March 27, 2005
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Now for something that I have not done in a long time... let me review a video game! Here we go...
Garfield Caught In The Act
Released: 1995
Company: Sega
Console: Sega Genesis
Players: 1
Genre: Platformer
Rated: K-A (or E nowadays)
Overall Rating: A-
The Review
Do you have a Sega Genesis? Do you like Garfield (the cat, not the president)? Do you like platformers that you can play just before needing to rush to school/work? If you answered yes to the first and any of the latter questions, then this game is for you! Come and read what I have to say about Garfield Caught In The Act!
Graphics: 9/10
The graphics in this game are great. The perspective is not exactly 2D, nor is it 2½-D. It uses sprites, but gives it a 3D feel. The character animations are great, as well. Everything moves smoothly as it performs its actions. The only wrinkle in the graphics is that it is sometimes difficult to notice safe ways to get past a trap. These incidents, however, are few, and only lower the score one from the max. Oh, there is also a slight frame rate issue in the second to last boss where there are too many sprites on screen for the system to handle effectively, but this period is short.
Sound: 5/10
The sound in this game is not great. It has background music, but it is not catchy and mood uplifting. It is just there for the sake of being there. The sound effects are no better. Every weapon at your disposal makes one of two sounds. Every enemy dies with the same sound effect. Some originality would have been nice. Also, some music from the TV show would give the game a more Garfield-like feel.
Controls: 10/10
Like most games of this time period, the controls were simple and easy to work with. Bound to each button was a specific action. One jumped, one used a basic attack, and the last used a projectile weapon. Also, if you do not like the default controls, you can alter it in the options. The D-pad is your simple movement control, as with most games. Pressing up is used for looking up. Down crouches, but this is only really used effectively in the final boss battle. There are no real problems with it, as far as I can see.
Fun: 8/10
Many people will read this review and say, “Bah, this is nothing but another crappy movie game.” Well, they are wrong. It’s a TV show / comic book game. This game is very fun because it is a basic platformer with a few puzzles and boss battles interspersed. The only wrinkles are in game difficulty and completion time. Garfield is not a difficult game, and changing the game difficulty makes no difference. The only real difference between the two is the harder is without the “helper arrows”. The hardest part of the game is the final boss, which I will not get into. Even with its ease, it is still a fun and addicting game that one can play for hours on end. Unfortunately, the game is only about half-an-hour long. Believe me; I beat it this morning before I even had breakfast. If you are into a bit of fast platforming action for your old school system, pick up and play Garfield Caught In The Act. You won’t be disappointed.
