Gato Roboto

Admittedly, Gato Roboto is a small video game, but its length is one of its strengths. The adventure introduces new mechanics and discoveries at such a perfect pace that you end up feeling satisfied yet hungry for more. If you love Metroidvanias and want a quick, cheap, enjoyable version of one, Gato Roboto fits that mold purrfectly.

If you go into Gato Roboto expecting the transportive, sprawling, otherworldly joys of Samus Aran's best, you may be disappointed. But if you want a fierce, high-contrast, bite-sized treat, you're in the right place! [Issue #41 – September 2019, p. 21]

Gato feels like a Metroid mini, not in a diminishing way either. At a tight 3-4 hours, you can see and pick up everything. Over that time you’ll have played a tightly-honed game that uses gated progression to steer you around a reasonably linear path. This isn’t a bad thing either, it’s Metroid boiled and condensed down to its essence. It adds just enough of its own personality that you want to uncover the mysteries of the facility as they unfold throughout the game.

Let yourself be seduced by its price. It is an excellent game, although a bit short. It fulfills what is expected of a title inspired by Metroid and brings a couple of fresh ideas. Gato Roboto is very light and includes some Super Meat Boy style levels.

Gato Roboto is one of my favorite indie games I’ve had a chance to play this year. The only downside is that the short playtime of only four-five hours (it took me five and a half because of some issues with one of the bosses), means the game never really feels like it finds its own identity. If you can look past this, though, you’ll find a fantastically crafted platformer that mimics the Metroid days of old.

A monochromatic tribute to Metroid with a good sense of humor and solid exploration, action and platforming mechanics.

Gato Roboto is a refreshingly simple take on the Metroidvania formula. It's not going to impress everyone, but if you're just looking for solid side-scrolling action and a pretty cute cat, it won't disappoint.

Gato Roboto might lean a little too heavily on homage, but never truly in a bad way. It might be more goofy than great and more adorable than original, but the game still delivers a pint-sized prance that comes together nicely even if it’s a little short. This follows through on the premise of Meowtroid extremely well.

With tight controls, retro-styled minimal art style and a superb sense of progression, this is the perfect Metroidvania to play whilst you’re waiting for an actual Metroid or appropriate Castlevania game. Only its difficulty leaves a bit to be desired at times - anybody with a lick of experience will likely breeze through it in no time, and we wish it lasted a little longer. Nevertheless, it's chock full of meaningful upgrades, secrets and spectacular boss battles to keep you busy, if only for a few hours.

Apart from the cute twist of playing as a cat, Gato Roboto does little to innovate and feels like a decent game you’ve already played.

Gata Roboto is not a Metroidvania from another world: it does not really do anything wrong, but it does not really do many new things either. The big star in this game is the cat, that apparently is a very capable and cuddly replacement for Samus.

Gato Roboto is another little triumph for Devolver Digital and developer doinksoft. A simple and satisfying metroidvania that keeps the best of the genre and execute it in a fun Cat-Robot space fantasy and ditches all the unnecessary backtracking these games sometimes have. What it has in charm it lacks in ambition though, and it can fall a little bit short content-wise.

Although Gato Roboto does not provide the type of sprawling world design that Metroidvania titles are known for, it still does a decent job at reducing this type of experience into a condensed form. The abbreviated process of upgrading Kiki’s mech suit is a satisfying sprint that takes you from helplessness to empowerment at a rapid pace. It may not offer an exciting new take on Metroidvanias, and the limited scope of the world is disappointing, but Gato Roboto works as a solid microcosm of its genre for those who are strapped for time.

Gato Roboto is a short, sharp burst of Metroid fun, with cats. It sounds daft, but strong level design and a few original tweaks make it well worth a look.

A game with a lot of personality and charm... but far too simple in every other aspect, especially when compared with the best examples of the metroidvania genre. Nevertheless, Gato Roboto is pretty fun, and few games let you become the more powerful cat in the entire universe (none, really).

Gato Roboto offers a synthetic and concentrated experience of a Metroid-like adventure. doinksoft game's ticks every boxes of the genre, delivering a high-speed rhythm all the same, but falling short after three little hours.

If you go into Gato Roboto with the only expectation being “Metroid but with a cat protagonist,” you won’t likely be disappointed. But if you hope for anything beyond that, you’ll likely wind up entertained but unsatisfied.

Gato Roboto has some wonderful aesthetic choices and innovative boss fights, but the awfully short length and generic enemy design hamper an otherwise quirky title.

Gato Roboto is far from purrfect. The boss fights are a delight, challenging me every step of the way and rewarding me for patience and determination. Everything else, though, is just a bit too safe and unoriginal. From familiar environments to basic upgrades and uninventive gameplay, Gato Roboto is an okay, standard Metroid-style game. In a world where so many titles fall into that genre, though, you can easily find something similar to play that has a bit more originality to it.

While Gato Roboto’s frustrations aren’t indicative of its overall quality, they stick with me because the rest of the experience is so by-the-numbers. It’s cute and generally fine, but in a genre this packed, it takes more to stand out than being functional and offering a few solid chuckles.

Gato Roboto is a bite-sized trek that's sufficiently programmed for the right amount of enjoyment. With enough charm to last a Sunday afternoon, Kiki's escapade is sure to leave behind a pleasant memory or three. Just be sure to keep expectations in check. It's unlikely that hardcore gamers will get the fierce action and stress-inducing scenarios that they crave, while the casual crowd might be a little put off by the short play-time and lack of extra content. Still, there is a bit of depth to uncover. Skilfully navigating the research facility is a reward in itself. All in all, whoever decides to pick this title is bound to get their money's worth, and that's reason enough to check it out.

If you want a simple Metroidvania adventure that you can complete in 1 or 2 gaming sessions then Gato Roboto is the cat's pajamas.

While the rewards in hidden areas aren't as satisfying as you might expect from a game like this, Gato Roboto's tense, creative boss battles with a talking rodent are an absolute delight.