Scram Kitty and His Buddy on Rails

 Wii U
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 40 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 40
  3. Negative: 6 out of 40

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  1. ricklongo
    Oct 6, 2014
    5
    This amusingly-named e-Shop exclusive has a lot going for it, from the eye-poppingly bright visuals to the potential addictiveness of the arcade shooter genre. Sadly, questionable design decisions bring the whole experience considerably down.

    You play as a human riding a kind of space pod, trying to rescue your pet kitty (and a bunch of other cats) from evil space mice. Each stage    This amusingly-named e-Shop exclusive has a lot going for it, from the eye-poppingly bright visuals to the potential addictiveness of the arcade shooter genre. Sadly, questionable design decisions bring the whole experience considerably down.

    You play as a human riding a kind of space pod, trying to rescue your pet kitty (and a bunch of other cats) from evil space mice. Each stage features walls covered with rails; your vehicle attaches to those rails, letting you transverse the space station setting while blasting off enemies in a very satisfying manner… that is, until the absolutely atrocious jumping controls get in the way. Trying to jump between platforms with any kind of precision is frustratingly hard, and this is a game that requires perfect timing and aiming in many sections.

    In each stage, you're tasked with finding a number of kittens. One of them is always at the exit, while getting the others requires you to complete tasks like collecting pellets, defeating a sub-boss, or even finding secret rooms; those challenges can range from okay to very fun. One of them, however, is a huge flop: there's always a "runaway" kitten, who will fly to a different segment of the stage whenever you touch it. You'll then get a small amount of time to find it and touch it again, causing it to fly to a different place, rinse and repeat. If you fail to touch it in the allotted time, it's back to square one. It can be an exercise in frustration even in simpler stages; when you add the requirement of unintuitive precision jumping to the mix, it gets flat-out infuriating.

    The heartbreaking thing is that, from screenshots and trailers, Scram Kitty is a game that makes you want to love it. It seems like a great transition of arcade concepts from the eighties to modern times, boasting straightforward action and a great sense of style. It ends up being an entirely different animal once you actually grab the reins. If you love arcade shooters and don't mind the added challenge of the controls, there should be a lot to like here, especially since the game's presentation is really great. Myself, I couldn't really overcome the frustration brought along by the unfortunate gameplay quirks.

    Rating: 5.5    … Expand
  2. headspacej
    Nov 13, 2014
    6
    Very difficult to learn, and not at all forgiving in terms of the number of lives you get. It's cool and innovative, with pretty slick mechanics, which makes me want to like it more than I actually do. Maybe I just suck at it, but I've found it more frustrating than fun.

Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Best Wii U Game of 2014
20
#20 Most Discussed Wii U Game of 2014
24
#24 Most Shared Wii U Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. DarkStation
    Jul 25, 2014
    80
    It’s smartly designed, and while I wish there were more modes, what’s there is definitely worth experiencing.
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  2. Eurogamer Italy
    Jul 18, 2014
    70
    If you love cats and difficulty in gaming, Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails could be your next killer app for Wii U. In case you don't, you should not hold your breath for the new Dakko Dakko's title.
    Read full review
  3. Worth Playing
    Jul 1, 2014
    80
    Those who frustrate easily should avoid this title unless they really want to risk damaging their GamePads, but for those who love a good challenge, this title is worth checking out.
    Read full review
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