Felix the Cat: The Video Game

One of my favorite video games growing up was "Felix the Cat" from Hudson Soft on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I still have the game cartridge somewhere. It was released in 1992 and follows the game mechanics started by "Super Mario Bros. 3" in 1988. In the game, the Professor has kidnapped Felix's girlfriend, Miss Kitty. Felix has to go from world to world defeating his rogue's gallery--Rock Bottom, the Master Cylinder, King Neptune, and maybe one other, I can't remember. Boss battles are repeated in the game. This is a very playable game and if you would like to try it out, it was rereleased by Limited Run Games and Konami in 2024 and is available on the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation.

The game honestly isn't too hard. It starts out with your typical green hill, soothing music level like so many of these games started out with to lure you in with a false sense of security. The first world is so easy, just walk to the right and punch/shoot these cute animals. Each world has its own unique set of weapons to help you get across the level. The game is very generous with power and extra lives. To keep your magic, you have to keep your hearts up. To keep your hearts up, you have to drink milk which comes out in threes with every 6 or so Felix heads. Every 10 Felix heads gives you a heart which fills your magic meter and gives you an extra life or changes your power. Every 100 Felix heads gives one extra life.  You can also get an extra life by shooting random Professor heads in the sky. You get an extra 500 points by touching random Miss Kitty heads that are also in the clouds.

All the weapons you have are serviceable. The magic stars seem to kind of have a delay and the airplane is a bit hard to control. Also, during the air levels, you have to keep "jumping" to stay in the air so going back and forth from jump to fire is hard work on your thumb. But the worst weapons, and it's really just because of the world, are the rowboat and the dolphin. These games always have to have a water and ice level and they always have to be the hardest levels. You keep bouncing up and down while in the water so it's hard to dodge enemies and aim your weapon.

Despite your first end level boss being the Professor, you battle the Professor again after the ice level and at the end of the game. He also repeatedly calls Felix to taunt and threaten.

Why does Felix keep going home? You need to save Kitty!

The last battle takes place on the Moon. Felix turns his Magic Bag into a spaceship, I guess, and heads off into space. The spaceship is the only weapon you have in this level and if you get hit, you die. You then arrive at the Professor's moon base, which is made out of large gold bricks, and, thanks to many Magic Bag "secret" rooms, beating the Professor is pretty easy.

You rescue Kitty and head back to the Earth together. The End.