Astro Aqua Kitty (PS5) review

The original release of Astro Aqua Kitty was a triumphant blend of classic arcade shooting with more modern mechanics, leaving scant room for improvement. Yet, the PlayStation 5 version offers a few advancements, and even bundles the PS Vita version.

Originally released on the PS Mobile Store, 2012’s Aqua Kitty: Milk Mine Defender was one of the true highlights of Sony’s now-defunct digital marketplace. A skilled reworking of William’s 1981 arcade hit Defender, players dove into waters teeming with malicious marine life, while trying to safeguard their milk supplies. Smartly, the title wasn’t just a simple clone of the horizontally-scrolling shooter. From an overworld map of branching missions to a secondary weapon system that rewarded prudent use, Milk Mine Defender demonstrated developer Tikipod skillfully building on the original game’s time-tested foundations.

With Astro Aqua Kitty, Tikipod took Milk Mine Defender’s basic framework and added layers of tautly balanced systems. In the same way that Castlevania: Symphony of the Night constructed a sophisticated adventure on the underpinnings of the original NES game, Astro Aqua Kitty pushed the property in confident new directions. And the result wasn’t far from the success of Toru Hagihara and Koji Igarashi’s gothic masterpiece. And while Astro Aqua Kitty was a shining success on Switch, PC, and PlayStation 4, the recently released PlayStation 5 iteration stands as the definitive version.

Aye, Aye Cat-tain!

Foreshadowing a number of the game’s stimulating risk/reward mechanics, you’ll begin your expedition by selecting a pilot and engineer. The former offers a quartet of felines, who each have a signature style. From the tanky Heavy to the nimble Scout, each kitty has their own set of skills. Similarly, you’ll have a roster of four non-feline engineers to choose from. Each specializes in abilities like ship repair, defensive traits, or maintaining an ample supply of energy.

What’s surprising is how distinctive each choice feels. A playthrough with the resident Heavy prompted a play style quite different than the Chaos cat. One thing I would have liked to see is more inventive naming for each character. Monikers like ‘Fighter’ and ‘Defense’ don’t really ignite imaginations. If you’re a sadist, there’s also a permadeath option, but most mortals will want to tackle the game’s more lenient approach that allows for continues. Meanwhile, the game’s four challenge levels scale the action from tranquil to unapologetically hectic.

Dangers of the Deep

Astro Aqua Kitty’s campaign is spread across a chart of eight asteroids, with each offering its own expansive map, filled with labyrinthine networks. For better or worse, the emphasis is on action rather than exposition. Sure, there are a myriad of colonist-kitties investigating the asteroids, with many extending fetch quests for essential items such as pollen and sawfish cores. While some might fault the game’s skeletal storytelling, the succinct text boxes offer by each NPCat helps to keep the pace persistently lively.

Building on Milk Mine Defender, moment-to-moment play is one area where Astro Aqua Kitty shines. There’s a multitude of different enemy types, who all seem to replicate organic aquatic behaviors. Crabs linger in craggy recesses, making pursuing them just a bit challenging. Other enemies dart around in schools while other adversaries prefer solitude. But these aren’t ordinary sea creatures. Some are armed with fast-moving projectiles, while other foes emit toxic ammos that explode in poisonous blasts or drop a field of mines to protect themselves. The action is at its best when you move into busy spaces, prioritizing targets to take control of the area.

Damn the Torpedoes (and Searing Lasers, too)

Pleasingly, Astro Aqua Kitty provides a wealth of tools to take on adversaries. With an ability to carry two main weapons, there’s a bit of offensive diversity. While you can opt for energy efficient guns like a single, forward-firing shot, there are also devastating beams that can scorch enemies. But with the formidable firearms, you’ll have to watch your energy levels, since they draw more power.

From homing torpedoes, mines, and bullets that change their trajectory, there’s a lot of enjoyment in testing each uncovered or purchased firearm and finding a loadout that suits your playstyle. Even if you’re the type of person who tends to stick with a trusted gun, Astro Aqua Kitty tosses a lot of temptation your way. Weapons have level requirements and you won’t want to be stuck with a lowly peashooter when you have a level five cannon in your inventory.

Given your ship’s limited inventory, you’ll have to juggle your offensive arsenal with a supply of defensive measures. Much like the multitude of weapons, Aqua Kitty also offers a plethora of chip upgrades. These perks are largely passive, doing things like upgrading your shielding, quickening your energy recovery, or just making your little sub faster. When coupled with ship upgrades that occur when you level up, there’s a healthy amount of submarine tweaking that can be done and the save-point workshops.

This Kitty Outshines Bigger Cats

Yet, a multitude of play systems can result in a quagmire if there’s little balancing. And it’s here that Astro Aqua Kitty shines. You’ll feel a sense of progression when eliminating masses of enemies from areas. But smartly, subordinates gradually respawn, ensuring the bits of backtracking aren’t dull affairs. The difference in difficulty between standard encounters and boss battles can often be a sticking point for Metroidvania-type games, with the former serving as level-up fodder. But here, there’s an astute equilibrium. You can find yourself in precarious fights with basic foes while the game’s showdowns are tense but rarely feel frustrating. Sure, boss patterns are easily read, but the enjoyment stems from appraising which threat is most deserving of your weaponry at any given moment. Yes, bosses like to send their underlings to do their dirty work.

Likewise, the loot drops don’t burden you with sorting through piles of impractical junk. When you do earn an item or blast open a chest hidden in sea-alcoves, you’ll habitually receive practical goods. Sure, not every drop will be to your liking, but Astro Aqua Kitty doesn’t squander your time with pointless dividends. Even if the new weapon didn’t seem to match with your play style, giving a new gun a trial run might demonstrate an advantage over a certain type of enemy. There are an assortment of triple-A loot shooters that don’t pull this off as well, making Tikipod’s achievement noteworthy.

Conclusion

Visually, Astro Aqua Kitty delights with the kind of retina-charming two-dimensional visuals the developer is known for. Small details like your sub’s tiny propeller and it’s trail of bubbles demonstrate a fastidious attention to detail. Meanwhile environments gradually add new elements and enemies like radiant pollen grottos, erupting lava geysers, and enemies who gush from tell-tale hollows. Mark Day and Cody Carpenter’s soundtrack is just as marvelous, weaving it a bit of classic chiptune instrumentalization with melodies that vary from bubbly arpeggios to silky smooth synth washes. There aren’t a ton of tracks, but each one is memorable.

Let’s face it, the metroidvanias are growing a bit stale. Astro Aqua Kitty uses the genre’s basic elements, offering a title that blends action, exploration, and light role-playing elements. But conflict occurs in spacious, free-scrolling zones rather than being confined onto platforms. Underneath it all, there’s a fulfilling sense of autonomy, with the game reluctant to lock players onto a specific weapon for any given task. As such, the moment-to-moment play is almost always compelling, with Astro Aqua Kitty bridging classic arcade action and more modern mechanics.

Astro Aqua Kitty was played on PlayStation 5 with
review code provided by the publisher.