Aqua Kitty UDX is a SHMUP style of shooter in which your job is to protect the kittens at the bottom of the ocean from being kid, uh I mean Cat-napped from evil robot fishes. You do this in a submarine that is equipped with guns and a boost of your weapons to help you defend the helpless kitties.
General Gameplay
The gameplay of Aqua Kitty UDX is very retro in its game style. It takes it’s from classic side scroll shooters like Defender, Thunderforce Series and Gradius. The gameplay is set up to support 2 players on the same screen to shoot robots from taking the kittens mining milk from the ocean floor. The game has a classic mode, arcade and for the Xbox One a Dreadnought mode (think of it as a boss rush mode).
Audio
The background music for the game is very catchy and believe me that after a couple of levels you too will be humming the music. Being a game that is paying homage to the 8 bit era the music fits very well into the game. The game sound effects are also top notched. From lasers shooting to the kittens meowing everything is very crisp and comes clean from the speakers. In our play testing, there was nothing offensive in the games audio that would be not suitable for any of the gaming family. While playing the game we did notice that the game is in 5.1 and sounds well and balanced in gamers in your family that uses headphones. For parents that are worried that the game may be too loud for younger gamers, the game has in its options the ability to lower the sound.
Visuals
Aqua Kitty UDX visuals are very sharp. It is easily seen on any screen and the colors are very bright and vibrant. Enemies are easily seen and you are able to see your submarine on the screen without any issues. The game does not have a colorblind mode, however as the games color pallet is very colorful it is not needed. One thing that we did notice during our playtest is that on a screen that is 43” or larger, sitting more than 5 feet from the smart TV it did become harder for some of our gaming family to see the games visuals. Is this a game breaker? No, however something to keep in mind when your gaming family is playing Aqua Kitty UDX. Also we did not encounter any type of offensive visuals in the game that would not be appropriate for your gaming family. If anything for a game that is a SHMUP shooter the game is very approachable for everyone to play.
Controls
The controls are very tight and responsive for Aqua Kitty. With one stick to move the submarine and just the face buttons to shoot and turn, the game is made to move and be controlled by anyone that is new to gaming or even veteran’s gamers. What makes the controls a great fit is because that there are no confusing layouts to the controller settings, just a turn, shoot and special that is needed to play the game. Parents be aware that there is no need for any type of special controller needed to play Aqua Kitty. Also during our play test, no one from young to old or even our special needs gamers ran into any issues while playing the game.
“Aqua Kitty is a great family fun game that combines the best of both worlds, saving kitties and co-op fun”
Delivery
Aqua Kitty UDX is one of those titles that seems charming at first but is actually a great game. You would think that the game having kittens underwater would be more for just young children but the game can be as challenging as you choose. It is also a fun game both playing solo or in co-op mode. The game itself is a fun game if you are looking for a shooter that can put up a challenge. Also with the Dreadnought Mode added it gives the game more challenge for those in your gaming family that are looking for it. This is a game that for both families that are looking for a fun game to play as well SHMUP (shooter fans) will love.
Family Friendly
Since it being the nature of being a shooter, some would say that the game is not family friendly, but I challenge them to play Aqua Kitty UDX and after playing if for an hour still come to their conclusion. The game is downright fun for all ages. It has everything that you would want in a game. From great level design, to easy pick up and play controls, to even levels that get more chaotic as you get deeper into the game, Aqua Kitty UDX fits perfectly for all types of gamers in your gaming family. Also while we play tested the game with all of our gaming family members, everyone has a great time and no difficulty playing the game. The only concern that we had was the fact that some graphics looks really small on a larger Smart TV but again this was a minor issue and did not affect gameplay one bit. One other thing that we notice during our special needs gaming testing that this was a great game for children that have Autism. For both spectrums they were able to play the game without any issues and enjoy it at all levels of the game. This was a big plus as some games do overload some children and young adults with Autism but Aqua Kitty UDX did not and they had a pleasant time playing the game.
Closing
Aqua Kitty UDX is a fun, charming shooter that can be challenging in a good way. Answer the challenge and protect the kitties at the bottom of the ocean getting milk and add this game to your digital library. Also we would like to add that we are awarding Aqua Kitty UDX both our Special Needs Family Favorite Award and our Family Friendly Favorite Game as well.
