The Cat in the Hat (video game)

The main objective of the game is to explore worlds and chase Quinn out of them while optionally gathering the scattered magic. There are ten levels and three boss fights, though there is also a bonus level which can be unlocked by completing the bonus stages in each level. To traverse these levels, the cat can jump, glide with his umbrella, zipline, slam to the ground, and collect enemies and explosive goo in bubbles for use as projectiles, among other maneuvers.

The game has a variety of collectibles. Each stage contains small clusters of magic whose value varies by color; if every cluster is collected within a stage, the stage's appearance in the hub world returns to normal. Collecting all magic in the game results in the game's true ending where the crate is sealed. There are also gems which can be collected in bonus levels, of which one exists in each stage and can be unlocked by acquiring four keys from Thing One and Thing Two; collecting all of these gems unlocks the bonus stage. Finally, there are clapperboards hidden throughout each stage that, when collected, unlock a clip from the movie for viewing in the menu.

In the game's three boss fights, the Cat fights Quinn's machine – which is powered by the Crab Lock – and must fire bubbles full of enemies into the machine's exhaust pipe to damage it. Upon defeating Quinn, the Cat obtains one-third of the Crab Lock by hitting it with explosive goo. Upon revisiting the stage, Thing One and Thing Two pilot the machine instead of Quinn.

Bonus stages are short segments of gameplay where the goal is to outrun hazards such as such as rolling objects, rising liquids, and laser beams to collect a crystal. Collecting the crystal at the end of every bonus stage will open a bonus level called Mystic Mirror.

In addition to platforming stages, the Game Boy Advance version contains four stages where the player scuba dives to obtain pieces of the Crab Lock. There's also a bonus stage where the Cat drives his cleaning machine to catch Thing One and Thing Two. Collectibles include icons related to the theme of the stage as well as enemies that have been defeated.

GameZone gave the Windows version an overall score of 8/10, praising the gameplay as fun and easy, the graphics as "bright and vivid", and the soundtrack as "catchy", saying the presentation "captures the essence of Seuss" better than the movie. However, they criticized levels as "tend[ing] to be very similar to each other", the backgrounds as "pixelated", and the content as "not anything above the ordinary."[14]

Computer and Video Games gave the game a 3.0/10 and called it "a shameless cash-in", "just trash", "a big pile of sh...", and "fit for the litter tray", remarking: "They say it's for kids, but kids can't be fooled."[11]

PC Gamer UK gave it a 9%, calling it "steaming effluent" and "the worst platform game [they'd] ever played." They criticized the Cat's performance as "annoying", cited bugs they experienced with the game such as collision issues, complained of poor level design, and called the graphics "drab" and "years out-of-date."[22]

GameSpot gave the Game Boy Advance version a 3.8/10, calling games like it "the reason why licensed games have such a bad reputation". They said the game "isn't any fun to play", calling the gameplay "downright boring and unimaginative." They praised the graphics as "pleasing to the eye", but called the sound design lackluster. They concluded that Vivendi "missed a great opportunity" and called it "just a generic punch-and-run".[13]