Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails is a space-tripping rollercoaster

When Polygon got some hands-on with independent developer Dakko Dakko's rail-riding platformer, Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails on the Wii U, we found that it is adaptable gamers mood and playstyle.

In Scram Kitty, experimental, intelligent lab rats have overtaken a space station and have their sights set on ruling earth. As part of their plan, the rats have locked away all cats including the protagonist's super cat called Scram Kitty. Equipped with an anti-grav spinboard, the rail-riding platformer takes players on a ride around the on-rails universe to liberate carriers of cats.

Gamers use the directional sticks to influence the spinboard's momentum as it coasts the rails, bunny hop from track-to-track using the jump button or launch across chasms of space to latch onto the next rail. Rats in cannon-equipped flying saucers occupy the voids. Players can choose to destroy them with the spinboard's lasers — which only move in 45 degree increments — ignore them or jump onto them to use as environmental objects. From what Polygon saw of Scram Kitty's neon-lit world, it is populated by creatures, mines and power ups, such as a handy one that gives players blade arms to wipe out almost everything in their path.

If a gamer doesn't feel like playing the campaign, the game is easily picked up to do some mindless free-rolls along the rails, creating a casual free-flowing freestyle gameplay. It was relaxing using the spinboards momentum to zoom along the tracks to do trick shots across the void and collecting power ups.

The actual game is played on the Wii U's GamePad and gameplay is broadcasted on the TV accompanied by extra animations and graphics. A Nintendo representative told Polygon that the set up is great to share with a friend or family member who enjoys the passive experience of watching someone else play a video game.

Dakko Dakko, developer of Floating Cloud God Saves the Pilgrims and The 2D Adventures of Rotating Octopus Character, aims to release its rail-riding shooter to the Nintendo eShop for the Wii U later this year.

News of the upcoming game was first revealed in February, which followed shortly after the studio's expansion when it hired Army of Trolls' Gary Lucken to help direct the game's art style.