The moment I saw that there was a half decent action/platformer featuring adorable cartoon cats, I pounced on the opportunity as quickly as possible.

[img width=160 height=144]http://i53.tinypic.com/24c8ner.png[/img] Baby Felix, the 2000 spin-off of Don Oriolo's Felix the Cat, was a cartoon series that aired exclusively in Japan. Baby Felix Halloween for GBC was released at around the same time, but as a Europe exclusive, and has seen almost no reviews or any remote amount of attention at all (probably due to the fact that nobody in Europe knew what Baby Felix was.)

And that's a damn shame too, because I quite enjoyed this title. Anyone who's a ham for 2-D action/platforming would love to play this.

The gameplay feels a lot like the Castlevania games for Game Boy. There are 5 levels, each featuring considerable length, enemies, and fun challenging end bosses. You have two playable characters with the exact same attacks: A melee attack (a hat or a wand) and a ranged attack (slingshot or magic-balls.) Gender bend, do what you will, they're both the same. Controls are simple and easy to use, offering this unique parkour-like feel when playing.

I would also like to applaud the amazing background music written for this game. The Game Boy had a fantastic sound board, and Baby Felix is a prime example of how great it can be: (turn down your volume before playing this video.)


By no means is this one of the Game Boy's best, but it is great for 2-D action fans (I can guarantee, you'd be the only person you know who would ever own a copy.) The visuals get repetitive, but the structure of the gameplay always stay fresh and enjoyable. There's even a small shmup sequence in the space themed level.

[img width=143 height=129]http://i51.tinypic.com/2jds028.jpg[/img][img width=143 height=129]http://i53.tinypic.com/qspk5h.jpg[/img]

There are three difficulty levels, although I would recommend most avid gamers to play on Hard. This makes the enemies take more hits, slight change in the level structure, and the bosses nice and challenging. Playing this on Hard really made it feel like Castlevania, but with cats!! ^_^

Baby Felix Halloween has lots of excellent things going for it. I recommend it to fans of the genre, but only if you love 2-D sidescrollers. If you're just getting started with the Game Boy, then I will point you in the direction of Donkey Kong '96 and Wario Land, along with the slew of other nice sidescrollers. It is rare by definition, but affordable when sold without a box.

I would normally show you people a good gameplay video, but due to the un-popularity of the title, the only two I could find had people talking in the background. Watch at own ears risk.

Thanks for reading guys!! Look forward to Game Boy reviews of Resident Evil Gaiden, and Dance Dance Revolution. I shall continue to find more obscure GB gems, and give them the justice they deserve.

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