Alley Cat (video game)
| Industry | Video game development and publishing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder | Ihor Wolosenko, Ken Grant |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Alley Cat (1983) |
Alley Cat is a video game created by Bill Williams and released by Synapse Software in 1983 for the Atari 8-bit computers. Players assume the role of Freddy the Cat, who moves through residential areas by entering open windows to accomplish various objectives and reunite with his beloved Felicia. In 1984, IBM published a version for the IBM PC and IBM PCjr, which featured four-color graphics using the CGA system.
The concept began as a single-screen prototype developed by John Harris, who later transferred the project to Williams for expansion into a complete game product.
Gameplay
The primary display shows an alleyway bordered by a fence with apartment windows that periodically open, releasing items such as shoes or telephones. Occasionally, a dog appears at the bottom of the screen; contact with it triggers a fight sequence that costs the player one life.
Players navigate Freddy by jumping and climbing over objects like trash cans, fences, and clotheslines to enter rooms through windows. Each room contains unique challenges:
- Knocking a birdcage off a table and capturing the freed bird.
- Diving into a fishbowl to consume fish while avoiding electric eels and managing limited air.
- Catching mice that emerge from holes in a large cheese wedge.
- Clearing feeding bowls without disturbing sleeping dogs.
- Harvesting ferns from a bookshelf while evading a descending large spider.
Most rooms include a broomstick that moves across the screen, complicating movement by pushing Freddy unless distracted by footprints located at the bottom of the screen. Although not harmful directly, the broom can force Freddy into hazards such as dogs or spiders or cause him to be pushed out of windows.
Points are awarded based on how quickly players complete these tasks. Returning to the alley reveals windows where a female cat calls out to Freddy.
Entering this special window triggers a platform-style challenge involving climbing valentine heart-shaped shelves while avoiding other cats that cause Freddy to fall. The platforms consist of both stable and breakable sections affected by heart-shaped arrows fired diagonally by cherubs positioned at screen edges; these arrows also cause falls.
Gifts located on the lowest platform temporarily disable hostile cats. Falling off this bottom platform requires restarting the alley challenges.
Successfully reaching and kissing the female cat advances players to the next level and grants an extra life. The difficulty escalates up to level 30 before stabilizing. Gameplay continues endlessly until all lives are lost.
Reception
In 1985, Antic described Alley Cat as "a challenging and interesting game with a storybook quality," commending its "really superb" graphics and concluding that it "is simply a lot of fun to play!".
Legacy
The first fan-made remake, Alley Cat 2, was launched in 2006, notable for extracting original assets to facilitate future remakes. An unofficial fan remake titled Alley Cat Remeow Edition followed in 2018, featuring upgraded graphics, enhanced gameplay mechanics, and additional features for PC users.