Slingcat is a Windows Phone game where you play the role of a cat, which bears the same name, who is on a mission to find buried treasure. Armed with only a bow, Slingcat faces an assortment of dangers during his quest for treasure that include charging bulls, canaries armed with boulders, bomb dropping vultures and more.
Gameplay is a combination of a platfomer styled game and an action shooter. This combination of game play styles helps add to the games appeal and will definitely keep you on your toes. Animations are nicely drawn-up, game play challenging and Slingcat makes for an enjoyable gaming option for Windows Phone 8.
Game Layout
When you first launch Slingcat, an animated short story will play that presents you with the game's back-story. If you do not particularly care for back-stories, you can skip ahead to game play.
Slingcat's menu is somewhat on the minimal side and has your treasure map laid out across the screen. Levels of play are charted out as you complete them and three control buttons rest on the right side of the menu that give you access to the gaming options, the game's help screen and to purchase the full version should you be playing the trial version.
Game options cover music and sound effects levels and launching the game's tutorial. The first level of play with Slingcat will walk you through game play but if you need a refresher, the tutorial does a nice job of covering game play through a series of still and animated images.
Game Play
Game play involves two challenges. The first is navigating through the dangers of the level that are presented in platform fashion. Slingcat's forward motion is automatic and you can make the cat jump over obstacles and over pitfalls by tapping the screen. A double tap will have the cat jump higher. If need be you can elevate Slingcat even higher by jumping off the canaries that fly by or jumping off the backsides (in trampoline style) of stationary bulls.
Along the way, you will need Slingcat to collect coins that will in turn build up the number of arrows in your quiver. You will also need to avoid getting hit by canaries, bulls, scorpions and other dangers with the goal of reaching a safe at the end of the run. If Slingcat is hit by the various dangers he will drop coins and lessen your arrow count. If Slingcat is hit too many times or misses a jump, the game ends and you'll have to start the level from the start.
Here is where the second challenge begins. Slingcat must use his bow to bust open the safe for bonus coins/treasure and defeat an armada of enemies. You fire your bow by tapping/holding the screen and adjust the cat's aim by sliding your finger up or down. To fire the arrow, release your hold on the screen.
You have a limited number of arrows in your quiver (again, the more coins you collect the more arrows you'll end up with) so you will need to place your shots carefully. The canaries are armed with rocks and which will fall as you hit the bird with your arrow. Take out a canary flying high in the formation, which rock will take out additional canaries as it falls. This is a good tactic when you are running low on arrows.
Defeat all the enemies, crack open the safe before you run out of arrows and the next level in the adventure becomes available.
The levels do become more challenging as you work your way across the treasure map. The obstacle course becomes more difficult to maneuver around, the pace of the game increases and you'll face more aggressive enemies as you try to crack the safe. Larger canaries will appear that require multiple hits with the arrow, vultures appear that will drop bombs and rabbits will appear out of foxholes. To make it a fair fight, Slingcat can collect bonus arrows such as sharks that devour multiple targets and a bazooka bow that shoots multiple arrows.
Overall Impression
Slingcat is a fast paced, challenging Windows Phone game. The animations are well presented and the two gaming challenges adds to Slingshot's appeal.
My only nit with the game is that I would have liked to have seen some sort of aiming assistance with the arrows. Something along the lines of a trajectory line to help get you in the ballpark as to where your arrows are going. Not having such a tool does make the game more challenging in that it will take a few shots to get your aim dialed in just right. With a limited number of arrows, you'll need to avoid wasting arrows trying to gauge your aim.
All in all, Slingcat is a fun Windows Phone game and an entertaining option to pass the time with.
- Slingcat - Windows Phone 8 - Trial / $2.49 - Store Link