One more game I'll be buying after I (finally) get a Vita: Pix the Cat

I've been aware of this digital PS4 and Vita title for a couple of weeks now, and every time I think of it, I want it--and a system that will allow me to play it--a little more than I wanted it the last time it popped into my head.

Why is that? For starters, Pix the Cat was made by the crew at Paris-based Pastagames, whose past products include one of my favorite XBLIG titles, Arkedo Series: 03 Pixel, as well as the superb (and sadly under-appreciated) DS gem, Maestro! Jump in Music.

Also, there's the following trailer:



NeoGAF user Sir TapTap recently described Pix the Cat as being akin to Pac-Man ChuChu Snake Rocket Championship Edition DX+--or a mash-up of the ancient Snake game, Pac-Man Championship Edition and Sega's ChuChu Rocket!--which of course makes me want it even more.

Unfortunately, it's unlikely I'll be able to buy this game--or, for that matter, a Vita--until the end of the year. In the meantime, I guess I'll have to continue lusting after the trailer above and poring over Tiny Cartridge's recent write-up of the title.

I'm not entirely sure what's going on in this trailer, but (I think) I like what I see anyway

The trailer in question is for Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit, by the way--which is being developed by Arkedo and published by Sega. It'll hit PSN and XBLA in late September (Sept. 25 and 26, respectively and specifically) and PC on Oct. 3. Oh, and all three releases will have $14.99 price tags attached to them.



I loved Arkedo Series - 03 Pixel!, so I'm seriously considering picking up the XBLA version of Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit. The only things that may keep me from doing so are the above-mentioned price tag and the fact that so much is going on in the trailer above that I'm a bit worried that playing this game could be an overwhelming (in a bad way) experience.

Five XBLIG games you should have played, but probably didn't

To those of you wondering why I'm not including retail or even XBLA releases in this post: I'm not including the former because I have just one such game (Deadly Premonition) and I'm not including the latter because pretty much all of the XBLA titles I've purchased thus far are high-profile ones, and I'm trying to focus on under-appreciated releases in this series of posts. (Here's one that focuses on DS games you should have played, but probably didn't, and here's one that focuses on Wii games.)

1. Arkedo Series: 03 Pixel!--Can a more charming platformer be found via the XBLIG service? If so, I've yet to come across it. Even if one were to present itself to me, it wouldn't cause me to change my mind about the fact that Arkedo Series: 03 Pixel! is more charming than it has any right to be. How else would you describe a run-and-jump title that puts you in the, er, paws of a big-headed cat who has to--you guessed it--run and jump his way though a bunch of beautifully rendered (in blue and white) stages while avoiding assorted baddies. Admittedly, Pixel! won't win any awards for uniqueness (although it incorporates occasional mini-games in a rather clever manner), nor will it win any awards for length or difficulty, but who really cares when the overall experience is this tight, simple and fun?

2. Escape Goat--If you're looking to pick up a great puzzler-platformer via XBLIG, Escape Goat is your game. Why? It looks like a Genesis game--a good one, mind you--for starters. (It kind of sounds like one, too, now that I'm thinking of it.) I can't say it plays like one because, well, I don't believe I ever played a puzzler-platformer on Sega's 16-bit system. Regardless, this one is a joy to play. In part that's because controlling the main character--the titular goat--feels great, which makes traversing the game's many obstacles (it is a puzzler, after all) a snap, and in part it's because everything--the gameplay, graphics and music--comes together to produce a most captivating experience.