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Vanek

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Blade Kitten, Seriously?

I know what you're likely thinking, "That's a pretty stupid name." -- I thought the same thing, but hear me out ...
 
The basic premise of a pink haired half cat bounty hunter generally would set off my bad game alarm, and it's something I would normally stay away from, but after downloading several higher profile arcade games and finding them unsatisfying I thought why the hell not.  I tried Blade Kitten, a game I expected absolutely nothing from and ended up not only finishing the demo but subsequently buying the full game.
 

Meet the sassy bounty hunter Kit Ballard ...
Meet the sassy bounty hunter Kit Ballard ...
Blade Kitten is an anime styled platformer that features a half human/cat bounty hunter named Kit Ballard that has a magical floating blade.  The idea sounds stupid, I know, but it actually works somehow.  I started playing it and immediately found myself enjoying the simple platforming and oddly amusing dialogue.  The game doesn't have some epic story, but there is an undeniable charm to the characters and I found the games sense of humour worked well.  Needless to say I was very quickly rooting for the sassy bounty hunter and her adorable companion and I really wanted to continue on and see how things played out.   
 
As far as the gameplay is concerned Kit has a floaty feel to her movement and is incredibly agile which allows her to climb most walls with ease.  This in turn allows you to easily explore every corner of an area in search of treasure chests and collectables while also encouraging you to replay levels and collect everything.  You're constantly collecting gems and finding treasure chests which in turn allow you to later buy new blades, costumes and health upgrades from a street vender later on.   
 
"These are sausages!" 
The game will generally throw some easy, but enjoyable platforming at you and mix things up with some light puzzles and switches.  It's never too hard but I found that a good thing as it meant I never ended up frustrated.  Each level also has several checkpoints so if you do find any particular part hard you aren't forced to restart from the beginning.  That said, the combat in the game is pretty simple but it makes sense as platforming is the primary objective.  There are a few combat heavy sections that require more though but after the first few levels you'll find yourself jumping around and carving up enemies with ease, which is both fun and rewarding. 
 
The presentation is generally high throughout with attractive character models and some bright and colourful levels with multiple layers.  The voice acting is delivered well and helps with the funnier lines of dialogue with the main characters performance standing out as the best.  Blade Kitten also has a surprising catchy soundtrack, which I have to admit it got stuck in my head for some time.  It's truly impressive that it all comes together so well however a few glitches and one instance where the game refused to continue and I was forced to restart the level bring the game down slightly.  It did only happened once, and by no means is a deal breaker, but is something worth noting.  
 
I've checked out several reviews of Blade Kitten and most are not kind.  Everything from it's difficulty to it's simple nature is criticised and yet I feel this is a game with likeable characters, an amusing script and some enjoyable platforming with a lot to collect.  If that sounds interesting and you don't mind a little repetition and the odd glitch then ignore the mainstream reviews and consider this the game for you.  At present it's current 1200 MS Point price may feel a little steep, but don't let that stop you trying the demo and scoping it up once the price eventually drops.
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Vanek

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Edited By Vanek

I know what you're likely thinking, "That's a pretty stupid name." -- I thought the same thing, but hear me out ...
 
The basic premise of a pink haired half cat bounty hunter generally would set off my bad game alarm, and it's something I would normally stay away from, but after downloading several higher profile arcade games and finding them unsatisfying I thought why the hell not.  I tried Blade Kitten, a game I expected absolutely nothing from and ended up not only finishing the demo but subsequently buying the full game.
 

Meet the sassy bounty hunter Kit Ballard ...
Meet the sassy bounty hunter Kit Ballard ...
Blade Kitten is an anime styled platformer that features a half human/cat bounty hunter named Kit Ballard that has a magical floating blade.  The idea sounds stupid, I know, but it actually works somehow.  I started playing it and immediately found myself enjoying the simple platforming and oddly amusing dialogue.  The game doesn't have some epic story, but there is an undeniable charm to the characters and I found the games sense of humour worked well.  Needless to say I was very quickly rooting for the sassy bounty hunter and her adorable companion and I really wanted to continue on and see how things played out.   
 
