MagiCat from Toge Productions is a fun and colorful 2D platformer now on Nintendo Switch. Learn more about it in our MagiCat review!

 

In MagiCat you can move around with the D-Pad or the left analog stick. You can jump with the B button, and if you hold it down the cat will quickly moves its paws to hover for a bit. The Y button will unleash your magical attack, or you can use the L button, so that you can damage enemies from a safe distance, and you can also damage enemies by jumping on top of them. The X button, or the R button, is used for dashing which will come in handy for getting to some otherwise out of reach platforms, but this will use up your magic vials – more on that in a bit.

You can collect coins in each stage, either the ones floating around or those that enemies drop when defeated. For every 100 coins that you collect, you will be rewarded with an extra life. When you are defeated, you can select to revive right there and then instantly, but this will use up two of your lives. You also need to decide about this as soon as you are defeated since you will only have a couple of seconds to make up your mind.

There are also three crystals to collect in each stage, along with some blue vials. Vials are important since you can use them to activate checkpoints so that if you’re defeated, you can quickly respawn. Checkpoints will also replenish your health, so I suggest that you use the one before a boss fight so that you can have a better chance of defeating it. You can also instantly respawn right where you died, but this is going to cost you, so you can’t abuse it at will – but it’s certainly a handy feature to have when battling a boss!

As for the crystals you collect in each stage, these can be used at the shop to purchase items to help you on your quest. You could, for example, get a hammer to destroy an obstacle in the map, or you could buy an item that will allow you to regenerate some of your health by using two MP – this will grant you a skill you can activate as needed as long as you have enough MP to set things into motion.

 

After you complete a stage, you will get a chance to replay it either in the regular mode or in time attack mode. In time attack, as is to be expected, you will need to complete the stage as fast as possible. A timer will start counting down as soon as you enter a stage, and you need to at complete it before time runs out. This is not hard to do, but you’re not only trying to finish a stage before the timer runs out: you’re trying to speedrun the stage to get to the end in as little time as you possibly can!

You’ll be graded for each stage, and there are a lot of objectives to complete for each one to be able to 100% the game. You need to collect all three crystals in a stage, not use your dash at all, defeat the boss without reviving, and defeating the boss without taking any damage. You will also need to complete each stage’s time attack mode. There are dozens of stages, so you can imagine how you’ll be playing this one for several hours to 100% it!

MagiCat is a fun 2D platformer on Nintendo Switch that was easy to learn and very entertaining. The gameplay mechanics make for a solid platforming experience, and there are over 60 levels to complete, each with its own boss to defeat, so there’s plenty of content for you to replay as you try to find all collectibles as well as completing a stage alive and well.

Disclaimer
This MagiCat review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provide by Toge Productions.