Zig Zag Cat - Dachou Club mo Oosawagi da [Model SHVC-ZP]

Zig Zag Cat ダチョウ倶楽部も大騒ぎダ © 1994 Denz
(Zig Zag Cat - Dachou Club mo Oosawagi da)

Zig Zag Cat is one of those games that doesn't really fit any sort of genre. Basically, we have here a sort of action game based on the old breakout, or more recent titles such as Taito's Arkanoid, but with a twist of adventure thrown in. The hero of the game survives a crash landing on a mysterious planet. Quickly after his arrival, he is welcomed by an old man and starts exploring the nearby area. Our friend is also accompanied with a strange looking yellow cat who happens to be at the center of the gameplay. The goal of the game is rather simple - the boy walks along a path and a force field placed in front of him (in the shape of a huge paddle) is used to bounce back the cat (turned into a ball for that matter). Blocks and other enemies are scattered along the trail and the ball (or the paddle) is the only way to overcome them. Sometimes, weird looking black blocks in the shape of small squids appear. When they do, the scrolling stops, and they must be defeated and hit multiple times (they open one eye, then the other, and finally die). Power-ups can be collected along the way, such as three-balls, laser gun, invincible-ball and so forth... Other items, such as money, can also be found. An Inn is located at the end of every sub-stage where our friends can take a well deserved break - there, they can talk to people, buy some items, enter bonus stages or save their progress. Another weird feature of the game is the weird looking trio our heroes periodically meet during the game...