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Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails | OT | these are the mice I can do without

I said it in the Nintendo Downloads thread, I'll say it here.

It's upsetting that more people aren't talking about this game, it's fucking brilliant with sound mechanics and awesome music.

Sad that the game won't reach a greater audience, because I really can't see this playing the same (or as well) without two screens. Maybe a future 3DS port?
 
Excellent game. You can see some pretty smart decisions were taken on the game design front. It's great that you can go through all of the stages in an easier way, racing to the exit, or go hardcore and try to get all the cats. If you like arcade action, you really can't go wrong with this one.

I had never heard of Dakko Dakko before. Are these guys new developers?
 

maxcriden

Member
My brain hurts. I just died decently far into Docking Bay 3. Those high fireball jumps are tough. Pro-tip I found on Miiverse: the more health you have, the higher you jump. I'm going to add this to the OP.
 

Yuterald

Member
Yuteralad
kitties got him mad serious
(Today, 8:12 PM)

Hah, yeah, this game's no joke. Difficulty quickly escalates when going for all 4 cats in a stage. I tend to save the "chase" cat objective as my last run of a stage as going for all 4 at once feels like insanity.

Ooooooonly thing this game feels like it's missing (unless I haven't unlocked a stage for it yet) are bosses. I'm guessing the final zone that's locked off by 70 cats is the final boss? Seems like a no-brainer for crazy boss designs/ideas with the mechanics and such.
 

maxcriden

Member
Hah, yeah, this game's no joke. Difficulty quickly escalates when going for all 4 cats in a stage. I tend to save the "chase" cat objective as my last run of a stage as going for all 4 at once feels like insanity.

Ooooooonly thing this game feels like it's missing (unless I haven't unlocked a stage for it yet) are bosses. I'm guessing the final zone that's locked off by 70 cats is the final boss? Seems like a no-brainer for crazy boss designs/ideas with the mechanics and such.

Maybe you can help me with DB3, Yuterald. How do I get good at traversing areas with the fireball jump? I seem to be terrible at it. The game is fun, I'm just finding this very difficult. :(
 

maxcriden

Member
Apologies for the double post, but I think this merits a separate reply.

The Nintendo Life SKAHBOR thread clued me in to this new Cubed3 interview with dakko dakko. Some choice bits:

Cubed3: Is Nintendo 3DS totally out of the question?

Dan: Nothing's totally out of the question! 3DS is an amazing system, and we'd love to try it out, but we want to see how things go on Wii U first.

Cubed3: What are your plans for the future - would you consider a sequel or DLC perhaps?

Dan: We have many plans for the future, partly depending on how Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails is received. We have loads of ideas for a sequel, and loads of ideas for new games, so we'll have to see how things pan out.
 

Yuterald

Member
Maybe you can help me with DB3, Yuterald. How do I get good at traversing areas with the fireball jump? I seem to be terrible at it. The game is fun, I'm just finding this very difficult. :(

Well, as you mentioned earlier, the max height of your jump does seem to be dependent on your max health. Don't quote me on this, but I also feel like the jump button is pressure sensitive. So, you may have some control over the height of your jump even at high/max health. Docking Bay 3 attempts to teach the player (without saying it, of course) that health dictates jump height (by littering health pickups before each elevated hump/wall), so if you're having trouble getting down the mechanics it's probably a good stage to run until you get the hang of things. In regards to Docking Bay 3, it seems like you need to be either max health (or at least base health plus the amount of pickups along the way to the final hump/wall) or at least a fragment or two below max health to clear that last hump at the start.

I've also already switched to the d-pad which I feel like is giving me more control over my Buddy. I'd like to also say, in regards to those hump jumps, that pressing back (or the opposite direction) during the fall of your arching jump helps straighten out your buddy (as I was constantly hitting the damage walls). As far as the top segment/portion goes, I recall making wide/far jumps except for that last hump which you're better off almost taking damage so you can low ball your way between those damage walls/hills (I'm sure you know what part I'm talking about, hah!).

Other than that, all I can really say is... =D
 
I think I just realized how to use the screw attack effectively as a weapon and traversal tool.

Apologies for the double post, but I think this merits a separate reply.

The Nintendo Life SKAHBOR thread clued me in to this new Cubed3 interview with dakko dakko. Some choice bits:
God I wish this was on 3ds. I thought it was for the longest time until about a week before release. The screen size may be an issue though, not sure.
 
Wow, I just collect all the cats in "The Vents 1" and I must say, the cat that run away in this one is particularly difficult to catch. You almost have to have max boosters in order to catch it. Also I think if you mange to kill a large amount of enimies in 1 second (or something like that) they will drop a booster on death...I think.
 

popyea

Member
Wow this game makes me so mad when I'm playing it. Getting the chase cat in Docking Bay 3 was an ordeal. It took forever to get precise at those jumps.
 
I said it in the Nintendo Downloads thread, I'll say it here.

