Cats and Video Games: Stray’s isn’t the only cat around!

Stray is finally out, and it’s an online adventure in which you play as a cat, and here’s the lone hero. This may seem insignificant, but this is a historical event: a video game entirely dedicated to cats, of real, non-human and with caricatured features, it may not have been seen in nearly forty years. By the way, did you read Stray’s review?

Yes, since 1983, when Bill Williams created Alley Cat, a game that made history and became extremely popular the following year, when it came to PC in a “booter” version, and thus can be loaded independently from the operating system. Very easy to start using by little ones without the help of an adult, the original or copied Alley Cat has entered the homes and computers of more and more families.

The black (or white, depending on the version) kitty Alley Cat, very nimble in its rudimentary and angular pixels, has been the sole foundations of the video game industry for quite some time. A few cats can also be found around, but as the only hero in a video game, not even a shadow; Developers have often preferred all kinds of animals to cats, from blue porcupines to dogs, got it? Dogs are of all sizes and types, too. Because the dog in video games is often grouchy, but never wrong; While the cat is arrogant, it sniffles and scratches, it’s actually a rocket team pokemon while the good guys carry a mouse with them. The last insult.

And so, as Stray does his duty, which is to rebalance the power relations of video games in the animal world, we do ours: Best cats in video games. Ready, ready, meow.

bobsy – bobsy

It’s not realistic, but it’s anthropomorphic, and seeing it today, it’s surprisingly so successful, but in the ’90s, video games for Bubsy cats were pretty foolproof. His career took a less convincing turn in 1995, when he tried to jump into the third dimension with the game Bubsy 3D. For the occasion, even an anime legend like Chuck Jones of Warner Bros. is set, but the top-notch development team isn’t enough to revive the fortunes of a mediocre game and a retired-ready character.

Margaret “May” Borovsky – Night in the Woods

like Bubsy, Margaret “May” Borucki of Night in the Woods is a true hero and one of the most exhilarating and moving games of recent years, albeit tainted by the dramatic early demise of its creator. Mai is deep, cautious, and unnerving like a cat if she could talk, but there’s a reason for her behavior, and that’s what the cat calls an accident: a severe trauma before and after that changed her forever. (?) life.

Blinx – Blinx The Timesweeper

Great Blinx: The Timesweeper, the ambitious cat with which Microsoft tried to charm Japanese gamers, which also makes sense as the first Xbox series hard drive. For a while, they also tried to push him as the official console mascot, as in some markets the Master Chief was seen as too violent. blink It’s great because he was sent into battle, despite the fact that it was immediately obvious that he had neither the charisma nor the right gameplay. However it was born under better care, developed by then newborn Arton, a software house founded by Sonic co-founder Naoto Ohshima along with other important names like Sega.

Kate Seth – Final Fantasy

Protagonist or not, we don’t care: Kate Seth She is one of the most popular video game cats and had to be put in the front row. Moreover, in Final Fantasy VII and Dirge of Cerberus he is actually one of the playable characters, so much so that he can be deployed in battle even if some of his characteristics limit his attacks. The beauty of Cait Sith is that he is like a real cat, when you meet him in one of the games in which he appears, you never know if he is friend, foe, lover or even dangerous. Speaking of the Cait Sith, it’s impossible not to mention the huge Moogle that the cat uses as a friend, den, and navigation system.

John Blacksad – Blacksad: Under the Skin

We’ve seen different kinds of cats and toys, but nothing like it John Blacksad. This private investigator and bodyguard, a former World War II combatant, has a noble origin: he was born as the hero of the many comic books he created Writer Juan Diaz Canales and cartoonist Juango GuarnidoAnd in 2019, it also became a video game thanks to Microids. Blacksad: Under The Skin is a great graphic adventure backed by great puzzles, great dialogue, and of course great characters, starting with the cursed John Blacksad.

As always, we know there will be others, so carefully skimming for this is the best we’ve been able to remember and find. But our list of video game cats certainly does not end here: it is also correct to give a little importance to those cats who, without taking first place on the cover, still make their toys the best toys, and only by their presence. .

Cats meow meow tea – Yakuza

In the sixth chapter of the criminal saga of Kazuma Kyriu, hidden among the buildings of Kamurocho, it is possible to find a new place, and not just any place: it is meow meow teaIt is a cat cafe where most of the finest cats have escaped. And guess who will find them again? This task is not solved in a few minutes, and thus a large portion of Yakuza 6 is spent with ears pricked trying to catch a meow in the chaos of the city. Really my wonderful experience.

Monster Hunter World Classes

Everyone has their favorite Monster Hunter, but no one can deny the importance and power of innovative Monster Hunter World. Among the innovations that this lavish chapter of the Capcom series has brought, there are also Palico, warrior cats of the felynes breed. In practice, skilled workers that we can build with an amazing editor and customize during the game are just as irreplaceable as we used to do with our character. However, our friend Palico will not be the only one: exploring the new world we will also be able to meet other tribes of felines, and of course we will have a relationship with the tribes of other players.

meow – pokemon

Although we mentioned it in the introduction, the good Sheikh meow It also had to be officially included in the list. Among the video game cats (and as we well know, not only) he is perhaps the most famous of all, although he never managed to land a leading role. Its shape does not take on any particular cat breed, and seems to have been inspired by the lucky cats with high feet, which can be clearly seen in any oriental restaurant, called Maneki-Neko; However, he could also be a Persian puppy, as his latest evolution will turn him into a Persian Pokemon.

Big Cat – Sonic Adventure

How can you not love a cat that ended up right on the list of least loved characters of all time? big cat It is also this and much more. Meanwhile, he’s not as sore in the ass as the other stars in Sonic and then makes you laugh as he likes to hide in the levels, where in Sonic’s adventures if you’re careful you can see him as he is bent on spying on what the player is doing, always with his scary scary face, a little Totoro If that turns out to be your worst nightmare.

Rover – Animal Crossing

We close with the beloved rover, the cat that first welcomed us into the magical world of Animal Crossing, when Nintendo debuted in the West. Rover is a cat who loves to travel by train, plane and bus, and the player will have the opportunity to meet him on these vehicles. However, in the latest Animal Crossing New Horizon game, he stayed a bit on the sidelines, only appearing in a special event at the beginning of May: the Labor Day event.