I remembered playing this game when I was about 8 years old. The graphics were excellent and the gameplay was fun. That was about 15 years ago. Today as I play this game again and again. I still think the graphics are just about perfect. They look just like the cartoon! This game was made by Hi-Tech Expressions, a company that is now gone I think. That is too bad since this game is top notch in all categories. You can download it for free.
Getting started: Once downloaded from a website, unzip the file and then click on the unzipped folder and click on the subfolder.
Click on the TJ file and the game starts in DOS or command prompt. Works well in all windows operating systems. Now depending on your sound card the sound may come through your speakers or your computer speaker. If sound comes through your computer speaker, try using VDM Sound for sound emulation. Anyways, after game starts you are presented a full screen title for the game. You have choice of game level and time. Just go through the easy prompts using arrow keys and space or enter to get through and off you go to the game.
How to play: Games starts with Tom and Jerry not facing each other and walking away from each other. You play only as Jerry (the mouse). The object
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of the game is to gather points in the time allotted by hitting Tom your opponent with various gadgets. Various gadgets include roller skate car, tomato, eggs, airplane with light bulb bombs, dynamite, needle swords and that’s about it or so. To use objects like the dynamite, go to the front of the dynamite base (facing screen) and use the insert key on your keyboard located in the top middle section. Use insert key to drop it. Same goes for the tomato trap inside the mouse hole go to the front (switch) (facing screen) and use insert key to launch the tomato. To use the roller skate car, go to the top of the stairs in the mouse hole and go to the right. Use arrow keys to navigate and hit Tom! For airplane go inside barrel (in mouse hole) and use arrow keys to navigate and hit insert key to drop light bulb bombs! To use the needle sword, face the basket of yarn/needles (facing basket) and hit insert key. To use the needle sword takes practice, sorry you have to figure out how to use it. I think you have to use a combo of insert and arrow keys. To get out of this part of the game Tom has to shoot you. To use eggs climb ladder in mouse hole and throw using insert key and duck and jump using down/up arrow keys. To get out use left arrow key. Lastly, to spy on Tom inside mouse hole go to pipe opening and hit insert.
What Tom does: Tom tries to catch you in the room, only able to knock you down, he sometimes grabs a large mallet to do the same if you are in the car or walking. He can shoot you with a plunger and he can throw dynamite in your mouse hole.
Final words: An old DOS game with great graphics and interesting sounds which works easily in any windows operating system. Tom and Jerry’s CAT-astrophe is the perfect game in which to pass some time. Above I have listed some basics on how to start and play the game. If there are more parts to the game that you find out, good for you!
