About NEKOTOSAKANA
NEKOTOSAKANA is a top-down shooter where every enemy is a fish, and the sushi they leave behind is what powers up your ship. The name reads as cat and fish in Japanese, and the title screen leans all the way in with a soft pink close-up of a cat's face.
Your ship can turn. Instead of always firing straight ahead, you rotate left and right to point your shots, and the turn gets much faster whenever you stop firing. That makes moving and aiming two separate jobs, and it's what gives the game its own feel.
There are six stages and a final boss. Only the opening and ending scenes are in Japanese, so nothing gets in the way of play. You can play NEKOTOSAKANA online with nothing but the keyboard.
How to Play NEKOTOSAKANA
- Press Z on the title screen to start. In menus, Z confirms and X goes back.
- Move with the arrow keys.
- Hold Z to shoot.
- Press X to rotate your ship left and C to rotate it right. Let go of Z and the ship spins around much faster.
- Pick up the sushi that defeated fish drop. Collect enough and your ship gets stronger.
- Clear all six stages and beat the last boss.
What to Expect in NEKOTOSAKANA
The fish come at you one wave after another, and the screen gets busy. The rotation controls take a few minutes to get used to, since you're steering one way and aiming another, but once they click you start lining up shots from any angle.
It's playful rather than grim. The pink palette, the cat on the title screen and the sushi pickups give it a light, silly tone, even when the bullets are thick. Playing NEKOTOSAKANA free takes a single press of Z.
Tips for NEKOTOSAKANA
- Stop firing when you need to turn around. The ship rotates much faster with Z released.
- Move over the sushi drops instead of waiting for them to come to you. Each piece counts toward your next power-up.
- Practice rotating early, before the later stages crowd the screen.
- Use movement for dodging and rotation for aiming. Trying to do both with one input is how you get cornered.
- Do not chase every fish into a corner. A few missed pieces of sushi are a cheap trade for staying alive.
Who Made NEKOTOSAKANA
NEKOTOSAKANA was made by nizakashii, who released it on itch.io. It was made in GameMaker. FunClicker embeds the creator's own version so you can play it here without downloading anything. We did not make the game, and the credit for its design, code, and art belongs to its creator. You can find the original on the NEKOTOSAKANA page on itch.io.
FAQ
Is NEKOTOSAKANA free?
Yes. NEKOTOSAKANA is free to play here, with nothing to buy and nothing to install. It runs in a browser tab and only needs the keyboard. Click the game window, press Z on the title screen, and the first wave of fish is on its way.
How do you play NEKOTOSAKANA?
Move with the arrow keys and hold Z to shoot. Press X to rotate your ship left and C to rotate it right, and let go of Z when you want to turn quickly. Shoot the fish, collect the sushi they drop to power up, and work through six stages to the last boss.
What is the goal in NEKOTOSAKANA?
Shoot every fish that appears and make it through all six stages, then defeat the final boss. Along the way, collecting sushi from defeated fish powers up your ship, so the goal on each stage is to grab as much as you safely can while staying alive.
Who made NEKOTOSAKANA?
NEKOTOSAKANA was made by nizakashii, who released it on itch.io and built it in GameMaker. We embed the creator's own version here and link back to the original release. nizakashii has also made another tough shooter in a similar pink pixel style.
Can I play NEKOTOSAKANA on a Chromebook or phone?
A Chromebook works well, because the game uses only the keyboard: the arrow keys plus Z, X and C. A phone is a poor fit, since you need to hold several keys at once to move, shoot and rotate. Any laptop or desktop with a keyboard is ideal.
Is NEKOTOSAKANA unblocked at school?
NEKOTOSAKANA unblocked play only needs a browser tab, with nothing to download. Whether it opens on a school network depends on that network's filters, which we do not control. If it loads, the keyboard controls work exactly as they do at home.
What does NEKOTOSAKANA mean?
The title reads as neko to sakana, which is Japanese for cat and fish. That's the theme in a nutshell: a cat greets you on the title screen, the enemies you shoot are fish, and the power-ups they drop are pieces of sushi.
Do I need to read Japanese to play NEKOTOSAKANA?
No. Only the opening and ending scenes are in Japanese, and the rest of the game needs no reading at all. Learn the arrow keys, Z to shoot, and X and C to rotate, and you can play every stage without understanding a word.
