3D Pets: Splat! The Cat (1997)

3D Pets: Splat! The Cat is one in a series of nine virtual pets released by Neechez Innovation Limited. All the games play in a similar manner. When installed the player has two new programs in the Windows Start menu, hatch.exe and, with this game, pcpet.exe. All creatures are first hatched, there are nine cats to hatch but only one can be alive at a time and the game only allows the player to hatch egg number one when the game is first played. Each virtual pet needs at least ten minutes attention per day and if treated well it lives for sixty days at which point it becomes an egg again at which point a new egg is hatched and the process of training begins all over again. The game screen consists of a background around which the cat moves, in the upper left is a fish skeleton which is a hotspot for the game control menu, in the upper right is a question mark which opens the in-game help. The game control menu comprises a series of numbers and icons, the numbers show the cat's current status, some of the icons move the player from one location to another while others turn the cursor into one of the cat's toys. The game is basic and quite easy to play, thought buttons appear over the cat's head showing whether it's hungry or wants to play. When in the kitchen the player can open a cupboard to get cat food, or they can open the fridge to get milk, to put into the feeding bowls. In the TV room the TV can be turned on to entertain the cat and if the fire is lit the cat will fall asleep in front of it. If the player is unable to play with their pet for a few days the game has a 'babysitter' function which automatically cares for the cat until the owner returns. The game also allows the player to play 'Connect 4' with their pet.

• Release Date: December 31, 1997