Nomolos: Storming the Catsle

About

Nomolos: Storming the Catsle is a retro platformer that plays like a love letter to 8-bit classics. You control a cat-turned-warrior navigating 12 levels filled with traps, enemies, and boss fights. The goal is simple: rescue a friend captured by a giant purple arm and its hippo overlord. Each stage offers powerups and weapons to help offset the punishing jumps and precise platforming. Three difficulty settings let you adjust the challenge, though none soften the game’s demand for pixel-perfect timing. What makes this stand out is the soundtrack. It’s all Baroque-era classical music reworked to fit the action, think Bach and Scarlatti alongside bouncy cat combat. As Gradual Games’ debut title, it leans hard into NES-era charm with tight controls and level design that feels handcrafted. While the story is thin, the pixel art and rhythm of the music create a quirky atmosphere. Released in 2012, it still holds up as a niche but rewarding throwback for fans of old-school precision platforming.

Storyline

Two cats, Solomon and his friend Snow, are enjoying a beautiful day together when a mysterious portal opens before them. An enormous purple arm shoots out and grabs Snow by the scruff of the neck and disappears. Solomon decides to follow Snow into the portal. Upon arriving on the other side, he becomes Nomolos, the fierce feline warrior, fully equipped with humanoid physique and armor. He decides to follow the huge purple form that is quickly retreating to the Catsle with Snow.