Game Review #340: Captain Cat (Nintendo Switch)

Reviewer: The Waffinator (Bradford E.)

Developer: Rendercode Games

Publisher: Hidden Trap

Category: Puzzle

Release Date: 06.21.2019

Price (At TIme of Review): $6.99

Buy Captain Cat from the Nintendo Switch eShop here.

Garfield Sets Sail

Well, not Garfield exactly, but I can’t help but think of that lasagna-loving cat when I see a fat orange feline. If I were to guess I would say it's a long lost relative that likes to go fishing. So in a way still fat, but not lazy. In fact there isn’t a back story to this chubby and whimsical cat that sets sail on the open seas to get some fish for dinner, but there is a campaign type mode. Captain Cat from Hidden Trap and Rendercode Games is a single player puzzle game in which you are trying to avoid obstacles that get slightly harder as you progress.

Captain Cat offers 50 levels in the Episodes section and then two additional game modes; Perfect and Infinite. The Episodes are called Waspfish and House Keeper; both offer 25 levels in which you are trying to get through levels that progressively get more puzzling and difficult. Every few levels they introduce a new element which you need to avoid to catch some fish and keep this hungry cat satisfied. Also it reminds me slightly of the board game Operation, you know the one with the dude that has all kinds of objects that you try to get out while avoiding the sides. Well while fishing not only do you have eels and currents and a puffer style fish that you need to avoid but you cant even touch the walls and floors of the level either. You literally have to avoid everything while trying to get all the coins, bonus treasure boxes, and of course the fish.

Perfect Mode offers 25 challenging levels in which you are trying to pop a balloon fish with one push of the anchor. Things start off fairly challenging just trying to get to the balloon fish without obstacles, and then around level 5 the game starts bringing in more obstacles. This mode will definitely test your thinking abilities to be able to complete all 25 levels.

As for Infinite Mode, in this mode you are trying to see how deep you can go. There is a swarm of piranhas chasing your anchor and on top of that you have the typical obstacles like the eels that you are trying to avoid all while seeing just how deep you can get your anchor. Each time you play the level layout is auto-generated so that way each time you play you are getting a new challenge which keeps you on your game because you won’t be able to memorize the layout.

Controls

Captain Cat is a single button puzzle game. You use the left thumbstick to position the boat and where you want to drop the anchor from, other than that you are using the A button the rest of each level. You will push the A button to drop the anchor from the boat. The anchor will swing back and forth and you must use A and hold A to drop the anchor lower in the direction that you want to go. It is really easy to get into the controls of the game seeing how it is literally a single button game.

Visuals

Captain Cat is very cartoonish and whimsical. It is silly enough for children and cartoonish enough without getting too silly for adults. When you miss the fish the way the cat reacts is rather silly. He either gets super angry or cries; both are well animated and good for a quick chuckle. The overall sound effects can be very silly as well. The cat is always making some kind of noise regardless if you're making him sit there too long, catching the fish and he’s celebrating, or you just keep missing and he gets upset. Also when at the main screen Captain Cat is singing some kind of song and is rather silly to listen too.

Conclusion

Overall Captain Cat is a fun little puzzler to add to the collection. It features very well-designed sounds combined with animations that are fun for all ages. The only thing I would suggest could have been done a little differently is having more levels in the campaign part. I was able to complete the game really fast. Granted you can go back and try to get 3 stars on any of the levels that you didn't get all 3 stars, but other than that some more campaign levels would have made the game that much more enjoyable. Overall it is simple, entertaining and fairly priced for what you get.