Super-fun cat-based platformer
Price: $1.99 / £1.49
Version: 1.09
Size: 67.4 MB
Platform: iPhone & iPad
Developer: Veewo Games
Those of us that grew up in the age of Mario and Sonic would be lying if we said we didn’t like a good platformer with an iconic character, so when one lands on the App Store out of nowhere ticking both those boxes, well, we knew we’d have to have a proper run through. Super Phantom Cat – it sounds and looks like a gimmick. Is it? Let’s find out…
Super Phantom Cat is a fairly straightforward, spritely presence, and while it has a little more personality than your everyday platformer, it doesn’t have quite as much as the aforementioned icons above. But then that’s quite the bar to reach, the reason we liken it to those is that the sensibilities to something like Super Mario World are strikingly similar. Just much, much more colorful. In the game, you control Super Phantom Cat, who has to traverse various levels filled with bricks and monsters, and perform various bouncing, jumping, shooting and bashing actions. Along the way you’re going to want to pick up as many lightning bolts and stars as possible, in the same way we’re familiar with collecting coins, rings etc.
Say hello to Super Phantom Cat
The reward system follows a familiar three-star score based on time, baddies killed, and lightning flashes collected for each level, unlocking later levels as you progress. Later on, you can unlock new characters to take over Phantom Cat.
The gameplay is decent too – the controls sit comfortably on the screen and are sized perfectly to prevent you from misplacing your thumb on a jump. However, the controls can also be resized giving a level of control that most games neglect. The levels are beautifully designed, using pretty much every color under the rainbow and applying a luminescent glow, while their layout chops and changes and introduces new obstacles continuously. It’s not super-inventive, but it doesn’t get boring.
Levels are well designed and cycle through numerous color schemes
We’re big fans of Super Phantom Cat – it takes retro mechanics and influences and pairs it with modern, if not futuristic colorization and characters. Even better, this game only costs a couple of bucks. You’d often expect this kind of title to go free2play and rely on ad-based income or IAPs, but despite the App Store indicating there are IAPs in this game, we couldn’t find any; it appears to be a fully pay once title.
Unlock new characters as you play
So, if you like your platformers traditional, and your eyes blinded by color – do yourself a favor and pick up Super Phantom Cat right now.