Rockin' Kats (NES, 1991)
Graphics-7.5 Sound-7 Control-7.5 Challenge-7 Story-5
Level Design-7 Frustration-7.5 Fun-7 Originality-5.5
Overall Score-7
+
Pretty good art direction overall
Choose your own path (first 4 levels; uses a TV channel select theme)
Shop and mini-games in-between levels
Item inventory
Some interesting items (jet shoes - lets you hover by holding down jump)
Swing mechanic (similar to Ristar but not quite as good - can cancel your momentum though)
Very good mid-air jump control
Bounce off the ground and walls to reach higher
Pretty good bosses overall (the band one is pretty creative and you can hit his band members for small hearts)
Fight a mini-boss while riding an airplane
Totem pole wind effect boss)
Mini-bosses
Life refill after bosses and mini-bosses
Very good visual variation
Some large sprites (monkey boss)
8-way aiming (need to jump to shoot downwards)
+/-
Recoil from hitting walls and objects from either direction and enemies from above (inconsistent when it comes to enemies but probably for the better; still a bit annoying to bounce back from walls and objects when you don't want to)
The circus level is a bit longer than the previous ones
No level timers
Most 1-ups in the levels are easy to get to
Bought items never go away
The scenario of each channel/level is that your GF gets kidnapped
Big lifebar (10 hits)
There's a grab and throw items mechanic (hold punch) but it's only used for a mini-game
Unlimited continues?
-
Plenty of slowdown
Some control issues (some upwards attack delay right after landing from a jump, annoyingly tricky to grab platforms)
Some bosses take too many hits to kill considering their patterns
Trial & error (hard to tell if you're damaging the main circus boss, some levels have really fast flying enemies, precise swing jumping required at times while its controls are rather stiff)
Too much flat corridor style level design (some segments scroll vertically but no levels scroll in both directions at the same time)
Can despawn some enemies and items (the bats in the circus themed level, a 1-up)
Some sub level transitions and level backgrounds have an amateurish look to them
A bit drawn out towards the end (last level repeats all bosses and mini-bosses)
No difficulty options
Very short music tracks overall
Level Design-7 Frustration-7.5 Fun-7 Originality-5.5
Overall Score-7
+
Pretty good art direction overall
Choose your own path (first 4 levels; uses a TV channel select theme)
Shop and mini-games in-between levels
Item inventory
Some interesting items (jet shoes - lets you hover by holding down jump)
Swing mechanic (similar to Ristar but not quite as good - can cancel your momentum though)
Very good mid-air jump control
Bounce off the ground and walls to reach higher
Pretty good bosses overall (the band one is pretty creative and you can hit his band members for small hearts)
Fight a mini-boss while riding an airplane
Totem pole wind effect boss)
Mini-bosses
Life refill after bosses and mini-bosses
Very good visual variation
Some large sprites (monkey boss)
8-way aiming (need to jump to shoot downwards)
+/-
Recoil from hitting walls and objects from either direction and enemies from above (inconsistent when it comes to enemies but probably for the better; still a bit annoying to bounce back from walls and objects when you don't want to)
The circus level is a bit longer than the previous ones
No level timers
Most 1-ups in the levels are easy to get to
Bought items never go away
The scenario of each channel/level is that your GF gets kidnapped
Big lifebar (10 hits)
There's a grab and throw items mechanic (hold punch) but it's only used for a mini-game
Unlimited continues?
-
Plenty of slowdown
Some control issues (some upwards attack delay right after landing from a jump, annoyingly tricky to grab platforms)
Some bosses take too many hits to kill considering their patterns
Trial & error (hard to tell if you're damaging the main circus boss, some levels have really fast flying enemies, precise swing jumping required at times while its controls are rather stiff)
Too much flat corridor style level design (some segments scroll vertically but no levels scroll in both directions at the same time)
Can despawn some enemies and items (the bats in the circus themed level, a 1-up)
Some sub level transitions and level backgrounds have an amateurish look to them
A bit drawn out towards the end (last level repeats all bosses and mini-bosses)
No difficulty options
Very short music tracks overall