Product Info

Platform

Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4

Publisher

Konami

Developer

Limited Run Games

Series

Felix the Cat

Genre

Action, Platform

Players

1

File Size (Minimum)

149 MB

Release Date (NA)

Mar 28, 2024

Purchase From

eShop

PSN Store

Official Store

Felix the Cat, a classic cartoon from 1919, had its own video game on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Game Boy consoles. This year, Limited Run Games and Konami helped port both games to today’s modern consoles for many to return to playing and for newcomers. Like other big license characters such as Chip ‘n Dale and Ducktales, Felix’s game is a platformer adventure that was and still is fun today.

A Bag Full for an Adventure

You play as Felix the cat who carries a briefcase full of tricks and sets off on an adventure to save his girlfriend Kitty from the Professor who wants Felix’s briefcase by any means. You’ll adventure through each level of various types of landscapes such as underwater and space. Thanks to the briefcase you carry, you’ll have the right gear to use for each stage, for example, a turtle to go underwater and a spaceship for space. While traveling, you’ll collect coins that have Felix’s face on them. Gather enough to earn extra points, 1-ups, and the ability to upgrade your gear. For example, your water raft can be upgraded to a dolphin. However, your upgrade won’t last forever. You’ll downgrade if you’re hit by an enemy or your hearts deplete. When your hearts do deplete, it resets after the upgrade. To gain hearts, collect milk cartons or 1-up hearts. These will appear when you collect enough Felix coins.

Boss fights occur in each world, and the majority of them are quite easy to win without breaking a sweat. The levels are more entertaining than the boss fights since you’ll deal with more obstacles. When all is said and done, you can complete both the NES and Game Boy games within two hours. For a retail price point at $24.99 USD, you’re better off waiting for a sale of the digital version, especially with not as many extras outside the game.

A Bag Mostly Empty

There are additional differences between the two versions. There are twenty-five levels in eighty worlds in the NES version, while the Game Boy one has eleven levels in six worlds. Although neither classic has save points, you can create saves by pulling up the game’s main menu.

The games’ levels and difficulty haven’t changed since their original releases, but both adventures can be enjoyed on 1080p screens. Additionally, you can adjust the screen size to its “original” ratio where it matches what it would be for a vintage size television screen from the ‘90s. You can even turn on or off the cathode-ray tube (CRT) filter, adding lines to mimic those televisions further.

There are two different Felix the Cat games to play: the NES and Game Boy versions. The Game Boy version is a port of the NES one, and while the graphics and colors are not on the same level as the superior NES original, there is still some enjoyment to be had. Also included is a version of the NES game for Japan’s Famicom, which is a nice addition. However, although this is the first time most players will play the Japanese release, there are no differences between the US and Japanese games, aside from the language.

Regardless of which game you play, you have access to a great feature that lets you rewind in the middle of playing (for a short timeframe) to retry and avoid cheap deaths. Nineties games were full of those, and no one enjoys them today. (We weren’t a fan of them back then either.) Outside of this, there isn’t any additional content. It’s surprising there isn’t a library of images so that players can look back at how the game was created and advertised. A time attack mode is another feature that’s noticeably not available. This would give players the ability to record their best playthrough of the game. It’s great that these classic titles are being preserved for gamers of today to enjoy, but this collection has a couple holes.

The Final Bag

Felix the Cat is a hidden treasure from the glory days of the ‘90s that’s been forgotten until now. Players who enjoy classic titles and platformers should give Felix a whirl.

A PlayStation 5 code provided for this review.