Download, uncompress and execute the game. That's it. When doing so for the first time, a config.cfg file will be created in the same folder with all the default settings. This can be changed from the game itself, but you can edit it manually if you're into that :P
Object of the game
Controlling Freddy the cat (or any of its furry friends in the versus mode), the goal of the game is, first of all, to complete one of the 10 stages that are accessed randomly by entering through the windows of the alley building. Then, we will access to the special stage where we will finally meet our beloved Felicia... if we ever overcome the protective barrier that her brothers form. For more details of each stage, please refer to the Stages section where everything is well explained.
Game Modes
There are two game modes: Arcade and Versus. Those are the main differences: in arcade mode the maximum number of players is two, there are a limited number of lives and the goal will be to achieve the maximum score, managing to complete as many stages the better. The versus mode is up to four players (controlled by the machine or by real players) and the goal will be to win (to reach Felicia) a specified number of times.
Configuration
There are a lot of options to configure the game to your liking, either about the playability or in the manner the game is shown to us. Some can be configured from the main menu and others can be modified by pressing certain keys.
General Options
Options - Skill Level
We can configure the difficulty of the game in arcade mode. The higher the level, the faster the enemies and more difficult the levels will be. Those levels, in ascending order, are Kitten, House Cat, Tomcat and Alley Cat.
Options - Version
If we have them enabled in the file config.cfg (which are by default), we can select one of the 4 versions of the game: PC, Atari 8-bit, PC-Jr and Remake. All of them are played exactly the same but they will be shown as close as possible to what they were in their own systems. You can switch between versions at any time (even during the game) by pressing the F12 key.
The only reason to disable them in the config.cfg is that the game will load faster and use less memory, if needed.
Options - Stages
It's possible to configure the stages that will appear in the game among the 10 available. For example, so that only those from the classic game come out if you don't like the new ones, or to avoid that one you particularly hate... or for whatever. Just keep in mind that there has to be a minimum of 3 stages available + the final stage with Felicia, which obviously can not be disabled.
Options - Controls
This is where you can configure the controls for each of the up to four possible players: Up, down, left, right, jump, action and start. The original game used the same key (up arrow) for "jump" and for "up" (which is basically used to swim in that direction in the aquatic stage). Here we have the possibility to keep the controls this way (by default) or to separate both functions if you prefer to jump with a button, which in case of using a control pad may be more comfortable. You can see the controls by default in the image.
Caution! On some computers the ALT-GR key may be configured to rotate the screen when used with the arrow keys. This configuration has been maintained for player one because it is the configuration from the original game, but if you have any keyboard conflict in your computer ... it would be appropiate to modify the controls or to deactivate that function of your graphic drivers;)
Versus Mode Options
Versus - Players
Here you can decide the number of players and whether they are controlled by humans or by the CPU. We know that in the real world cats control us humans ... but here we have decided to do it this way ;)
There are up to 4 CPU difficulty levels. There may be a hidden fifth level, pretending that a real cat is controlling it...
Each player can choose cat (i.e color) with left and right once his player appears in the menu, but player one can also change the color of the rest by pressing action in the same menu where he can choose if they're controlled by the computer or by a person.
Versus - Battles
Here you will be able to specify the number of rounds you have to win so that we consider the game finished, between 1 and 5.
Versus - Control Enemies
In versus mode, when a cat enters a stage the others have a few seconds to do it, or they will be left out. In that case it will be possible to continue participating controlling the enemies and elements of the stage if we have this option activated. To select one of the enemies or elements you need to press the action button until who you want to control becomes the same color of our cat. Each element or enemy has a specific way of controlling it that you can also check in the Stages section.
Other things we can do using the keyboard
ESC / SPACE / Start Button Paws the game
CONTROL + M (at any time) ACTION + JUMP + START (with game paused) Exit the game and return to the main menu
F5 - reduce the window's resolution F6 - increase the window's resolution (Those changes will also alternate between 4:3 and 16:9 resolutions) F7 - Alternate between 4:3 o 16:9 ratio F8 - Enable or disable Aspect Ratio correction F9 - Decrease the intensity of the scanlines F10 - Increase the intensity of the scanlines F11 - Change the color mode between:
Color - Black and White - Green - Orange F12 - Change game version
CONTROL + F
ALT + ENTER Switch between full screen and window mode
The game will try by default to use the same resolution of the window in full screen. If it's not possible, the resolution of your desktop will be used.
