MagiCat - Steam Game

It's a cute game. Nice platformer to I let my nephews play. Good controls and great with steam controller.

Magicat has a surprising amount of unique game design, especially for a platformer with clear inspiration from popular 16 bit games. I can't give it 5 stars simply because it doesn't really draw me in for long play sessions. However, it is a solid game that will press some nostalgia buttons while also offering refreshing gameplay, so it deserves a solid recommendation.

MagiCat is better than it looks. It's actually a really nice indie platformer with a lot going for it. You have a lot of levels ( about 70 ), each divided in 3 zones and a boss. Most levels use a unique mechanic made quite obvious in the first zone. Now they're not all great or original, but that makes for a very varied little game. You'll find inspirations of many games, from Vvvvv or Mario to games like Shantae. You won't have to complete all the levels to reach the end, but you will probably need close to 6 hours to do so. Then, if you liked the game, there are a lot of things you can do. Finish all the levels you missed for starters. Get all the gems ( 3 per level ) that are all associated to puzzles ranging from short and easy to quite complex or requiring real platforming skills to beat. You can also do that without using the few abilities you can buy from the shops, wich grants you a different colored gem (for the real completionists ). You can beat the timed challenges ( some levels are tough ). You can beat your own scores. There's even a little indication that shows when you've beaten a level without dashing, dying, or taking damage on the boss. You also have a real final boss... Let's just say that if you want to play more, you will definitely find something to do. That's great. I do have a few gripes though, the game is not perfect. It is an indie game, and it shows. The graphics are okay, but they're just doing the job and nothing else. In 70 levels, you're bound to have a few poorly designed ones ( Well, hello there Dark level ). Some mechanics would have needed a little more explanation. If you're going for all the gems, some won't be kind to you or even fair ( Oh, so we meet again, Dark level ! ). None of those are game breaking, but the presentation is very minimalistic. Now, with all of that being said, MagiCat can really be considered a little gem hidden under tons of bad platformers. It deserves a greater audience as it provides a fun game but also a good challenge if you're looking for it. If you're into platformers, don't miss it. An easy 7.

Having put a few hours into the game, it's a very enjoyable platformer that has some genuine challenge to it, either the stage itself or the optional gem pick ups. If anyone is interested in platformers, this can very easily scratch your itch.