It's upsetting that more people aren't talking about this game, it's fucking brilliant with sound mechanics and awesome music.

Sad that the game won't reach a greater audience, because I really can't see this playing the same (or as well) without two screens. Maybe a future 3DS port?

No worries, I'm talking about it, writing a review this week. Great game, difficult!
 

CLEEK

Member
I had never heard of Dakko Dakko before. Are these guys new developers?

Not that new. Released Rotating Octopus and Cloud God on Minis, then did HD ports on the Vita.

Rhod is a seasoned developer with an impressive softology to his name, having worked at Lionhead, Q-Games and Relentless before starting up Dakko Dakko.
 

Dash Kappei

Not actually that important
Wow, this game looks awesome.
But I just can't buy it right now, on a game-buying hiatus to dip in my backlog, will definitely DL next month tho
 

Aostia

El Capitan Todd
I said it in the Nintendo Downloads thread, I'll say it here.

It's upsetting that more people aren't talking about this game, it's fucking brilliant with sound mechanics and awesome music.

Sad that the game won't reach a greater audience, because I really can't see this playing the same (or as well) without two screens. Maybe a future 3DS port?

it is on my backlog catalogue.
I've just receive a Vita present, so I'm just popstponing this (and a couple of eshop titles more) game of some weeks
 
I've noticed so far that a lot of the stages are designed with a lot of bottle necks, which when used properly can make it much easier to kill enemies. When there is a large group of enemies these bottle necks also make it easier to get boosters as drops. Pretty cool.
I'm really liking the level designs of this game so far.
 

Rehynn

Member
Downloaded it last night. Spent 20 minutes doing absolutely nothing but testing the jump mechanics. Brilliant stuff.
 
I just finished "The Vents" stages. Really satisfying. The finial The Vents (#5) has icy rails, which made for a nice challenge. I really feel that this game is a must buy if you have the Wii U.

I hope they have DLC down the line for this game.
 

imae

Member
This game is great, probably my favourite 3rd party eShop title so far.

Mechanics are so solid and it's just refreshing to play a game that it very challenging yet not unfair at all. Good for the brain.
 

jholmes

Member
I beat the game yesterday and went through a couple more stages today. I need to get all the kitties in four or five more to get 100%.

I can't heap enough praise on this game. I loved NES Remix, but this has to be my favourite eShop game yet. If it weren't for the very excellent Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, this would easily be my favourite game of the year, too.
 

daydream

Banned
Docking Bay 3 is actually quite easy. The jump is pressure-sensitive, and it's the perfect stage to practice getting specific heights. Most important thing: You can refill your health any time by hitting one of the walls that hurt you. This will set off the alarm and send out those lines of helmed mice. Just line up and shoot as they come out, you'll get a life pickup for every line and they keep coming out till your health is full. (If you need them later, just activate the alarm).

The only challenging thing is the cat you have to chase after. But even with that, you can practice (remember, life is not a problem in this stage). If you're not quick enough, just stick to the walls and you can get back to the start without needing to do the jumps. Don't forget to clear out all the enemies before attempting this. With the green mice, don't forget to get rid of their base as quickly as possible. You can always make your way through them with the spin jump.

After finding Docking Bay 2 a bit frustrating (because the walls weren't great for shooting enemies), 3 is definitely a fun challenge.
 

maxcriden

Member
Docking Bay 3 is actually quite easy. The jump is pressure-sensitive, and it's the perfect stage to practice getting specific heights. Most important thing: You can refill your health any time by hitting one of the walls that hurt you. This will set off the alarm and send out those lines of helmed mice. Just line up and shoot as they come out, you'll get a life pickup for every line and they keep coming out till your health is full. (If you need them later, just activate the alarm).

The only challenging thing is the cat you have to chase after. But even with that, you can practice (remember, life is not a problem in this stage). If you're not quick enough, just stick to the walls and you can get back to the start without needing to do the jumps. Don't forget to clear out all the enemies before attempting this. With the green mice, don't forget to get rid of their base as quickly as possible. You can always make your way through them with the spin jump.

After finding Docking Bay 2 a bit frustrating (because the walls weren't great for shooting enemies), 3 is definitely a fun challenge.

Thanks for the advice, amigo. I'll have to give it another shot. It's not the enemies or amount of health I've been struggling with in that level, more the getting over the larger jumps. I'm curious, are you using analog or d-pad controls? I think someone upthread mentioned having better control over the spin jump with the d-pad and pushing in the opposite direction during the spin jump.
 

daydream

Banned
Thanks for the advice, amigo. I'll have to give it another shot. It's not the enemies or amount of health I've been struggling with in that level, more the getting over the larger jumps. I'm curious, are you using analog or d-pad controls? I think someone upthread mentioned having better control over the spin jump with the d-pad and pushing in the opposite direction during the spin jump.

Hmm, I'm using the analog stick. I think controlling the spin jump is not a question of d-pad/stick, though, but rather A-button treatment. To get the high jumps, just don't let go of A for a bit longer while spinning.

