Welcome Time Wasters!
This week’s Time Waster is a bit nostalgic and brings back some old memories with a new game in the form of Sushi CATapult.
For those that don’t know, Sushi Cat 2 was one of, if not, the first Time Waster I ever reviewed. Back then the Time Waster was still in its experimental stages and the game didn’t get a full review. Instead, the first few Time Wasters were quick reviews on Facebook that were under 300 words. It was a nifty idea and well received, thus the Time Waster being a full feature on GiN today.
Alright, the history lesson is over. Sushi CATapult isn’t exactly like other Sushi Cat games. Previous entries in the series treated Sushi Cat as if he was a pachinko ball that got bigger the more food he consumed on the way down. This new game is part of the distance genre, which has players trying to launch the round feline as far as possible and then make upgrades with earned money to send him even further.
You might be wondering why Sushi Cat would being willing to launch himself from a catapult, right? It’s actually a simple enough story. While out with his girlfriend, Sushi Cat sees an ad for a contest that has participants racing to the moon. The prize offered to the winner is a lifetime supply of free sushi. Obviously, this deal is just too good to pass up and Sushi Cat suits up for his trip to the moon.
Sushi CATapult is a lot like your typical distance game. Players will launch the cat, collect currency and buy upgrades to better their distance and abilities. However, it also has some fun differences. For example, rather than just focusing on one overall distance, this game splits the launching up into different levels with each one having its own goal. Some levels require players to collect a certain amount of sushi, while others challenge them to launch a certain distance.
After completing a certain number of levels, the story advances forward with a new cutscene that helps keep players interested in the game while still pushing them toward their overall goal of reaching the moon. One fun thing about this game is its callbacks to previous entries in the series with other characters making cameo appearances.
Outisde of the permanent upgrades purchased in Sushi CATapult’s shop, the game also features temporary powerups in levels. These powerups include collecting all the sushi around Sushi Cat at once, increasing his speed, lowering gravity and more. Players will have to use their ability to bounce Sushi Cat with mouse clicks at the right times to pick up these powerups for easier progression through the game. Sushi Cat also grows in size the more he eats, just like in previous entries in the series, making it easier to collect more food the longer the level lasts.
The graphics of Sushi CATapult are crisp and clean. The character are all adorable and its just got an overall feel of cuteness to it. Sure, it’s not the old west, an apocalyptic future, or anything like that, but its still great.
The audio in Sushi CATapult is also wonderful. It’s got a very Japanese feel to it (who’d of guessed that one) that goes well with the game. The sound effects are also nice and spot on for a fat bouncing cat making its way through Tokyo and eating everything in sight.
Overall, Sushi CATapult is another strong entry in the Sushi Cat series. It takes familiar elements from previous games and puts them in a new setting. It all meshes together well and creates a cute adventure filled with fun graphics, enjoyable audio and entertaining gameplay.
Sushi CATapult earns 5 GiN Gems out of 5!