Stages
The Alley
In this first phase, our goal will be to access any of the stages through the windows of the building (when they have been previously opened, of course). First we have to get on the fence, and to get there we must jump from one of the tall garbage bins, where we will climb by a long jump or from one of the small ones.
The furious dog Bowser Von Spyke will try to prevent us from doing so if we stay too long on the ground or we shock with the cat that hides in the garbage cans and that will try to avoid you go up to them. Once we have managed to climb the fence, the windows will randomly open one by one, but they will not do it by magic: those who open them will throw objects at us not to give us precisely the welcome to their homes. We can grab to the clothes hanging, but also here someone will try to prevent it: in this case, the mice, which we can catch to get extra points ... and maybe something else, if we take many ...
In case of being reached by the dog or by an object thrown out of a window, we will lose a life.
In multiplayer modes, when a cat manages to enter a stage, a small countdown will be activated. If it runs out and someone has not gotten in, he will stay out. In the versus mode, if the option "enemy control" is activated, those who have been left out will be able to control elements of the stages to, at least, not just keep looking.
Common elements
The broom, the window and the dog
In most of the following stages we will always have these three common elements. The window will serve to get us out of the stage, either voluntarily ... or unintentionally! The broom will try to annoy us and even throw us out of the house through that window by chasing us all over it and hitting us. One way to distract it from this task will be to fill the floor with paw spots, because the main objective of the broom will ALWAYS be to keep the floor clean.
Just as in the alley, if we are too long touching the ground the furious dog will appear with not too good intentions. If it reaches us, we will lose a life.
In the versus mode, we can control the broom if we have not managed to access one of the stages. Once we have control of it after selecting it by pressing action, we can choose in which direction it flies, as long as there are no spots on the ground. In that case, the only thing we can do is accelerate the sweeping process by quickly rotating the directional crosshead.
The Aviary
In this stage our first objective will be to push the cage on the table to free the bird... but not for too long, of course, because our feline intentions will not be other than hunting him later!
In the versus mode, the one that catches the bird wins, and in case of not participating in the stage we will be able to control the broom to bother the rest or the bird to try to flee away. We will direct its flight with the directions of our controls. Do not try to cheat and stay always in the window: the game will detect it and will take away from you the control of the bird.
The Fishbowl
The goal it's be very simple: enter the fishbowl avoiding the broom. In multiplayer modes, when a cat enters the substage a countdown will be activated so that the rest can enter too, although it will not appear on the screen. So, be quick!
SCUBA-CAT
Once inside the fishbowl, using up, down, left and right, we will have to swim until we catch all the fish or when we are the one that got the most fish in the versus mode. Apart from the fish we will find electric eels that we better not touch if we want to avoid an electrifying experience that would cost us one life. We must also go up for oxygen if our cat has changed color more than 3 times if we want to avoid drowning.
In the versus mode and in case of not having entered the fishbowl, it will be possible to control the fish or the eels to flee from or chase the rest of the players. Press action to switch between them randomly and use the directions to move them.
In case of a tie in the versus mode, the starfish JOFLOF will enter the scene with the intention of eating all the cats until there only remains one: the winner.
The Pantry
Do you know that typical pantry that we all have in our homes with a giant cheese full of mice? Well, this is it. In the cheese there are four mice that we will have to reach, and they will go through the cheese holes to hide and appear by others. We can also do it using the action button, since the holes have hidden secret tunnels connecting them.
In versus mode, the winner will be the one that takes more mice.
In case of not playing the stage, we will be able to control the mice and, as always, the broom. With the directions we will choose approximately the next hole through which the mouse will appear. If we try to move so fast that it is impossible to catch us for the rest of the players, the game will detect it and take away the mice control.
The Library
In this stage we must reach the plants above the library. We can go up the shelves of it that have space without books or with these further back to grab us on the edge. In the versus mode, the one who grabs the most plants will win. One or two spiders (depending on the difficulty level) will be the guardians of these, taking away a life from us with its deadly sting.
In the versus mode we can control them if we do not play the stage moving them from left to right and down and up. Those spiders do not move diagonally, nor can we leave them over a plant all the time or we will lose its control.