I find the wider jumps more difficult. Getting medium height and positioning yourself to get the right arc under time pressure isn't easy, at all! But I'm really close, I think.
 

Kandinsky

Member
This game is too hard, frustrating even, I'm at the third (maybe fourth stage?) and cant chase/grab that freaking cat, hell it took me about 10 attempts to kill that stoopid rat in the second level, the one that's hidden.

wtf.
 

maxcriden

Member
Hmm, I'm using the analog stick. I think controlling the spin jump is not a question of d-pad/stick, though, but rather A-button treatment. To get the high jumps, just don't let go of A for a bit longer while spinning.

I find the wider jumps more difficult. Getting medium height and positioning yourself to get the right arc under time pressure isn't easy, at all! But I'm really close, I think.

Hmm, I wonder if it's the wider jumps giving me difficulty as well and I might just not be explaining it well. See, this jump is hard enough for me:

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But with enough health I can do it. It's the "upside-down" jump at the top of the screen after this, the longer one (width-wise) that's giving me the most difficulty. I can't seem to steer enough between the bumps in that one.
 

daydream

Banned
Yeah, that jump I can get every time with full health (and I always replenish my health if I get hit).

I think we're having trouble with the same wide jump, then, haha. Though I've gotten better at it. It's important to not position yourself right next to the rail that sends you back, but have some room in between to be able to immediately push left. Definitely tricky.

I'm at the point right now where I'm wondering how the hell to do the last jump from the little tunnel (after defeating the cat commander) to the goal. :S You're stuck there, as well, so if you can't do it, you die and have to restart.
 

maxcriden

Member
Yeah, that jump I can get every time with full health (and I always replenish my health if I get hit).

I think we're having trouble with the same wide jump, then, haha. Though I've gotten better at it. It's important to not position yourself right next to the rail that sends you back, but have some room in between to be able to immediately push left. Definitely tricky.

I'm at the point right now where I'm wondering how the hell to do the last jump from the little tunnel (after defeating the cat commander) to the goal. :S You're stuck there, as well, so if you can't do it, you die and have to restart.

Oh no, there's *another* tricky jump after this? :(
 

maxcriden

Member
Yeah, I dunno. Actually I think it might not be as tricky if you can beat the boss without taking too much damage. Still banging my head against that part.

Game's kinda brutal, haha.

:(

I think I'll be skipping that boss for now. I'm just trying to beat these levels themselves first time through. Trying to do more at once is just sadness for me. (Not to be confused with purported revamped vaporware title Sadness, of course.) How 'bout you, are you going for all kitties in one run?
 

daydream

Banned
I think I'll be skipping that boss for now. I'm just trying to beat these levels themselves first time through. Trying to do more at once is just sadness for me. (Not to be confused with purported revamped vaporware title Sadness, of course.) How 'bout you, are you going for all kitties in one run?

Yeah, I am. I can't really afford a second playthrough, time-wise, so I'm trying to get all the kitties now.

I've made some progress in figuring out how to potentially do this and I'm not putting this down until DB3 is completed, so wish me luck. :eek:
 

maxcriden

Member
Yeah, I am. I can't really afford a second playthrough, time-wise, so I'm trying to get all the kitties now.

I've made some progress in figuring out how to potentially do this and I'm not putting this down until DB3 is completed, so wish me luck. :eek:

Consider it good and wished!
 
I'm having a great time with this game; it's very addictive. The controls are flawless and the challenge is just about perfect for me -- tough at times but just this side of frustrating. This is definitely one of the best games available on the eShop right now!
 

daydream

Banned
Consider it good and wished!

Just did it! *phew* That took an unreasonable amount of time. Like I suspected, you have to beat the boss without taking much damage (I think you have room for two hits, I took one), just to have a high enough boost to go back. Funny how at the end, I could do every jump pretty much perfectly. Major props to the game for having such a learning curve.

Enough kitties for today, though!
 

maxcriden

Member
Just did it! *phew* That took an unreasonable amount of time. Like I suspected, you have to beat the boss without taking much damage (I think you have room for two hits, I took one), just to have a high enough boost to go back. Funny how at the end, I could do every jump pretty much perfectly. Major props to the game for having such a learning curve.

Enough kitties for today, though!

Congrats!
 

jholmes

Member
Got all the kitties today. Some of those late stages are hell, but this game's learning curve is sublime. The fire jumps and intense firefights were much easier for me by the end of the game.
 
Is this...is this game perfect? I mean, I can't think of a single bottleneck in its design(from the point I've gotten to). The screen is never convoluted. Sound design and controls are spot on for its purposes. I don't know...maybe I'm just hyped.
 
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I really am loving this game. All of the game levels so far have been very satisfying to beat and master.

The Engine Room 5 is quite difficult...I can't seem to find the cat that runs away. Anybody know?
 
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