Garfield: Caught in the Act

For the Sega Game Gear game, see Garfield: Caught in the Act (Game Gear).

n/a

Mega Drive Windows PC
Garfield: Caught in the Act
System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Windows PC
Publisher: Sega Sega Entertainment Inc.
Developer: Sega InterActive Point of View
Supporting companies: Sega of America, Waterman Designs (co-designer)
Distributor: Ecofilmes (PT) Sega-Ozisoft (AU) Tec Toy (BR) Consumer Electronics (ZA) Sega of America (US) Expert Software (US, rerelease)
Licensor: Paws, Inc.
Sound driver: GEMS
Peripherals supported: Six Button Control Pad
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code US 1995-11 1556 US ▼ (Sega Channel) 199x SUBsub EU 1995-12 1556-50 EU ▼ (Sega Channel) 1996 SUBsub PT 199x MDJ1556 UK 1995-12 1556-50 SE (Rental) 199x AU 1995 FGAR02SMC CA ▼ (Sega Channel) 1995 SUBsub BR 199x 046990 SA ▼ (Sega Channel) 1996 SUBsub ZA 199x US 1997 85023 US (Expert Software) 1997-09 $19.9919.99 T-6803-01

Garfield: Caught in the Act is a platform game starring the characters from the Garfield comic series. It was released for the Sega Mega Drive in 1995, and was brought to Windows in 1996 as a stand-alone title as well as through the Sonic & Garfield Pack.

A port to the Sega 32X under the title of Garfield: Garfield in TV land! was planned, but scrapped. The name was still used in the packaging of the initial PC release, even though the game itself retains the original title.

Story

Introduction

Odie scares Garfield while he is watching television, and he ends up falling on the television. In a rushed effort to repair the television before Jon catches them, Garfield and Odie attempt to put the banged up and broken pieces together. They did actually put something together, but it was far from being a real television. As Garfield throws away the spare pieces, they become an electronic monster, the Glitch. The Glitch transports Garfield into the television. Now he must defeat the Glitch and make his way out.

Gameplay

Hub level

The game is a platformer played as the cartoon cat Garfield, who is trapped in his TV. There is a hub level inside the TV that Garfield enters before each level. It contains a doorway to the next level. Garfield moves with and , crouches with , and jumps with . He pushes some objects by moving into them and grabs onto ledges by jumping near them. He is equipped with a melee weapon that he swings with . This weapon can be used an unlimited number of times to attack enemies in close range. He also has a projectile weapon that he throws with . These are limited in supply. Garfield's appearance is themed to each level, which includes how his weapons look, but Garfield and his weapons behave identically regardless of the level. In some levels, he enters passageways with when standing on front of them.

Garfield has ten health points (indicated by a TV set in the corner of the screen). He loses a health point whenever he takes damage from an enemy or a hazard, and he loses a life and restarts the level if he loses all of his health points. The game ends if the player runs out of lives, but it can be continued if the player has continues remaining. There is also a password system for continuing.

There are two difficulty levels, Kitty and Normal, which are identical except that Kitty difficulty adds arrows to the levels that point in the right direction or toward important objects.

The original Mega Drive game features six levels. Sega Channel subscribers could download Garfield: The Lost Levels, which featured three additional levels. One of these levels, Alien Landscape, appears in the PC version of the game, and the remaining two levels, Bonehead the Barbarian and Slobbin Hood, appear in the Game Gear version.

Items

	Pizza
	Restores some health points to Garfield.
	Hamburger
	Restores some health points to Garfield.
	Ammunition
	Increases Garfield's supply of projectile weapons by 2.
	Coffee Mug
	Renders Garfield temporarily invincible.
	Pooky
	Garfield's teddy bear, which acts as a continue marker where he revives after losing a life.
	Mallet Key
	Unlocks a bonus level to be played after the current level is completed.
	Garfield
	Gives the player an extra life.
	TV Remote
	Goal that transports Garfield out of the level.

Levels

The level order for the Mega Drive version is: Count Slobula's Castle, Revenge of Orangebeard, Cave Cat 3,000,000 B.C., the Curse of Cleofatra, and Season Finale.

The level order for the PC version is: Cave Cat 3,000,000 B.C., the Curse of Cleofatra, Count Slobula's Castle, Revenge of Orangebeard, Catsablanca, Alien Landscape, and Season Finale.