The Kennel
In this stage we find a bunch of dogs sleeping next to their milk bowls. Our goal will be to drink them (using the action button) without waking them up and before the milk brick (which appears in certain difficulty levels) refills them. If a dog senses us, it will wake up and attack, so if you do so, run away and let him go back to sleep again! If not, the dog will reach you and you will lose a life.
In the versus mode, if we do not reach the stage we can control the milk brick selecting it with the action button and then move it closer to the bowl that we want it to fill.
The Bedroom
The goal of this stage is simple: get on the bed and break it filling it with holes as much as you can. Once on the bed we will scratch by pressing the action button. The clock on the wall will indicate the number of holes that we must do to win.
But beware! If we stand over a hole, it will absorb us into unknown and remote dimensions, taking away a life.
In this stage we can only control the broom in the versus mode in case of not playing the stage.
The Kitchen
Here we must first hit the milk bottles so that they fall and break, and then, drink their contents by pressing the action button. The fire, which opportunely will have been left on, will not hesitate to throw flames at us to prevent this from happening.
We can select it in the versus mode and modify in which direction and at what distance the flames are released.
As always, the broom and the dog will help make the mission more difficult.
The Terrace
On the terrace we will find some plants that will delight the cats in vegetarian mode. To eat them, we must place ourselves on top of them and keep the action button pressed. A series of bees will circle the area. If one touches us, she will lose her life ... but we will lose one too.
Controlling them in the versus mode we can select in which direction (left or right) they move, but the height will always be decided by them. Those bees are a little capricious!
The Bathroom
The bathroom is the only room in the game where there will be no broom. That means that we can stain everything we want, but that is not the objective. The main goal is to mess it up even more and finish with all the toilet paper thrown on the floor. To do this, we will jump towards it, unrolling it more and more, finishing with each one of the rolls.
Those in charge of watching that everything is in order will be one or two rubber ducks (depending on the difficulty level) that will haunt us until they finish with us.
We will be able to handle them in the versus mode and the height of their jumps will be measured by the time that we keep pressing the jump button, while choosing which direction (left or right) will it be aimed.
The Magic Room
In this magical room we can see some cards and some magic hats. From the hats will appear, from time to time, rabbits or furious dogs. The objective will be the rabbits and dogs will have to be avoided. The cards will help us to know a little in advance what will come out of the hats and by which of them. Study them carefully to find out what message are they showing us...
In this stage, just like in the bedroom, we can only control the broom in the versus mode.
The Cupid Room
And finally, the last stage. The all or nothing. Here we must show whether or not we deserve Felicia's unconditional love. Well, maybe not that unconditional, because it is costing us a lot of effort... but that is not the issue. The thing is that we must reach the top where Felicia waits for us by going up the hearts that are not broken and dodging her brothers who will try to prevent us from doing so. The cupids will throw love arrows from time to time. When they come in contact with hearts they will break them or rebuild them. If the arrow touches us, it will make us fall, just as if we touch the brothers.
We will have one or more gifts (depending on the number of attempts we have done) that we can take by going over and leave with the action button for the brothers to accept them as "bribe" so they go away, leaving the path clear. Or, we can take the gift to Felicia so that our score multiplies by 2 in the arcade mode.
In the versus mode, when pressing the action button, one of the brothers will be assigned to us in a random way, and we can move it to the left or right or leave it standing still by pressing down.
Arcade Cabinet Mode
If you have an Arcade Machine at home, congratulations! Congratulations for the fact of having one, but also because this game incorporates an cabinet mode to be fully compatible with it.
To activate it, you must put a "1" in the arcade option on the config.cfg file and ¡voilá! The game will run in that mode. By default, these are the special keys that will become enabled:
F2 - Service Menu F3 - Reset 5 - Coin 1 6 - Coin 2 ESC - Exit the game
If you are going to put the game on your machine, it is highly recommended that you go through the service menu and configure everything to your liking. By default, currency 1 is half credit and 2 is one whole, but you can configure it to be 2, 3, 4...
In this mode you have to insert coins to play, and the main menu ceases to exist giving way to a reduced one where players can choose their cats after inserting the corresponding credits. The first player can choose whether to play arcade mode in order to make the maximum score or versus mode to play against other cats, humans or machines.
The rest of difficulty settings, number of rounds, etc. will be configured by the arcade saloon owner (that is you!) in the service menu.
Other things to consider
This space is reserved for things that I have forgotten to comment and that may be important. It's the good thing about the online user guides ... that they can be updated on the fly! :D
