Games published by SoftLab Laboratories
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The Nine Lives of Secret Agent Katt
The Nine Lives of Secret Agent Kat is one of the most obscure and underrated shareware adventure games of all time.
Designed by Bill Fisher, designer of The Last Half of Darkness, Nine Lives uses a modified version of the same game engine. The plot is simple: you control a group of 4 secret agents who must infiltrate a super-secret laboratory to steal a super-secret document (duh). Despite this typical espionage plot, Nine Lives is full of interesting plot twists and an excellent atmosphere that fans of Last Half of Darkness will enjoy.
The gameplay is similar to Last Half, but with some significant improvements. The screen is still divided into four main sections: scene graphics, exit list, action menu and a description box. This time, icons have replaced action words in the menu, and images of your four agents are displayed at the bottom along with what they're holding. Most of the puzzles, as you would expect from an espionage game, involve the use of high-tech gadgets and the skills of your agents. You can call headquarters to get some hints on what to do next and combine some inventory items. Agent Kat is the name of the team leader, who must be kept alive at all costs to continue the game. Each agent has a 'health bar' similar to RPG titles, and will die if the health bar reaches zero (can be wounded by enemy bullets, etc. ).
With an interesting mix of RPG and adventure elements, some solid puzzles, and high play value, The Nine Lives of Agent Kat is worth a look for anyone looking for a fun, unpretentious espionage adventure. It certainly doesn't measure up to Last Half of Darkness in terms of atmosphere or plot, but it has plenty of charm on its own, especially considering its shareware status.
