline-themed platformer with metroidvania elements, where you guide a cat-ninja through treacherous caves to find the Fountain of Kitty Youth. With multiple game modes, retro-style graphics, tight controls, and a range of achievements, this game offers a challenging and engaging adventure. The game's story and characters, while humorous, also pose intriguing questions that add to the intrigue.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 48 reviews

gameplay6 positive mentions

graphics2 negative mentions

The game features charming pixel art and a nostalgic retro design that appeals to fans of classic platformers.
Level design is well thought out, encouraging exploration and backtracking to collect items, which adds depth to the gameplay.
The mechanics are smooth and easy to grasp, making it accessible for players while still providing enjoyable challenges.

The game is very short, with a total playtime of around an hour, which may leave some players wanting more content.
There is a lack of variety in stages, leading to repetitive gameplay and limited engagement over time.
Some mechanics, such as the cat's abilities, feel basic and could benefit from additional features or complexity.

gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The gameplay in "Meow Nine Lives" is praised for its well-explained mechanics and engaging platforming elements, including double jumping and metroidvania progression. Players appreciate the tight controls and satisfying jump mechanics, which are complemented by a forgiving respawn system that enhances accessibility. Overall, the game offers a fun and entertaining experience with polished animations and a variety of classic platforming features.
- “Mechanics are easy to figure out and explained well in the short tutorial level.”
- “Lots of classic platform mechanics built into this indie game: double jumping, edge jumping, minimaps, and metroidvania area progression.”
- “Quick entertaining playthrough, satisfying and well-tuned jump mechanic kept me engaged throughout.”
- “The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks innovation, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “The controls are unresponsive at times, leading to frustrating moments during gameplay.”
- “The level design is uninspired, with many areas feeling like a chore to navigate.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The graphics feature a nostalgic retro art style that appeals to fans of classic games, though many reviewers note that there is still room for improvement. Despite this, the visuals are complemented by a modern sensibility, creating a well-planned and cohesive aesthetic.
- “Fans of retro games will appreciate the art style, though the graphics definitely have room for some improvement.”
- “The retro graphics hide a thoroughly modern feel, and everything feels very thought-through and planned.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is described as catchy and well-suited to its style, effectively enhancing the overall experience without feeling repetitive. Players appreciate the integration of sound effects and music, noting that it complements the game's fun character and controls.
- “The music is catchy and loops but doesn't feel repetitive.”
- “The music and sound effects are exactly what you would expect for this style of game, as do the controls (which is really, really important).”
- “I'm loving the music and fun character in this game.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers limited replayability due to its short length, but the developers have introduced various challenges and variations on the core themes, enhancing the experience for players seeking to revisit it.
- “It is short, but so is the price (I thought they reduced it too much actually), and the dev has added plenty of variations and challenges on the basic themes of the game, giving it a bit of replayability.”
- “It is short, but so is the price (I thought they reduced it too much actually), and the dev has added plenty of variations and challenges on the basic themes of the game, giving a bit of replayability.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story has been criticized for lacking engagement and humor, with reviewers noting it fails to create a compelling narrative or evoke any emotional investment, leaving players disinterested.
- “Nothing makes you laugh, nothing makes you want to see what will happen, no compelling story, and a stiff cat that doesn't meow.”