Super Catboy was an impulse purchase due to the attractive price including the 20% launch discount. Luckily it was worth it. The game is trying to be an old-school platformer with a bit of Metal Slug shooting added to the mix. The game's pixel graphics are very detailed and its soundtrack is so beautiful, that it left a long lasting impression. The levels are very varied, there are bosses and stats are shown at the end of each level. Stats keep track of all the coins collected, the 4 cat pieces found and enemies defeated. Even though the game is trying to be a super nintendo platformer, it's not challenging like those games from that era. The challenge felt just right which is what I prefer. It took me 4.9 hours to complete the game according to Steam. I estimate that 30 minutes was used on testing things. So expect around 4.5 hours to 100% the game in its current form (patch 2). The length is fine considering the price.
So far, everything has been positive. But there are some flaws unfortunately. The main one is how upscaling is handled in the game. You're only getting scaling options up to x5 and you get to pick either nearest or bilinear. Those options simply don 't look good on a 1440p monitor. All the sharpness is lost and it looks like a pixelated mess. I played the game with x3 and the rest of the screen was filled with black background. Either add better scaling options or better yet, add native resolution options. The game is missing certain options like achievements and cloud saves. There are some other minor flaws here and there but they don’t detract from what the game has to offer. The developer did mention that they want to add achievements, trading cards and more ways to check your stats in future updates. They’ve been polishing the experience already and it can only become better if they keep it up.
They did a good job with their first game. And there is potential for more greatness. I'm looking forward to what this developer will offer in the future.
Update regarding scaling options:
I’ve had a brief discussion with the devs. The game is upscaled this way deliberately because they’re trying to replicate how games used to look on televisions and keep that experience on modern monitors. While I am not fan of this look, I respect the thought put behind it. No promises were made, but they did mention they might try out different scaling options for fans like me. Even if it’s only a thought, massive respect for caring!
So far, everything has been positive. But there are some flaws unfortunately. The main one is how upscaling is handled in the game. You're only getting scaling options up to x5 and you get to pick either nearest or bilinear. Those options simply don 't look good on a 1440p monitor. All the sharpness is lost and it looks like a pixelated mess. I played the game with x3 and the rest of the screen was filled with black background. Either add better scaling options or better yet, add native resolution options. The game is missing certain options like achievements and cloud saves. There are some other minor flaws here and there but they don’t detract from what the game has to offer. The developer did mention that they want to add achievements, trading cards and more ways to check your stats in future updates. They’ve been polishing the experience already and it can only become better if they keep it up.
They did a good job with their first game. And there is potential for more greatness. I'm looking forward to what this developer will offer in the future.
Update regarding scaling options:
I’ve had a brief discussion with the devs. The game is upscaled this way deliberately because they’re trying to replicate how games used to look on televisions and keep that experience on modern monitors. While I am not fan of this look, I respect the thought put behind it. No promises were made, but they did mention they might try out different scaling options for fans like me. Even if it’s only a thought, massive respect for caring!