Flynn’s Arcade has made a name for itself by publishing new, retro-style arcade titles that were built in the modern day but designed to look, play, and sound like games from the late ’80s. They are all great! However, on occasion, they publish titles that stray from their norm, and The Last Cat in the Universe fits this bill. It might be an outsider to their typical publishing habits, but that doesn’t mean this title is any less quality.
When explained on paper, The Last Cat in the Universe not only makes no sense, but it also sounds pretty silly. I am going to do my best to explain this game, so please stick with me here.
As explained off-screen, Earth has sadly been destroyed. Before this destruction, a space crew boarded a small craft in hopes of surviving long enough to find a new place to live.
Unfortunately, as the last member of the crew perished, full command of the ship was transferred to the ship’s AI. The dying wish of the last crewman was to keep the spaceship’s kitten alive for as long as possible and make it as comfortable as possible. How does the AI maintain the ship and the kitten? By laser mining, of course.
There are two screens of gameplay. The first is a 2D perspective of the ship where the player can click on things, using the analog stick like a mouse. At first, it might be safe to assume this is going to be some weird Tamagotchi-style virtual pet game based on this initial presentation. Instead, the player clicks a button that feeds and cleans the cat, then can participate in a laser-mining mini-game, the second screen of gameplay. Here, the player controls a vertical laser beam solely by moving the analog stick; there is no need to tediously press or hold any buttons. As this laser rains down from the top of the screen, it breaks apart resources on the ground. These freed resources are then automatically gathered and used as currency to upgrade the laser and improve the living conditions of the spaceship cat. Then this feeding, lasering, gathering, and spending loop repeats for about 2-3 hours until the game’s ending triggers when the player blasts through to the 100th floor using the laser beam. Where does all this mining happen, since the AI and cat are floating in endless space? The game never explains this, but you know… video game.
Told you this doesn’t make sense on paper.
Luckily, it plays much better than it sounds and actually becomes rhythmic, strangely addicting, and oddly satisfying once the initial confusion clears. Since there is no way to die or get a game over, the game moves at the player’s pace, resulting in a casual, laid-back experience. There is something satisfying about slowly clearing away bricks of debris to create resources while growing slightly stronger with each restart. Whether it is increasing the laser’s strength, diameter, or adding more buffs, each upgrade means something. I found the condensed laser button to be a bit of a waste since the default attack always gets the job done, but it is there if you need it or just want to play slightly differently.
The game never explains where this mining tunnel is, how the AI gets there, or how the resources are physically collected, but whatever. It is a game about a stranded kitty in space, and your heart goes out to it as you try to make it comfortable in the vast darkness. The ultimate goal is to dig deep enough and gather enough resources to recompile a corrupted song, a song that the crewman wanted the cat to hear in order to remain calm. To explain the story would ruin the experience, so I don’t wish to reveal too much here, but it isn’t a bad idea to have a tissue box nearby as you work your way through this brief quest. Ugghh, that ending!
The Last Cat in the Universe is a good example of one of those games that is easy to overlook while browsing the NEW section on the eShop. However, the less you know about it, the better. This oddly weird, experimental, low-cost digital download offers an experience that AAA games cannot provide – heart. It is weird but playable. It doesn’t make sense, but it is peculiarly addicting. And by the end, your heart will not only go out to the lonely cat but also to its non-biological AI companion. Although the tone is melancholy, the experience stays with you long after you power down.
SCORE: 9/10
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
X/Twitter: @ZackGaz
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