Now available on Nvidia Shield devices, Pix the Cat is a mash-up between two old school classics, Snake and Pac-Man. Each single screen level contains a number of eggs and a corresponding number of target spaces. Each time Pix grabs an egg, it turns into a duckling that then proceeds to follow Pix around the level. Collect more eggs and your tail of ducklings gets longer and longer… so long, in fact, that eventually you have to be wary of hitting your own ducks and receiving a penalty.
The secondary aim is to deposit the ducks on the target spaces. You can do this at any point but if you collect all the ducks before depositing them you score higher and that is the ultimate aim of the game, points!
It’s simple and ridiculously addictive. That’s not all however. By reaching certain target scores you can unlock new mazes containing not only eggs but wandering enemies. Get a perfect multiplier and you activate frenzy mode in which things speed up but you can also now destroy enemies (like in Pac-Man).
Yet higher scores unlock alternative play modes such as the Laboratory and the absolutely gorgeous Nostalgia mode (for you retro arcade fans out there). In this section of the game, the graphics go all old-school Disney (think Steamboat Willie) and you are presented with a series of very different puzzle levels. In one you have to be very precise in navigating your way through a series of explosive mines, in another you have to simultaneously control four separate cats in four separate mini mazes.
The design of the levels is pretty well done. Through clever placement of eggs and targets, the designers force you to think carefully about your route so you can not only collect all the eggs first, but then make your way to the target squares without hitting your own tail. On top of this, accurate navigation boosts your speed so things get more fluid and you can score more points within the time limit.
Did we mention there’s a time limit to make things even more challenging? But with increased speed comes increased difficulty. All the while there are colorful flashes signifying the achievement of combo score multipliers and a voiceover announcing the fact. It has been purposely designed to look and feel like a modern day take on a classic coin-op. Other details include the fact that you can see a mini preview of the next level just outside the boundaries of the level you are playing. And cleverly, just as you begin to frustrated, you’ll hit one of the score targets and get a fabulously rewarding pat on the back from the narrator as well as a bunch of artwork, new levels, bonus modes and other goodies.
Pix the Cat is now available to download on Nvidia Shield Android TV, the Shield Tablet, or the Shield Portable from Google Play for $9.99.
