Gato Roboto is a great game that is designed well. I just wish there was more. This better not be the last we see of Kiki. I could definitely have spent another three or more hours in the world of this Gato Roboto. I hope if a sequel comes around we get to see some different mech types and some more power ups, but for $8 I have to recommend this game. It’s bite-sized Metroid and that is the highest of compliments I can give.

I’m someone who finds it hard to care about retro homages, and Gato Roboto is the exception to that rule. It’s fun, its challenge isn’t overwhelming, and Kiki is now part of the pantheon of gaming’s cutest cats. The short length might be a source of contention in the future, but I’ll gladly take something that lasts as long as it needs to over something that meanders a couple extra hours. This game is not only an exceptional love letter to a bygone era, but its modern sensibilities don’t get in the way of the challenge. If you love the design of retro games but wished their difficulty was balanced rather than frustrating, Gato Roboto scratches that old-school itch.

Gato Roboto is an adorable metroidvania that never lowers its rhythm: the controls are perfect and the feeling is the right one, ideal for alternating shootings, platforming and exploration.

While Gato Roboto could stand to be a more fleshed-out metroidvania game, it’s still a highly enjoyable action game overall. Kiki’s adventure is one chock full of classic NES-era action, nicely challenging combat, fun gameplay and charming visuals. It’s a short burst of action, but one you won’t forget anytime soon. So thankfully, there is more to the game to love beyond just a cat inside a mechanical suit. But come on, can you really resist Kiki’s kickass cuteness?

It’s three hours of thrilling Metroidvania action for less than the cost of a cinema ticket; you can’t really grumble with that.

Gato Roboto is a metroidvania with lots of references to the games it was inspired by, but at times it also feels just as unfriendly and inconvenient as some of those classics do today. It’s also much more difficult than you would expect from a game that stars a cute cat in mech armor, but it’s well worth it if you’re up for the challenge.

Without ever excelling or innovating in any element of his design, Gato Roboto proves to be a cohesive and immediate experience.