As far as the gameplay is concerned Kit has a floaty feel to her movement and is incredibly agile which allows her to climb most walls with ease.  This in turn allows you to easily explore every corner of an area in search of treasure chests and collectables while also encouraging you to replay levels and collect everything.  You're constantly collecting gems and finding treasure chests which in turn allow you to later buy new blades, costumes and health upgrades from a street vender later on.   
 
"These are sausages!" 
The game will generally throw some easy, but enjoyable platforming at you and mix things up with some light puzzles and switches.  It's never too hard but I found that a good thing as it meant I never ended up frustrated.  Each level also has several checkpoints so if you do find any particular part hard you aren't forced to restart from the beginning.  That said, the combat in the game is pretty simple but it makes sense as platforming is the primary objective.  There are a few combat heavy sections that require more though but after the first few levels you'll find yourself jumping around and carving up enemies with ease, which is both fun and rewarding. 
 
The presentation is generally high throughout with attractive character models and some bright and colourful levels with multiple layers.  The voice acting is delivered well and helps with the funnier lines of dialogue with the main characters performance standing out as the best.  Blade Kitten also has a surprising catchy soundtrack, which I have to admit it got stuck in my head for some time.  It's truly impressive that it all comes together so well however a few glitches and one instance where the game refused to continue and I was forced to restart the level bring the game down slightly.  It did only happened once, and by no means is a deal breaker, but is something worth noting.  
 
I've checked out several reviews of Blade Kitten and most are not kind.  Everything from it's difficulty to it's simple nature is criticised and yet I feel this is a game with likeable characters, an amusing script and some enjoyable platforming with a lot to collect.  If that sounds interesting and you don't mind a little repetition and the odd glitch then ignore the mainstream reviews and consider this the game for you.  At present it's current 1200 MS Point price may feel a little steep, but don't let that stop you trying the demo and scoping it up once the price eventually drops.
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Azteck

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Edited By Azteck

Too bad it looks stupid to me. =\
 
I'm glad you enjoyed it though, regretting purchases is always terrible.

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mowgers

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Edited By mowgers

Fun Fact: The game is based on a webcomic the head of the studio creates. Or created, I stopped reading it a while ago, he may have put it on hiatus or something.

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LordAndrew

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Edited By LordAndrew

I just played the demo. Seemed like a decent enough game, but I think I got enough out of the demo for now.

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Bloodgraiv3

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Edited By Bloodgraiv3
@LordAndrew said:
"I just played the demo. Seemed like a decent enough game, but I think I got enough out of the demo for now. "

I got enough out of the demo in general. 
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RichardLOlson

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Edited By RichardLOlson

I played it and it wasn't something I would pay to play.  The demo said enough for me to just disregard any notion of snagging it up.

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Von

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Edited By Von

I loved it. Felt like an somewhat easy "Megaman meets Strider"-game and that's just sweet in my book.

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TheGreatGuero

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Edited By TheGreatGuero

I'm so disappointed it's not really a ninja kitten.

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jacksukeru

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Edited By jacksukeru

I also checked out the demo. Didn't like it, didn't expect to. 
 
Things I didn't like include the general style of it all, with pink haired catgirls feeling especially 90's. The floaty controls. The combat, with you mashing either the short range or long range button. Collectibles everywhere is also kind of old. The dialouge.
 
Things I did like was the lip synching and the presentation was surprisingly good. And hey at least the level was really long, though I wish it had ended sooner. That part with the elevator going up and you having to climb the walls to avoid the lasers was sort of good to.

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W0lfbl1tzers

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Edited By W0lfbl1tzers

Just stick it in her pooper

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Legend

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Edited By Legend

I tried the demo, didn't like it.

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Diamond

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Edited By Diamond

It's better than Bubsy...
 
but not much better.

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schizogony

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Edited By schizogony

I will simply never play anything called "Blade Kitten" ever.

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Lind_L_Taylor

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Edited By Lind_L_Taylor

It's definitely worth $10. But not $15.