Today was the day I was supposed to post my Flashback 2 review, but instead of making my way out of the alien-infested jungle, I spent most of Thanksgiving trying to catch a turkey. So, with no review to post, what am I supposed to do now? I mean, I already posted a video looking at this week's PlayStation Plus games, and you probably saw the newest Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew episode, so what's left? Oh yeah, I guess I did hear about Konami releasing a Felix the Cat Collection on PlayStation 5, Switch and PC, so I guess we could talk about that. It will apparently feature both the Game Boy and Nintendo Entertainment System versions of Felix the Cat, which were released in the early 1990s. That's cool news, I guess, but are either of these games actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro, Nintendo Power and more classic magazines to see what the critics said back when these games first came out. So, go and grab your bag of tricks, because this is yet another episode of Konami Review Crew.


Long before there was Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny, there was Felix the Cat. Created all the way back in 1919 by Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer, this white-eyed black cat was the first fully-realized animal character in the history of American film animation. He and his bag of tricks influenced generations of cartoon lovers and artists, and you can still feel his impact on the industry more than one-hundred-years later. And considering that he started out in black and white shorts, it only makes sense for us to start with his short adventure on the monochromatic Game Boy.

Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of English language reviews for this portable Felix. I suppose I could turn to a German magazine like Megablast (who gave it a 73%) or Play Time (which went a little higher with an 83%). There's always the Dutch magazine Power Unlimited, who gave it a solid score of 7 out of 10. These aren't bad options, but I want to be able to actually read the reviews, and not just because I used a translator to get the gist of what they were saying.

So, instead of doing that, let's check in with Nintendo Power. Giving the game a so-so 3.3 out of 5, the editors felt that “the graphics ported well to the Game Boy” and the “play control and challenge lost nothing in the switch from the NES.” However, they were quick to point out the obvious: “It would have been nice to have something new from the original game.”

Over at Nintendo Magazine System, they gave Felix a score of 70%, arguing that the graphics are “clear and well-defined.” They said it was “easy to get into, a pleasure to control and there's absolutely no loads to see ... but it's all very samey and there's no real danger posed to our hero.” “A potentially excellent conversion is all but killed off by a complete lack of pace and the relative ease of the gameplay.”

In other words, this is a solid enough Game Boy game, but it's probably not the game you're going to want to start with if you buy the Felix the Cat Collection.

You may have scoffed the first time you heard about Konami's upcoming collection, because the Tiny Toon Adventures is just right there waiting to be ported to modern consoles. Haters can say all they want about Felix, but he was big enough to warrant his own Nintendo Power cover back in 1992. I bet you can't say the same thing about those Tiny Toons. Actually, you can, because they were on the cover just six issues later. Honestly, I'm not even sure what point I was trying to make. Did I mention that I'm writing this after chasing a turkey and getting no sleep? Trust me, all of this is going to be a complete blur when I wake up tomorrow morning, or afternoon or whenever.

When we look at what the critics said about Felix the Cat on the Nintendo Entertainment System, they liked it about as much (if not a little more) than the Game Boy port. For example, Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game an average score of 7.25 out of 10, with Steve arguing that “the variety afforded by the magical bag o' tricks gives this game some character, but what you're left with through a predominant amount of play is a standard side-scroller with some nice graphics and technique. The action never gets too heavy and the comical overtones, while missing the mark occasionally, are fun.” Ed liked the game a bit more, concluding that Frlix is “easily one of the most enjoyable NES games to come out this year and definitely worth buying. Felix plays well and has lots of different items to find. Great animation and a long adventure will keep the whole family busy for quite some time.”

You saw a similar score over at Nintendo Magazine System, which gave it a 71%, up just one point from the Game Boy port. Game Informer liked the game a bit more than that, giving it an average score of 8.25 out of 10. And then there's Video Games & Computer Entertainment, which went as high as a 9 out of 10. “Just who is this game intended for? Obviously, pre-teens are the market of choice, though, Felix the Cat probably carries as much name recognition with the kindergarten set as former Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter. So, let me just put it this way: Felix is as instantly adoptable as a stray kitten in a thunderstorm, and hey, you don't even have to feed it.”

Now, if you're looking for the highest score, then look no further than, you guessed it, GamePro. Giving it a 5 out of 5, Bubonic the Blowfrog makes an interesting observation: “One important thing to note about the Felix game that is indicative of his comic book and animated cartoon incarnations is the virtual absence of violence. Even the sound never creates the tense or scary mood found in some action games. When you defeat a boss, it explodes but doesn't die. According to the manual, the foes in this game are not necessarily enemies. They're more like playfriends. Your weapons are called Magic Items. And, believe it or not, the game creators have managed to make even a cannon that shoots balls at you look cute and innocuous. Moreover, the manual comes packaged with an order form for Master Higgins' 10 Tips For Responsible Gaming. Felix the Cat is fun to play. Its landslide of levels and abundance of Magic Items will keep folks with even the shortest attention span engaged. The Cat is back. That's purr-fect for NES gamers everywhere.”

With GamePro giving it a perfect score and Video Games & Computer Entertainment name dropping former Supreme Court Justic Felix Frankfurter, I don't feel like there's much for me to add. This is a fun game, though maybe not as fondly remembered as the Disney stuff published by Capcom and Sega. But hey, at least this gets us one step closer to the Tiny Toons Collection, right? RIGHT?