	Count Slobula's Castle
	Revenge of Orangebeard
	Password:
	Cave Cat 3,000,000 B.C.
	Password:
	Catsablanca
	Password:
	The Curse of Cleofatra
	Password:
	Alien Landscape
	Password:
	The level is exclusive to the PC version and Garfield: The Lost Levels. It has no boss encounter.
	Season Finale

Bonus Levels

	Whack-a-Mole
	This is a whack-a-mole game played if the player finds a Mallet Key item in the preceding level. It can also be played from the options menu without playing the main game. The goal is to hit the characters that pop out of each hole before they go back in the hole. Each hole corresponds to a button on the Mega Drive's control pad: , , and in the top row and , , and for the bottom row. If the player does not have a Six Button Control Pad, +, +, and + substitute for the top row. The player is a shown a character at the beginning that must not be hit; the bonus level ends if the player hits this character or fails to hit another character. The player is not punished for hitting a space with no character. Occasionally, one of the letters comprising GARFIELD appears, and if the player hits all of these letters, the game awards an extra continue.
	Commercial Break
	This bonus level is played after each level. Garfield flies through a tunnel and must collect a certain number of Pookies before the tunnel ends for an extra life or a continue (the number required increases as the game goes on). Garfield moves using the D-Pad. Coffee mugs boost Garfield's speed, while blue energy balls slow him.

History

Development

Main article: Garfield: Caught in the Act/Development.

Production credits

Mega Drive version

Sega Interactive Development Division

• Lead Programmer: Michael Fernie
• Lead Artists: Mike Chung, Art Wong
• Programmers: Kevin Burley, Ala Diaz, John LaSalvia, Pravin Wagh
• Artists: Kathleen Bruno, Robert Barrett, Sandy Christensen, Maureen Kringen, Michael Tamura, Rob Titus, Petra Evers
• Music Director: Tristan Des Pres
• Music: Jeffrye Tveraas, Dwight Stone
• Sound Effects: Dave Delia, Jeffrye Tveraas
• Audio Programming: Jim Dobson
• Project Management: David Brooks, Frank Hsu

Sega of America

• Executive Producer: Michael Latham
• Producers: Rhonda Van, Eric Quakenbush
• Assistant Producers: Bill Person, Eric Wahlberg
• Original Design: Waterman Designs, Sega Interactive
• Additional Design: Sega of America, PAWS, Inc.
• Product Manager: Lisa Best Wilson
• Marketing: Clint Dyer
• Licensing: Michealene Cristini Risley
• Lead Testers: Richie Hideshima, John Amirkhan
• Asst. Lead Testers: Mark Subotnick, Sako Bezdjian, Caroline Trujillo, Neil Musser
• Testers: Joe Damon, Heather Meigs, Matt Ironside, Mike Borg, Nicole Tatem, Raul Orozco, Don Tica, Eugene Valenzuela, Yancey Gordon, Scott Snyder, Camille Morris, Jeff Sanders, Dana Waller, Tai Huyah

Special Thanks

• Thanks to: Carmen Bayacal, Joyce Takakura, Jack Loh, Rachel Coleman, Ken Dullea, Rod Nakamoto, Nancy Nakamoto
• Special Thanks to: Jim Davis, Jill Hahn, Glenn Zimmerman, Mark Acey, and all the folks at PAWS

Source:

In-game credits

Windows PC version

POV

• Game Engine: Kevin Burley
• Game Conversion: Kevin Burley
• Windows Shell: Mike Terlecki

Sega of America

• Executive Producer: Matt Wolf
• Producer: Scott Hawkins
• Product Manager: Jill Braff
• Lead Testers: Lloyd Kinoshita, Abe Navarro
• Assistant Lead Testers: Fernando Valderrama, Ferdinand Villar
• Testers: Jason Cordero, Arnold Feener, Aaron Hommes, Nicole Tatem, Mark McCunney, Kam Ralston, John Jansen, Amy Albertson, Rob Prideaux, Jay Mijares, Fred Selker, Pedro Ponce, Tricia Gray, Kyle Bingo, Karen Brown, Ian McGuinness, Christina Hurley, Jeffrey Violan, Dennis Lee, Nicolas Azizian
• Special Thanks: Shinobu Toyoda, Bill White, Greg Suarez, Eileen Noguchi, J Tony Smith, Victor Caldwell, Jeff Goodwin, Geraldine Dessimoz, Kristi Walker, Jeanne Ash, John Hurst, Arvin Carlson, Scot Allen, Brandee Broadhurst, Eileen Sacman, Eric Smith, Paul Stathacopoulos, Bob Schonfisch

