AQUA KITTY UDX: Xbox One Ultra Edition Review

Aqua Kitty plays like an old school arcade game. The gameplay will resonate for those of you who enjoyed Defender and Resogun. Your goal is to save the other cats from the sea monsters that are trying to capture/kill them. These monsters will come in at waves so you will always need to be on your toes and protect the other cats. To do so you will you use your primary weapon and secondary to shoot down the oncoming threat. While in your sub you will occasionally come across power-ups that will increase your firepower.  As you progress through the stage you will face more waves of enemies to kill. As with most games of this genera, with each progressing wave, the challenge becomes greater. This can be especially true for the endless mode, this mode enemies are often a greater threat than when in the campaign mode this is of course due to the infinite number of waves you will face. Aqua Kitty even manages to offer throw back nods to great games of the past, like for instance, the campaign map looks similar to the Super Mario Bros. 3 world map. There you can select the stage you would like and begin your mission. What’s great is that you can also play co-op in the game adding to the chaos that is already on the screen.

If you enjoy retro graphics you will love Aqua Kitty’s design. The characters portraits and ships are all sprites while some of the back grounds in stages look to be hand drawn. This design blend meshes extremely well and brings life to the game. This creative design choice helps make the action on-screen pop allowing the player to be further engaged. The designs of each level you play are intricately created, which can be great eye candy for anyone who plays Aqua Kitty. The cat designs that you will see throughout the game can be humorous making some parts even more enjoyable. The particle effects do look somewhat generic though.

The music in this game is absolutely fantastic! It reminds me of the superb Scott Pilgrim soundtrack. The music is energetic and flows well with the action on-screen, this, of course, helps keep the player’s attention. For anyone who enjoys old school esq music this game has you covered. Not only is the music great, but the sound design as well. The sounds from all the chaotic gameplay enhance the experience. My only issue is that some tracks can get repetitive so I wish there were more tracks in the game, but overall it is still a great soundtrack.

The general idea for the plot is that the milk resources have been exhausted so the cats must find a new area that has what they desire. After overcoming their fears of water the cats realize that they can mine the milk in the depths of the ocean. With new territory comes news threats, the oceans greatest monsters lurk near the mines. Arcade-style games like this should not be played for its story, chances are you’re just looking for some great gameplay anyhow so the weird plot isn’t really an issue.

If you like replay value you will love this game. Aqua Kitty UDX offers just the right amount of challenge to keep the player coming back for more. It also has offers numerous gameplay modes so you will never get board.  Like for instance, this version of Aqua Kitty has a mode that is exclusive to it, The Dreadnought mode. In this mode, you will be tasked with saving the kitties while also destroying large enemy crafts. You also, of course, have the core gameplay as well like the endless mode and the main campaign. So there will always be something to keep your attention locked on Aqua Kitty.

Aqua Kitty UDX is not for everyone, its classic old school arcade gameplay will, however, be appreciated by gamers who grew up in the 80’s/90’s.  The fast paced action, chiptune music, and gorgeous visuals are all excellent and will be enjoyed by those who enjoy classic games. The plot is really dumb but what do expect from a game called Aqua Kitty? Like I said earlier though, you’re playing this game for the fast paced gameplay, not the plot.  Aqua Kitty UDX is definitely a title that should not be missed that is why it earns an 8/10.

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary Microsoft Xbox One code was provided to Brash Games for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to editor@brashgames.co.uk.