Developed/Published by: WayForward
Date of Release: April 1, 2020
Price: $7.99
April 1st. A day that both delights the tricksters of the world, and simultaneously breaks our hearts by taunting us with tantalizing goodies that will never be. Back in 2013 WayForward announced Cat Girl Without Salad, an impossible-sounding mishmash of game genres that seemed as implausible as it was exciting. However here we are, 7 years later and they have made it a reality on the Nintendo Switch! Unfortunately they had to tone the chaotic mishmash of genres down just a little bit (no doubt to avoid seizures), as the game is now a sidescrolling shooter in the vein of Gradius or the like. Not that the combat system isn't insane though, as every time you pick up a gun cartridge powerup it shifts the gameplay in weird ways like turning your gun into the bubble launcher from Bust A Move, or replacing the whole thing with a JRPG battle system. It's a good bit of manic fun, and a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.
Despite the game being quite a bit on the short side (there's only three levels!) its personality and presentation truly shine. The soundtrack is great, provided by Wayforward veteran Jake Kaufman, and the voices provided by Shantae star Christina Vee are amazing as well. The production values for this package are just through the roof, so it feels like such a shame that it's over all too quick. Despite the brevity it's really an experience worth having, and the low asking price helps. I just hope that sales are strong enough that it might warrant a DLC with a few more levels, or even a sequel in the future. I'd certainly like to spend some more time cruising the cosmos with Kebako and Squiddy, and share in more of their misadventures (and partake in more of the hilarious and offbeat dialog).
The colorful candy-coated visuals and absurdist humor, as well as the upbeat soundtrack really come together with the excellent voice acting to deliver a massive blast of good feels, and at a time like this we can all use a good laugh. All in all if you love the production values of WayForward's games in general, and you're ok with having a relatively short ride, Cat Girl Without Salad is a solid addition to your Switch SHMUP library. My only complaint is on my system at least, the volume was about 3x what it is in other games, and made usign headphones a bit overpowering. Regardless, that is just a minor nitpick, and doesn't change the fact that Cat Girl Without Salad is a MUST OWN title, and earns a flawless rating of Lemon Beet Casserole/Shirtless Cronut!
