Catfight (video game)
Encyclopedia
Catfight is a PC fighting
video game developed by Phantom Card and published in 1996 by Atlantean Interactive (front for pornographic film company Vivid Entertainment
). It is regarded as one of the worst video games ever made.
The game is not related to the Japan-only PlayStation 2
game The Catfight
.
and obtain the ultimate power.
Advertisement on the Atlantean Interactive website said:
Like the early games in the Mortal Kombat series, Catfight uses digitized
actors for creating the sprites
representing the fighters (the martial actress Katalin Zamiar
of MKII
fame portrayed a female ninja character Chae Lee).
review at the time (the score of 1.6/10), Catfight was "without a doubt, the worst computer game ever released":
GameRankings rated the game at only 8.67%, their score based on three magazine reviews (Computer Games Magazine
rated the game 0/5). The Daily Pennsylvanian
called Catfight the "number one sexist
game ever created". According to Next Generation
, "In fact, it's tempting to believe Catfight was designed as a sneaky feminist
ploy, since it serves as perfect punishment for sexist males who might buy it. ... Our scoring system won't let us give zeroes, so Atlantean owes us one star." In 2010, PC Gamer
ranked it as the seventh worst game of all time, calling it "is so bad, being caught masturbating to it would actually be less embarrassing than being caught playing it."
The game was parodied in the episode "Bart Star
" of The Simpsons
.
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
video game developed by Phantom Card and published in 1996 by Atlantean Interactive (front for pornographic film company Vivid Entertainment
Vivid Entertainment
Vivid Entertainment Group is an adult video producer, featuring a catalog of VHS and DVD titles and internet content. In 2006 it was described by Reuters as one of the handful of studios that dominate the U.S. porn industry....
). It is regarded as one of the worst video games ever made.
The game is not related to the Japan-only PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
game The Catfight
Simple series
The Simple series are a number of series of budget-priced console games, published by Japanese company D3 Publisher and developed by a variety of companies, covering many systems...
.
Game
The plot of the game revolves around a dark goddess Shinma and 10 female warriors competing to challenge herCatfight
Catfight is a term for an altercation between two women, typically involving scratching, slapping, hair-pulling, and shirt-shredding as opposed to punching or wrestling . However, the term is not exclusively used to indicate a fight between women, and many formal definitions do not invoke gender...
and obtain the ultimate power.
Advertisement on the Atlantean Interactive website said:
"Join eleven of the fiercest female warriors from across the EtherAether (mythology)Aether , in Greek mythology, is one of the Protogenoi, the first-born elementals. He is the personification of the upper sky, space, and heaven, and is the elemental god of the "Bright, Glowing, Upper Air." He is the pure upper air that the gods breathe, as opposed to the normal air that mortals...
s [sic] as they battle it out for the ultimate power of the Universe! Watch the head-to-head fighting assault blaze its way to your screen -- with the hottest women in games engaging in the most violent fighting techniques imaginable! Some of the things you must endure are disembowelmentDisembowelmentDisembowelment is the removal of some or all of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract , usually through a horizontal incision made across the abdominal area. Disembowelment may result from an accident, but has also been used as a method of torture and execution...
, decapitationDecapitationDecapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
, and worse! It's the ultimate life versus death struggle, where you must pulverize your opponent in eight awesome arenas to survive! Here is your chance to claim your place next to the most awesome women in the galaxy!"
Like the early games in the Mortal Kombat series, Catfight uses digitized
Digitizing
Digitizing or digitization is the representation of an object, image, sound, document or a signal by a discrete set of its points or samples. The result is called digital representation or, more specifically, a digital image, for the object, and digital form, for the signal...
actors for creating the sprites
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
representing the fighters (the martial actress Katalin Zamiar
Katalin Zamiar
Katalin Rodriguez-Ogren is an American martial artist, sportswriter and actress.-Biography:...
of MKII
Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat II is a competitive fighting game originally produced by Midway Games for the arcades in . It is the second game in the Mortal Kombat series. Like its predecessor, various home versions were produced...
fame portrayed a female ninja character Chae Lee).
Reception
According to the GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
review at the time (the score of 1.6/10), Catfight was "without a doubt, the worst computer game ever released":
"The worst thing about Catfight (and, believe me, that's a hefty accomplishment) is that the gameplayGameplayGameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
is just so damn bad. (...) I'll sleep easier knowing there will never be a Catfight 2."
GameRankings rated the game at only 8.67%, their score based on three magazine reviews (Computer Games Magazine
Computer Games Magazine
Computer Games Magazine was a computer gaming print magazine. It was formerly Computer Games Strategy Plus, and before that, Strategy Plus, which had been founded as Games International in the UK in 1988. While its initial focus was on strategy games, it covered a wide range of game genres...
rated the game 0/5). The Daily Pennsylvanian
The Daily Pennsylvanian
The Daily Pennsylvanian is the independent daily student newspaper of the University of Pennsylvania.It is published every weekday when the university is in session by a staff of more than 250 students. During the summer months, a smaller staff produces a weekly version called The Summer...
called Catfight the "number one sexist
Sexism
Sexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
game ever created". According to Next Generation
Next Generation
Next Generation or Next-Generation may refer to:- Publications and literature :* Next Generation Magazine, video game magazine that was made by the now defunct Imagine Media publishing company...
, "In fact, it's tempting to believe Catfight was designed as a sneaky feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
ploy, since it serves as perfect punishment for sexist males who might buy it. ... Our scoring system won't let us give zeroes, so Atlantean owes us one star." In 2010, PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
ranked it as the seventh worst game of all time, calling it "is so bad, being caught masturbating to it would actually be less embarrassing than being caught playing it."
The game was parodied in the episode "Bart Star
Bart Star
"Bart Star" is the sixth episode of the ninth season of the animated television series The Simpsons, which originally aired November 9, 1997. The title of this episode is a play on Bart Starr...
" of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
.
External links
- CatFight: The Ultimate Female Fighting Game at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
- Catfight at GameFAQSGameFAQsGameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003. It is currently owned by CBS Interactive. The site has a database of video game information, cheat codes, reviews, game saves,...