Sega InterActive Development Divison

• Lead Progammer: Michael Fernie
• Lead Artist: Mike Chung, Art Wong
• Programmers: Kevin Burley, Ala Diaz, John Lasalvia, Pravin Wagh
• Artists: Kathleen Bruno, Robert Barrett, Sandy Christensen, Maureen Kringen, Michael Tamura, Rob Titus, Petra Evers
• Music Director: Tristan Des Pres
• Music: Jeffrye Tveraas, Dwight Stone
• Sound Effects: Jeffrye Tveraas, Dave Delia
• Audio Programming: Jim Dobson
• Project Management: David Brooks

Sega of America

• Executive Producer: Michael Latham
• Producers: Rhonda Van, Eric Quakenbush
• Assistant Producers: Bill Person, Eric Wahlberg
• Original Design: Waterman Designs, Sega InterActive
• Additional Design: Sega of America, Paws, Inc.
• Product Manager: Lisa Best Wilson
• Marketing: Clint Dyer, Eric Dunstan, Michealene Cristini Risley
• Lead Testers: Richie Hideshima, John Amirkhan
• Asst. Lead Testers: Mark Subotnick, Sako Bezdjian, Caroline Trujillo, Neil Musser
• Testers: Joe Damon, Heather Meigs, Matt Ironside, Mike Borg, Nicole Tatem, Raul Orozco, Don Tica, Eugene Valenzuela, Yancey Gordon, Scott Snyder, Camille Morris, Jeff Sanders, Dana Waller, Tai Huyah

Special Thanks

• Thanks To: Carmen Bayacal, Joyce Takakura, Jack Loh, Rachel Coleman, Ken Dullea, Rod Nakamoto, Nancy Nakamoto
• Special Thanks To: Jim Davis, Jill Hahn, Glenn Zimmerman, Mark Acey and all the folks at Paws

Source:

In-game credits

---

SEGA ENTERTAINMENT, INC.

• Executive Producer: Matt Wolf
• Producer: Scott Hawkins
• Product Managers: Eileen Noguchi, Jill Braff
• Lead Testers: Lloyd Kinoshita, Abe Navarro
• Assistant Lead Testers: Fernando Valderrama, Ferdinand Villar
• Testers: Amy Albertson, Nicolas Azizian, Kyle Bingo, Doug Broadhurst, Karen Brown, Jason Cordero, Arnold Feener, Tricia Gray, Aaron Hommes, Christina Hurley, John Jansen, Len Jung, Dennis Lee, Mark McCunney, Ian McGuinness, Jay Mijares, Pedro Ponce, Rob Prideaux, Kam Ralston, Fred Selker, Nicole Tatem, Jeffrey Violan
• Special Thanks: Shinobu Toyoda, Greg Suarez, Jeannie Ash, Kristi Walker, John Hurst, Toni Werner, Arvin Carlson, Bob Schonfisch, Eileen Sacman, Scott Allen, Carol Ann Hanshaw

POINT OF VIEW

• PC Conversion: Kevin Burley
• Windows Code: Kevin Burley, Mike Terlecki
• Producer: Mark Nausha

Source:

US manual

Magazine articles

Main article: Garfield: Caught in the Act/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Mega Drive US print advert

Physical scans

Mega Drive version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score 1700 igr dlya Sega (RU) 60 Consoles + (FR) 75 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 60 Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1 (RU) 60 Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 6 (RU) 70 GameFan (US) NTSC-U 80 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 55 GamePro (DE) 47 Gamers (DE) 47 Game Informer (US) NTSC-U 58 Hobby Consolas (ES) PAL 77 MAN!AC (DE) PAL 65 Mega Fun (DE) PAL 54 Mean Machines Sega (UK) 67 Sega Power (UK) PAL 70 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 85 Svet Igara (YU) 85 Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) PAL 67 Todo Sega (ES) 81 Tricks 16 bit (RU) 79 Video Games (DE) PAL 59

	67
Based on 21 reviews

Garfield: Caught in the Act

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, EU
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, PT
Cover
Cart Manual EU Manual

Mega Drive, SE (Rental)

Mega Drive, GR (Zegetron)

Mega Drive, AU
Cover

Mega Drive, BR
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, ZA
Cover
Cart

PC version

PC, US
Cover
Manual

PC, US (Expert Software)
Cover
Disc Jewel Case

PC, US (Expert Software; alt)

Technical information

Main article: Garfield: Caught in the Act/Technical information.

References

Garfield games for Sega systems
	Caught in the Act (1995) | The Lost Levels (1996)
	Caught in the Act (1995)
	Garfield in TV land! (unreleased)
	Garfield in TV land! (1997) | Sonic & Garfield Pack (1999)