Super Catboy
- July 24, 2023
- Pixelpogo
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Super Catboy" is a high-bit pixel art style platformer, where you play as the titular catboy with his sidekick, Weapongirl. Together, you must thwart the evil plans of your creator by running, jumping, dashing, and shooting your way through hordes of anthropomorphic dog soldiers. With its 80s and 90s inspiration, catchy tunes, and 'furmidable' boss fights, it's a love letter to 16-bit platforming.
Mac OS
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The pixel art and overall art design are stunning, capturing the essence of 16-bit games beautifully.
- Gameplay is smooth and responsive, with enjoyable boss fights and a relaxed tone that avoids overwhelming players.
- The game is charming and fun to play, making it a nostalgic experience for fans of retro platformers.
- The lack of invincibility frames leads to frustrating stun-lock situations, especially during boss fights.
- The minecart section is poorly designed, with fast-paced obstacles that can result in instant deaths and frequent restarts.
- Level design can feel uninspired and some levels end abruptly, lacking the depth and variety expected from a platformer.
- music72 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising it as catchy and enjoyable, particularly in specific levels like the airship and train stages. However, others find the soundtrack to be generic and bland, lacking the memorable quality of music from classic games. Overall, while there are standout tracks, many feel the music does not consistently enhance the gameplay experience.
“The music was very good with so many great tracks to just listen to.”
“This game is fantastic, it’s got everything a 2D platformer/run-n-gun should have: smooth controls, awesome music, and fun, memorable levels.”
“The pixel art is sublime, the music is full of bangers, and the gameplay is somewhere between Mega Man X, Metal Slug, and Donkey Kong Country all melded beautifully into this sublime little package that took me a little over 2 hours to run through.”
“The soundtrack is pretty generic.”
“The music is bland; games from the 80s and 90s had better music.”
“The soundtrack is subpar overall.”
- gameplay56 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally smooth and enjoyable, featuring a mix of close-quarters and long-range combat, with mechanics inspired by classic platformers like Donkey Kong Country. However, some players find it slow and lacking in complexity, with certain mechanics feeling underdeveloped or exploitative. Overall, while the core gameplay is solid and visually appealing, it may feel somewhat barebones and repetitive at times.
“The gameplay is pretty good; it's your standard sidescroller getting from point A to point B, but what helps to make this gameplay stand out is the fact that we can do close quarters and long-range combat.”
“The pixel art is sublime, the music is full of bangers, and the gameplay is somewhere between Mega Man X, Metal Slug, and Donkey Kong Country all melded beautifully into this sublime little package that took me a little over 2 hours to run through.”
“The controls are nice and easy to use, the gameplay works, and it isn't overly priced.”
“The gameplay is very slow; you can only walk and dash.”
“Well, this is not a bad game, it's just that it was made using game-making software, so the actual mechanics are a little barebones for a platformer.”
“The art is the highlight of the game, the gameplay is a bit bland; the soundtrack is sometimes good, sometimes weird or not fitting.”
- graphics40 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Super Catboy" are widely praised for their charming pixel art style, which effectively captures the nostalgic feel of classic side-scrolling games with rich colors and detailed environments. While many reviewers appreciate the visual design and character aesthetics, some note issues with blurriness and lack of inspiration in other aspects of the game. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a solid choice for fans of retro platformers.
“The pixel graphics art style is really good; it captures the feel of classic side scrollers from back in the day, with its rich use of colors, visuals, designs, and nicely detailed environments. It's very nostalgic, and you can tell the creators really wanted to capture that feeling of older style games.”
“The game's pixel graphics are very detailed, and its soundtrack is so beautiful that it left a long-lasting impression.”
“A fun retro platformer with great visuals and cool vibes, can be completed in about 3.5 hours.”
“I wanted to like this game, but it just feels so uninspired and dull in everything it does other than the art style.”
“I want to like this game, but the graphics are too blurry and juddery for me to enjoy.”
“There are some issues, but the game is very charming thanks to its graphics.”
- story24 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The story is characterized as a simple and predictable "stop the bad guy" narrative, featuring a villain who creates an army of mutated dogs. While some players appreciate the quirky dialogue and character interactions, particularly from the scientist, others find the plot barebones and unengaging, leading to a lack of emotional investment. Overall, the visuals are praised, but the story's execution leaves much to be desired, with many feeling it lacks depth and satisfying conclusions.
“The story is good and quite enjoyable with a simple stop the bad guy narrative, but what helps this story to stand out is the funny dialogue and interactions between the characters, especially the dialogue of the scientist.”
“Everyone is sprited in a very nice way, the plot is mega predictable and Saturday morning-esque, but clearly is aware of it and just has fun with it!”
“It's got great visuals and a cute story with cut scenes.”
“The plot is very barebones: a Dr. Wily copycat created an army of super soldiers from mutated animals (mostly dogs) to take over the world.”
“There's hardly any story other than that dogs are evil and some guy controlling them wants to use them to kill people.”
“I spent 2.5 hours to finish - not that satisfying, as there are no achievements, no ending cutscenes except some slideshows, no new unlocks, and the story is pretty plain.”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is highlighted by witty dialogue and amusing character interactions, particularly from the scientist, which enhances the overall enjoyment of the story. Players appreciate the nostalgic references and funny moments, such as the comedic visual gags in the mining level, contributing to a lighthearted and entertaining experience. Overall, the humor is a standout feature that adds charm to the game's narrative.
“The story is good and quite enjoyable with a simple stop the bad guy narrative, but what helps this story to stand out is the funny dialogue and interactions between the characters, especially the dialogue of the scientist.”
“When you're in the mining level and the cat's eyes change colors because it's scared, it's hilarious.”
“This game oozes nostalgia for similar games of the '90s with humorous allusions left and right which made me chuckle quite a few times.”
- character development8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is highlighted by its exceptional pixel art and unique designs, which evoke a nostalgic 90s action movie/cartoon aesthetic. While some character designs may appear unconventional, the overall art and fluid gameplay contribute to a fun gaming experience.
“The art and character design I thought were really exceptional.”
“The character designs also give a 90s action movie/cartoon vibe, which I think is pretty neat.”
“Pixel art is nicely done, and the game plays fluidly with a catchy soundtrack at times.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and repetitive, lacking engaging features like unique powers, mini-games, or shortcuts that could alleviate the monotony. As levels progress, the experience becomes increasingly stale, leading some to abandon the game in favor of more enjoyable titles.
“No cool animal friends or powers like in DK, no cool mini-games, no shortcuts, etc. After a while, the levels start to feel tedious and same-y.”
“It was just getting too tedious, and I have Gravity Rush just sitting here begging me to fire it back up.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that the game's world design could benefit from better optimization to enhance the character's moveset, suggesting that the environment does not fully accommodate or complement the player's abilities.
“The world feels like it could be more optimized for our character's moveset.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the mansion area is highly praised by users, who find it engaging and immersive.
“I really liked the atmosphere of the mansion area.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game has been criticized for failing to resonate with players, leaving them feeling disconnected and unmoved by the narrative or character experiences.
