Pastagames’ Pix the Cat is a fast paced, classic-style arcade game in which players control Pix as he leads a string of ducklings into holes for points. The goal of the game is to collect as many points as possible by hatching the ducklings and depositing them as quickly and smoothly as possible before advancing to the next stage. Hitting walls or other obstacles breaks the combo meter, so the real test is hitting the turns and other mechanics neatly for a great score. In essence Pix the Cat is a variation of the classic Snake arcade game, but its flashy graphics and amazing color schemes are what really distinguish this game.
Here’s what I liked:
Easy to play, hard to master — Pix the Cat is the game you want it to be. You can take a more relaxed approach and work to complete each stage without really caring about your score as you go deeper and deeper into the quirky grid through the portals of each level. If you want to achieve a high or even perfect score on a level, however, the game will be significantly harder. You’ll need to be hitting turns at the exact correct moment to keep up your speed, collect all the ducklings on a level before turning a single one in and all the while planning your next step to make sure you don’t make the fatal error of touching your chain of ducklings. With five game modes of Arcade Mode, Arena Mode, Laboratory Mode and Nostalgia Mode, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to try and master each type.
Great graphics and color scheme — A huge high point for this game are the graphics and color scheme. I absolutely loved the art. Each stage out of the levels is chock full of vibrant colors and animations. The backgrounds consist of circuit boards mainframes, to forests or bubbles. The animations pop and splash across the screen constantly. The Nostalgia Mode has a classic, sepia filter that makes the game appear like it’s a very old cartoon. Pix the Cat is one of the most visually appealing arcade games I’ve seen this month.
Here’s what I didn’t like:
Same old song and dance — Pix the Cat really is just a blending of Snake and a tiny bit of Pac-Man. After about 15 minutes of play time, you’ll probably switch to doing something else. While Pix the Cat is fun and flashy, it really doesn’t have a lot of variation from its core concept. Each level has the same goal, and while the stage will be different, you’ll be doing the going through the same motions over and over. Pix the Cat is a game of repetition, high-scores and numbers, not one based on adventure or variation in levels.
Controller is not optimal for this game — A quick fact that needs to be noted: this game feels like it wasn’t made for an Xbox One controller. You’ll be utilizing the D-Pad almost exclusively, not the analog sticks since the sticks are just too slow and unwieldy to effectively control Pix. The key to this game is correctly hitting the sharp turns at the precise moment. It is pretty clear that using a keyboard is the optimal way to control Pix, not an Xbox One controller. Be prepared for constant button mashing on your D-Pad.
Wrap-up:
Within the first fifteen minutes of playing Pix the Cat, you’ll see mostly everything it has to offer. The core aspect of this game is chasing high scores. For some, crunching the numbers and perfecting the art of gameplay just isn’t what they are looking for a game. Others will be turned off by the repetitive nature.
Score: Reader’s Choice
Pix the Cat was developed by Pastagames and published by Neko Entertainment. It was released for Xbox One on February 7th, 2017 for $9.99. A copy was provided for review purposes.
The Author
