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 Felix
the Cat first appeared on the scene as a 1920’s silent film star. In the final decade before talking
pictures became the rage, Felix was a major star. As the 20’s turned into the 30’s a new
animal stole Felix’s thunder and became one of the biggest icons of
all-time – Mickey Mouse. When
television came about in the 1950’s Felix the Cat made a comeback in
cartoons aimed squarely at children.
Along the way Felix grew taller with longer legs and gained a
magic bag of tricks that could turn into different things that Felix
wished for. In 1991 a Felix the Cat
movie was released and finally in 1992, over 70 years after he was
created, Felix starred in his own NES game.
In Felix the Cat you must
save your girlfriend Kitty from the evil Professor. The game plays as a platformer taking
its basic gameplay style from that of Super
Mario Bros. The game features
nine worlds with each world containing three levels (except for world
eight, which is just one long flying level). At the end of each world you must
defeat a boss. What makes this
game unique is the use of Felix’s bag of tricks. As you go through each level you have
to pick up coins that are actually icons of Felix’s head. Every so often one of the icons will
have a magic container in it. When
you pick up a magic container your bag of tricks turns into something
special for Felix. When you are
on land your bag first fills with stars that you can throw at your
enemies to kill them. As you pick
up more magic containers your bag upgrades to better weapons such as a
car and a tank. If you are hit by
an enemy your magic bag downgrades one item. You are only killed if you are hit by
an enemy when your magic bag is at its base level.
The game also features a few flying, swimming and boating levels. In these levels your magic bag has even
more different upgrades including a submarine, a dolphin, a jet plane and
so forth. All of these upgrades
make this game extremely fun and the diverse set of levels also make the
game feel less monotonous than your typical platformer.
Because Felix the Cat was created
at the tail-end of the NES’s lifespan, the
graphics on this game are phenomenal.
Unfortunately since this game was made for children it is
extremely easy and will be beaten in no time by any experienced  gamer.
Positives:
I can’t say enough about the high quality graphics of Felix the Cat. They are bright and colorful and feel
like a cartoon. The gameplay is
also original as far as platformers go with the varied levels and magic
bag upgrades. The controls are
simple and responsive. This game
is also an at an appropriate difficulty level for a young gamer.
Glaring
Negatives:
Really the only problem with this game is how easy it is. I only played the game one time and I
beat it with 18 extra guys, dying three or four times over the course of
the 25 levels.
Graphics
and Sound: Excellent
These are some of the best graphics the NES has to offer. It is a shame that most people will
never see them since they probably won’t give Felix the Cat a chance.
The music and sound effects are good as well.
Gameplay
and Controls: Top Notch
The gameplay is cool since you have lots of upgrades to discover a
long the way. You will also
encounter levels under water, in the sky and in outer space. The controls are spot on and will  never
frustrate you.
Features:
None
There aren’t really any features in this game although there is a
secret magic bag to discover in every level that offers you a slew of
coins.
Fun?:
Definitely
You will enjoy every minute of Felix
the Cat. It is too bad that
the game is so easy that you will be done with it in an hour flat.
Challenge:
Extremely easy
Felix the Cat is one of the
easiest platformers I’ve played in my life and definitely one of the
easiest titles on the typically tough NES.
Replay: Not
much
 Once
you beat this game I can’t imagine going back to it since there isn’t
really anything new to discover.
2
Player: No
That is not an option.
Online
Manual?: Yes at Nintendo Age
You can find all the NES manuals
at Nintendo
Age.
Bottom Line: Very fun but very easy
Felix the Cat is an
extremely enjoyable game but one of the easiest platformers on the
NES. Obviously this game is
targeted towards beginning gamers and this game is an “A” for that
group. The rest of us will marvel
at the top notch graphics and gameplay but will beat the game and find no
replay value in it.
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