Herding cats with Chat Noir DS

Chat Noir DS is not, as we initially assumed, a dark, brutal drama about an A/S/L gone wrong. No, it's a homebrew puzzle game in which you must keep a black cat from escaping the screen by blocking his avenues of escape.

The premise and presentation are simple, but outsmarting the restless kitten turns out to be a fun diversion, especially if you attach a ridiculous back story as to why you can't let him (or her) get away. Here are some of the possible plots we came up with for Chat Noir DS:

• Trap the scrappy kitten before he dashes out of the bathroom (he ran right between your legs!) and eats your pizza
• Corner the feline so you can dress him up in a top hat and bowtie
• You really, really want to pet the little guy, but he just wants to run around and mess up your house
• He's the only one who can beat the Ouendan 2 stage you're stuck on
• If the kitty makes it out the door, he'll never come back home :'o(

You can stick Chat Noir DS on a flashcart or play it in an emulator, whichever is more convenient for you. if you're going to play it on your computer, though, you might as well just load up the original flash game in your browser.

See also: Critics' top 10: 2007 vs. kittens