Throw this one back in the alley
Alternative sports games often make slightly more interesting experiences than traditional sports sims, with the likes of Speedball 2, Blood Bowl and Caveman Ugh-Lympics proving a touch more enjoyable even than standard games like Sensible Soccer, thanks to their mix of violence and outrageous humour. However, in the case of Street Cat (also known as Bad Cat, a much more appropriate title, although probably not deliberately so), the intriguing idea that is presented ultimately turns out to be a complete disaster. The concept does grab the player from the start, placing them in the furry outfit of a cat who, for reasons which are perhaps best not considered in much depth, must complete a series of obstacle courses, each more challenging than the last. These include the likes of the city park, the sewer and the pub, where you must leap over walls and water, crawl through cages, jump off trampolines, balance on circus balls and other such activities requiring dexterity and skill. The whole thing plays out like a humorous version of Boot Camp, involving lots of keyboard bashing or joystick waggling, but which unfortunately proves to be a far from entertaining game. The main problem here is that the controls are so imprecise and random but that the game requires absolute precision in order to successfully pass the obstacles. One second you can make a jump with ease but then due to the controls' unexpected unwillingness to cooperate, your character will fail to make another similar jump, despite the timing being exactly the same. It's incredibly frustrating stuff, so despite the pleasing graphics, this is one which is best to avoid, unless you really want to beat the living daylights out of your computer.
