Granny Loves Them Kitties

Some of the most fun I've ever had playing video games was when I walked into the arcades of ages gone by, sending quarters down the chute into machines that bore names like Pac-Man and Space Invaders. Those were simpler times and you didn't have to be concerned with any role-playing elements or complex controls. The concept would be easy to follow, yet challenging enough to keep you intrigued for hours, days, or even months at a time.

It is with a similar kind of philosophy that the Super Granny series was created. In this terrific offering, you take on the role of a super granny as she walks around on an increasingly detailed maze-like stage. The goal is to retrieve all of the cats and kittens that have been placed throughout the level. All you have to do is find your way to them through a series of platforms and ladders, guiding them back to the exit port where you can rake in the points. There are also reward ribbons to be collected for even more bonus points.

Granny loves the kitties and you have to collect them all before the stage will end. Thankfully, there's also a clever back story that lies behind the core gameplay, pulling you deeper into the world of cat competitions and lovely old ladies.

The Dynamics are A-Maze-Ing

The perspective for each stage is from the side of a multi-tiered level. In many ways, you could say that the graphical layout in Super Granny 4 is similar to that of Donkey Kong, Buster Bros., or Elevator Action. This isn't to say that the layout is totally static! In fact, Granny has the ability to manipulate her environment so that she can best retrieve the kitties and return them to the exit port.

For example, much of the stage will be composed of some semi-soft dirt paths. When you click on the space bar on your keyboard, Granny will whip out a shovel and dig through this path, allowing you to drop to the level below. It is sometimes necessary to take strategies like this in order to access certain portions of the stage. What's more, you will soon be exposed to additional tools like a watering can to grow beanstalks and a shovel to whack bad guys!

Another way to battle the baddies is to use your shovel and dig a hole. When the bad guy falls into this hole, he becomes a stepping stone that you can use to cross the newly created crevasse.

Teamwork is the Key

Unlike so many other arcade games on the market, you don't have to concern yourself with a ticking timer in this title. Instead, this is a game that challenges you mental skills and your ability to solve puzzles. As you progress through the numerous stages, the layouts will become a little more complex, so you'll need to figure out the best path possible to collect all the cats. You'll also be joined by other like-minded grannies and you can actually take control over them on the fly!

Better still, participate in the multiplayer mode with a friend and play at the same time! You just have to assign the keys on your computer keyboard accordingly.