Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Felix the Cat for the NES was developed by Shimada Kikaku and published by Hudson Soft in 1992. Based largely on the 1950s incarnation of the classic cartoon character, it is a remarkably polished platformer with excellent controls, colorful graphics and one of the more imaginative power-up systems on the console. Rating: 8.5/10.
The story is simple: Felix’s girlfriend Kitty Cat has been kidnapped by the evil Professor, who demands Felix’s magical Bag of Tricks in exchange for her release. Felix refuses and sets off after him, traveling through 23 stages spread across land, sea and air.
At first, Felix the Cat plays like a conventional NES platformer. You run, jump and attack enemies while collecting Felix-head icons and hearts. The main attraction, however, is Felix’s constantly changing arsenal. Rather than simply upgrading the strength of one weapon, collecting enough hearts transforms Felix into increasingly powerful forms suited to the type of stage.
On land, Felix begins with an extending boxing glove before upgrading to a magician outfit that shoots stars, a small car and eventually a tank capable of firing cannonballs. During aerial stages, he starts by floating with an umbrella before gaining a hot-air balloon and an airplane. Underwater, his snorkel can be upgraded to a fast-moving turtle and finally a submarine shaped like Felix himself. There are also transitional water stages where Felix rides a canoe before upgrading to a dolphin.
These transformations do more than increase Felix’s offensive power. They effectively act as extra layers of health, since taking damage knocks him down one upgrade level instead of immediately costing a life. Upgraded forms also have a heart meter that gradually drains over time. Milk bottles refill it, encouraging you to keep moving and collecting items if you want to retain your strongest equipment.
The constant switching between different stage types gives the game considerably more variety than its straightforward platforming foundation suggests. Land stages focus on traditional running and jumping, while the flying and underwater sections alter both movement and attack patterns. Many stages also contain hidden areas, rewarding players who explore rather than simply rushing toward the exit.
The controls are one of the game’s strongest qualities. Felix responds quickly, jumps are predictable and the different vehicles remain easy to handle despite behaving quite differently from one another. There is one occasional annoyance: when jumping toward the upper edge of the screen, the camera does not always scroll quickly enough to reveal what lies above, making it possible to land on an unseen hazard.
Visually, Felix the Cat is excellent for the NES. Felix himself is large, expressive and packed with small animations, while every vehicle and transformation retains the personality of the character. Backgrounds are bright and colorful without becoming difficult to read, and there is plenty of enemy variety throughout the adventure. The cheerful soundtrack fits the cartoon atmosphere well, although the music is pleasant rather than especially memorable.
The biggest weakness is the low difficulty. Enemies generally have simple patterns, stronger transformations can destroy most opposition quickly, and the upgrade system gives Felix considerable protection from mistakes. Bosses are also fairly basic and rarely demand complex strategies. Despite having 23 stages, an experienced player can therefore finish the game fairly quickly.
That accessibility is not necessarily a flaw. Felix the Cat avoids much of the frustration associated with harder NES platformers and instead concentrates on smooth controls, frequent rewards and constant visual variety. It is particularly well suited to younger players or anyone looking for a relaxed platforming experience rather than a demanding test of memorization.
Felix the Cat is one of the better licensed platformers on the NES. Its responsive controls, excellent sprite work and inventive Magic Bag transformations give it far more personality than the average licensed game, while the variety of vehicles keeps the action entertaining from beginning to end. It may be too easy for players seeking a serious challenge, but its sheer polish places it comfortably alongside some of the stronger cartoon-based platformers of the 8-bit era.
Felix the Cat for the NES was developed by Shimada Kikaku and published by Hudson Soft in 1992. Based largely on the 1950s incarnation of the classic cartoon character, it is a remarkably polished platformer with excellent controls, colorful graphics and one of the more imaginative power-up systems on the console. Rating: 8.5/10.
The story is simple: Felix’s girlfriend Kitty Cat has been kidnapped by the evil Professor, who demands Felix’s magical Bag of Tricks in exchange for her release. Felix refuses and sets off after him, traveling through 23 stages spread across land, sea and air.
At first, Felix the Cat plays like a conventional NES platformer. You run, jump and attack enemies while collecting Felix-head icons and hearts. The main attraction, however, is Felix’s constantly changing arsenal. Rather than simply upgrading the strength of one weapon, collecting enough hearts transforms Felix into increasingly powerful forms suited to the type of stage.
On land, Felix begins with an extending boxing glove before upgrading to a magician outfit that shoots stars, a small car and eventually a tank capable of firing cannonballs. During aerial stages, he starts by floating with an umbrella before gaining a hot-air balloon and an airplane. Underwater, his snorkel can be upgraded to a fast-moving turtle and finally a submarine shaped like Felix himself. There are also transitional water stages where Felix rides a canoe before upgrading to a dolphin.
These transformations do more than increase Felix’s offensive power. They effectively act as extra layers of health, since taking damage knocks him down one upgrade level instead of immediately costing a life. Upgraded forms also have a heart meter that gradually drains over time. Milk bottles refill it, encouraging you to keep moving and collecting items if you want to retain your strongest equipment.
The constant switching between different stage types gives the game considerably more variety than its straightforward platforming foundation suggests. Land stages focus on traditional running and jumping, while the flying and underwater sections alter both movement and attack patterns. Many stages also contain hidden areas, rewarding players who explore rather than simply rushing toward the exit.
The controls are one of the game’s strongest qualities. Felix responds quickly, jumps are predictable and the different vehicles remain easy to handle despite behaving quite differently from one another. There is one occasional annoyance: when jumping toward the upper edge of the screen, the camera does not always scroll quickly enough to reveal what lies above, making it possible to land on an unseen hazard.
Visually, Felix the Cat is excellent for the NES. Felix himself is large, expressive and packed with small animations, while every vehicle and transformation retains the personality of the character. Backgrounds are bright and colorful without becoming difficult to read, and there is plenty of enemy variety throughout the adventure. The cheerful soundtrack fits the cartoon atmosphere well, although the music is pleasant rather than especially memorable.
The biggest weakness is the low difficulty. Enemies generally have simple patterns, stronger transformations can destroy most opposition quickly, and the upgrade system gives Felix considerable protection from mistakes. Bosses are also fairly basic and rarely demand complex strategies. Despite having 23 stages, an experienced player can therefore finish the game fairly quickly.
That accessibility is not necessarily a flaw. Felix the Cat avoids much of the frustration associated with harder NES platformers and instead concentrates on smooth controls, frequent rewards and constant visual variety. It is particularly well suited to younger players or anyone looking for a relaxed platforming experience rather than a demanding test of memorization.
Felix the Cat is one of the better licensed platformers on the NES. Its responsive controls, excellent sprite work and inventive Magic Bag transformations give it far more personality than the average licensed game, while the variety of vehicles keeps the action entertaining from beginning to end. It may be too easy for players seeking a serious challenge, but its sheer polish places it comfortably alongside some of the stronger cartoon-based platformers of the 8-bit era.
