Alley Cat

The Good
Simple, undemanding fun

The Bad
The darned clothesline, may it wither and die

The Bottom Line
Gameplay

Quite a lot of fun, fast-action minigames, where our kitty jumps around with no moment of rest. It certainly brings back memories of all those Tom & Jerry shorts and gives you a chance to relive the slapstick from the hero's point of view. While sometimes the chaos can get a little frustrating - especially annoying are all the flying objects which can knock you off the clotheslines at the most inopportune time - all in all the experience is fun and charming.

What a pity, though, that once you complete the final errand, which can be done after mere minutes of play, you're back to repeating the whole process all over again. This isn't really a long-term game; instead, it's meant for a few minutes' relaxation.

Control

Controlling your feline is quite difficult, since it has a tendency to make huge, uncontrollable leaps (or - alternately - jump shorter than you want it to). The hardest part must be the clothesline - getting into a window is a bit confusing, and you'll end up falling off more often than not; good thing it doesn't cost you a life.

Difficulty

Alley Cat doesn't attempt to be a frustratingly hard joystick-breaker - the easiest skill level is simple to beat even for people without lightning-fast reflexes. The hardest level, though, is other thing... but that's just what you'd expect.

Graphics

Alley Cat is a typical child of its era: do not expect a lot of colors or hi-res graphics. But even those CGA visuals, while not beautiful, at least are functional - simple and not confusing.

Music/Sound

PC Speaker all the way, but what'd you expect? Thankfully, it doesn't frustratingly beep in your ear all the time, and - if you're in a good mood - you might even consider leaving it on to complement the frantic gameplay.

Scope/Longevity

Just a few minutes of play. Rinse and repeat. As said above, this is a relaxation game and not an epic.