Late to the Party: Mega Cat Studios Retro Game Trio!

Let's be real: there's a lot to loathe about 2026, what with our economic state of affairs, the increasingly robust perversion of the internet via AI slop and constantly shifting weather patterns. Hell, we can't even find solace in the little things anymore, like going down to the store and just buying a damn pack of Pokémon cards (but that's another feature for another time).

That being said, we can at least count on something: there are still plenty of stellar studios that continue to release retro-inspired classics. (And with physical copies to boot—literally!)

 Given the tumultuous curveballs we keep seeing through this already shifty year, Press Pause Radio (or myself, more specifically) is a bit late to the party on some of the early year releases from Mega Cat Studios. So join us as we dive into peeks at Plyuk and Old Towers for the NES, in addition to Super Fanger for the SNES.

This puzzle platformer offers a dose of charm right out of the gate, with excellent use of its 8-bit scheme and a variety of challenges ahead. Players guide Plyuk, an escaped lifeform who has the uncanny ability to clone itself as a means to escape any strange situation. Each level requires obtaining a key to move onto the next, which also requires creative usage of the clone mechanics. The limit on clone amounts based on the situation is a neat touch as well, as it ups the challenge and requires one to stop and think, but not to the extent of being overtly frustrating.

Plyuk, with its charm and attention to detail on map designs, is almost like Chip's Challenge meets Montezuma's Revenge, albeit without the emphasis on oddly comical deaths. It might feel like a bit more of an isolated experience (I mean, you are escaping a prison after all), but there's no shortage of fun here. Plyuk would make a neat little addition to anyone's NES shelf.

In a similar light as Plyuk, Old Towers is yet another puzzle platformer that requires players to collect and continue through an assortment of five different themed towers. Only this time, you're out to get rich as opposed to being on the run. Unlike Plyuk, however, there's a bit of a different theme: you can only travel along walls, floors and via specific linear directions, which makes for a tricky good time while navigating through each unique tower room.

I was actually pleasantly reminded of another recent retro tribute that used what I'd describe as "mad wall dash" mechanics: Warptank from UFO 50, which is also quite the 8-bit(ish) delight. Unlike the traditional platformer in which one stricktly moves right and hopes for the best, games like this and Old Towers once again requires that players think outside of the norm and connect the dots toward a more satisfying means to an end. This is, again, an excellent use of 8-bit tech toward the modern era that also serves as a satisfying tribute for the types of games we all know and love.

 

So Super Fanger is ... definitely a different animal (more specifically, two animals and death, for some strange reason). Players can either join up with someone else in this virtual "game of tag" or face off against an arcade mode, both which essentially offer the same objective of running away from danger.

For those just diving in, the objective is generally unclear: you're able to choose between being an octopus, a duck or the grim reaper, who are then instantly charged by what appear to be bird-like antagonists that have it out for you (which makes sense, being as this is a "game of tag" of the sorts). Given the sprint and stamina mechanics also involved, it felt way too easy to get backed into a corner in some maps more than others, in addition to helpful versus harmful sprites feeling a bit difficult to discern at times. The score tally mechanics here felt way off for the 16-bit era and honestly were more reminiscent of what one might expect from something back from the vintage Atari, Coleco or Intellivision era.

The overall graphics and character sprites are probably the most admirable aspect of Super Fanger. One can appreciate what was trying to be done here, but it honestly feels like a bit of an overall shortfall that could, at best, be best described as a general evolution of Combat from the Atari 2600. This one's definitely the hardest to justify the full price tag toward, in addition to any extended amount of play time.

...

Mega Cat Studios showed us a solid effort of attempting to make 2026 better than the majority of us continue to experience throughout the year, albeit with some questionable curiosities along the way. Fans of puzzle platformers will definitely get some addicting 8-bit fun out of both either Plyuk or Old Towers. And though, again, the presentation of Super Fanger manages to dazzle upon first glance, the overall premise unfortunately misses the mark and feels a bit dry after the first few minutes.

Regardless, here's to hoping for more retro recration opportunities as the year progresses. Because dear lord, we need it now more than ever.