Play Itchy and Scratchy Game, The (Proto) Online

I picked up The Itchy and Scratchy Game prototype for the Sega Genesis a while back. It was never officially released, but it's one of those unfinished projects that made the rounds among collectors. The game was developed by Bits Studios and would have been published by Acclaim, fitting right in with the era's licensed platformers and beat 'em ups. It's rough, but it gives you a clear sense of what the developers were aiming for.

You control Scratchy, the long suffering cat, and your goal is simply to survive each stage while Itchy sets elaborate traps. The gameplay is built around dodging anvils, rockets, and steamrollers, often in quick succession. You jump, duck, and occasionally strike back, but mostly you're reacting to the chaos. The pacing is relentless, and the difficulty spikes feel intentional, almost like the cartoon's violent humor translated directly into game design. Playing it feels like being stuck in a loop of cartoon violence where every mistake is punished with exaggerated flair.