Blade Kitten

Lore & Background

Blade Kitten is set three years before the comic book series on an artificial alien planetoid called Hollow Wish. The story begins with Kit Ballard tracking a troublemaker named Terra-Li, but she soon uncovers a dark secret about the planetoid. Fellow bounty hunter Justice Kreel destroys Kit's ship and steals her breaker key, which contains information needed to capture Terra-Li. The game features Kit's alien sidekick Skiffy and a floating sword called a Darque Blade, which can be upgraded into four types. Players can ride dinosaur-like Noots and collect items used as currency for upgrades, costumes, and health.

Reader's Guide

Blade Kitten received mixed reviews on all platforms according to Metacritic. Critics praised its anime-style cel-shaded graphics and cutscenes but criticized its level design, lack of difficulty, and high price. IGN noted the game relied too heavily on its anime charm, while GameSpot called it clumsy and too easy. Eurogamer gave a more favorable review, seeing it as a positive sign for Atari's digital reinvention. The game was showcased at events like PAX Seattle and Supanova Pop Culture Expo. Its significance lies in being a direct adaptation of an independent webcomic into a downloadable title, with a dedicated fan base that supported the release of a second episode years later.

Did You Know?

• Around 480 people auditioned for the voice roles of seven main characters.
• The Krome Studios mascot, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger, appears as an unlockable costume.
• The game consists of nineteen levels and three boss battles.
• Kit Ballard's pet Skiffy changes color to red when the attack bar is full.

Gameplay & Core Mechanics

Blade Kitten casts players as Kit Ballard in a 2.5D action-platformer where she is the sole controllable character. Her primary weapon, the Darque Blade, is a floating sword she can swing at close range or hurl across greater distances to strike enemies and trigger hidden switches. As players progress, the blade can be swapped among four distinct types, each emphasizing higher damage output, quicker attack speed, or automatic lock-on targeting. Kit is accompanied by Skiffy, her alien companion whose body shifts to red when the special-attack meter fills, signaling that a powerful move is ready. Across the plains of Hollow Wish, she can mount Noots, dinosaur-like creatures, for faster traversal. The game spans nineteen levels punctuated by three boss encounters, with collectibles scattered throughout and tucked inside hidden treasure chests serving dual roles as score multipliers and in-game currency. That currency funds upgrades to Kit's health, stamina, blade variants, and a wide array of alternate costumes—including an unlockable outfit featuring Krome Studios' mascot, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger. All of this is rendered in a cel-shaded, anime-inspired visual style.

Narrative & World-Building

The story unfolds three years before the events of the original comic, on an artificial alien planetoid called Hollow Wish. Kit Ballard, a universally recognized bounty hunter, arrives to capture Terra-Li, the leader of the Norteun Wolves gang, who carries a bounty of one million Hex. However, shortly after landing, rival hunter Justice Kreel wrecks Kit's ship and confiscates her breaker key, the data device holding all the intelligence needed to locate Terra-Li. As Kit pushes forward, she stumbles upon a sinister secret woven into the fabric of Hollow Wish and its population. The world is populated by a cast of factions: the Sol-Triumvirate serve as the planetoid's enforcers and actively obstruct Kit's mission; the Norteun Wolves, Terra-Li's outlaw crew, also plot to thwart her; and the enigmatic Magasse Sisterhood remains an organization whose purpose is never fully explained. Sheriff Walrut Hed occasionally offers guidance on Kit's next objective, while Terra-Gin, Terra-Li's son, makes a desperate appearance in the final level of Episode One, racing to rescue his mother from a damaged Dreadnought after Kit has knocked her out. The narrative weaves a bounty-hunt framework around a larger conspiracy, giving the platforming structure a sense of escalating stakes.

Development & Publishing History

Blade Kitten was first revealed to the public through the official website's blog in April 2009. The project was driven by Steve Stamatiadis, Krome Studios' Creative Director, who also created and wrote the source comic series. After completing his work on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, he returned to Blade Kitten, a passion project he had long wanted to realize. He described it as a brainchild that originated as comics and expressed excitement about bringing Kit's anime-inspired universe to gamers. The voice-casting process was extensive, with approximately 480 people auditioning for the seven principal roles; Kelly Fuller was ultimately selected to voice Kit Ballard. In the months leading up to launch, the title was showcased at events including PAX Seattle and the Supanova Pop Culture Expo. On June 2, 2010, Atari announced it had secured publishing rights, with simultaneous PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade releases confirmed. The game hit Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in September 2010. In May 2014, Krome Studios reclaimed the rights from Atari and re-published the title. Episode 2 then arrived as downloadable content on Steam on March 16, 2015.

Critical Reception & Legacy

Blade Kitten earned a mixed reception across all platforms, as reflected on Metacritic. Reviewers consistently praised the cel-shaded, anime-inspired art direction and the quality of in-game cutscenes, but frequently criticized the level design, the perceived lack of challenge, and the price point. IGN noted that the title leaned too heavily on its anime-style charm without translating that appeal into other design areas. GameSpot described it as a clumsy action platformer that was often far too easy, with action that failed to generate much excitement. 1Up.com offered a more balanced take on the Xbox 360 version, acknowledging flaws while insisting the game was never truly terrible. Eurogamer was notably more positive, suggesting that if Blade Kitten represented Atari's intent in its digital reinvention, the publisher's future looked promising. NowGamer observed that the game managed to retain enough quality and semi-inspired design to maintain a degree of credibility, even as its shortcomings caused minor motion sickness for some players. The title ultimately became a niche entry in the 2.5D platformer space, remembered more for its distinctive visual identity and Krome Studios' commitment to the Blade Kitten franchise than for its mechanical depth.

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