The Cat in the Hat

Feb 6, 2004

As is standard practice in this day and age, a videogame based on the Cat in the Hat movie has been released to coincide with the launch of the movie. And as most of you already know, most movie-based games are terrible, relying on a name over gameplay. For the most part, this is also true for The Cat in the Hat, but the results are nearly as bad as they could've been.

Gameplay
The Cat in the Hat is very much like the PSOne game Pandemonium. The game uses 3D graphics, but the gameplay is entirely 2D. See, you're walking on a flat plane, but the camera zooms around to give the impression of a 3D world. The effect was very cool back in the day, and to an extent it still works today. And seeing as how this game is targeted at a young demographic, it makes sense to keep the game 2D (for simplicity's sake) while using 3D graphics for eye candy.

Gameplay is more like the PlayStation game Klonoa. The Cat shoots enemies with bubbles from his umbrella. This in turn traps them in said bubble. He can then carry the bubble around, using it as a weapon (shooting the bubble at other enemies), or to break down barriers. Mix this gameplay with standard platforming elements and you've got The Cat in the Hat.

The game does try to mix things up by having certain walls only breakable with certain items, and there's even a little bit of "puzzle" solving, but 99% of the game is pretty straightforward. Just head toward the end of the level, don't miss any jumps, and avoid enemies at all costs.

The level design is decent, with the biggest problem being repetition. Every level is almost exactly the same besides the change in visual theme. There are jumps to make, walls to break, and big nasty background enemies to elude. Each successive level does introduce a slightly more interesting gameplay mechanic like a new type of spring, a teleporter, a pulley, etc, but it comes down to the same thing at its core.

Not every level has a boss, but the few that are there are actually pretty well done. I can imagine some younger players actually having a hard time with them. Of course, we're not talking anything mind-blowing here, just solid-but-standard platforming elements.

As you might expect, the Cat has every move found in the platformer's handbook. Jumps, double jumps, and butt-stomps…er, I mean umbrella slams rule the day. The level elements are also culled from the same book, with moving and falling platforms, spring jumps, and wire pulleys. All in all, there's nothing new here, even in the slightest, but that doesn't necessarily mean The Cat in the Hat is a terrible game.

Graphics
I hope you like bold, colorful graphics because Cat in the Hat is filled with just that. Like the movie the game is based on, there is no lack of exaggerated shapes and creatures, all colored using super-bright colors. Fitting for a game of this type (read: a kid's game), or those looking for some trippy visual stimulation.

As bad as you think they might be, the graphics aren't too bad. Yeah, they're a bit simplistic, and maybe a bit too gaudy, but the game runs smooth, has a sharp textures, and the Cat looks remarkably like his movie counterpart. Granted, he's really, really small onscreen, but that doesn't mean he looks bad. Even Alec Baldwin's character bears a nice resemblance to the movie character. Woohoo.

Sound
In line with the circus-like graphics is the bouncy, surreal music. The level tunes, while different, all sound very similar. Think Danny Elfman, but ten years old. Like the graphics, the music is appropriate for the game, but unless you have yet to hit puberty, you're more than likely to find it irritating than enjoyable.

Outside of the music, the thing you hear the most is the Cat's voice, performed by none other than the Cat himself, Mike Meyers. Every minute or so, get ready to hear a hokey one-liner relating to what's happening onscreen. Granted, this is a licensed game so having voice samples is expected, but damn, there are a lot of them. Also, the advice-giving fish and Mr. Quinn make their vocal presence known, but to a lesser degree. I found the game much more enjoyable with the volume down, and The Unicorn's "Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone" blasting through my Timex alarm clock radio.