"It's as close as you can get to a Nintendo game called S.H.I.T. " - The Angry Video Game Nerd
You must destroy them.
The Earth is counting on you!!
Good luck!
Special Cybernetic Attack Team (or S.C.A.T. for short) is an NES Shoot 'Em Up game by Natsume in the vein of Capcom's Forgotten Worlds and Section Z. You play as members of the eponymous team whose task is to single-handedly repel an alien invasion on Earth. In the US version, said members are named Arnold and Sigourney - yes, just like the ones you know from the silver screen.
This game provides examples of:
- Action Girl - The Player 2 character from the US and European versions.
- Attack Drone - Each player has two of these that can be positioned according to the situation.
- Batman Can Breathe in Space - Being supposedly cyborgs, the player's avatar has no problem with breathing in outer space.
- Battleship Raid - Level 4 (3 in Final Mission) is an attack on the aliens' dreadnought.
- Color-Coded Multiplayer - Arnold and Sigourney wear blue and red armor respectively.
- Cores-and-Turrets Boss: Level 1 and level 3 boss consist of cores and turrets that attack the player.
- Covers Always Lie - The cover of US version shows some armored guy with a mustache flying on a Jet Pack, while the game proper has The Ahnold as the Player 1 character.
- Darker and Edgier - The intro of the Japanese version is this, with apocalyptic music playing while the aliens' beams decimate city after city.
- Defeat Equals Explosion: All defeated enemies explode.
- Difficulty by Region - The Japanese version is way harder than international ones, with player having less HP at the start and reverting their weapon to the default peashooter upon being hit.
- Energy Ball: Level 3 boss fires spheres of energy.
- Energy Weapon - Both the player and enemies use various lasers.
- Fun with Acronyms - Too much dirty fun with the game's US title. The European version calls player's team Special Attack Team instead.
- Jet Pack - The protagonists use these to move around.
- Lighter and Softer - The intro of international versions feels more like a B-flick than an all-out apocalyptic scenario.
- Macross Missile Massacre - The Dreadnought fights back with lots of missiles in a boss fight against it.
- Market-Based Title - The unfortunate acronym is the title of the US version, while in Japan and Europe this game is called Final Mission and Action in New York respectively.
- Names to Run Away From: The Big Bad and Final Boss is named Vile Malmort.
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Nintendo Hard - the Japanese version, but US and European ones aren't that much of a walk in the park either. - No Celebrities Were Harmed - In the US version, you play as characters named either Arnold or Sigourney, and while no surname is given, it's evident that both strongly resemble famous action movie stars going by identical names. Action in New York keeps the appearance but changes their names.
- One-Man Army - As expected from a game like this, you're capable of taking out the entire alien force all by yourself (or with a friend).
- Post-Defeat Explosion Chain: Defeated bosses explode repeatedly and then fade away.
- Sentry Gun: A large portion of the enemy roster consist of surface-mounted turrets.
- She's a Man in Japan - Sigourney (a.k.a Sparks in Action in New York) is a palette swap of Arnold (Silver Man) in Japan. There's also no face close up sprites of either in Final Mission.
- Slow Laser: When enemies have a laser attack, expect it to be a relatively slow laser beam. Player's lasergun is faster but still not instant.
- Space Elevator - The astro-tube in Stage 3 (Stage 4 in the Japanese version).
- Super-Soldier - The protagonists are cybernetically-enhanced according to American version's title.
- The Ahnold - In the US version, the Player 1 character is literally that Arnold.
- Video-Game Lives - Averted, as the players have one life and only a handful of hit points for the entire game. Extra HP is rewarded by scoring points or picking up the "R" power-up.
