Spider-Man: Miles Morales has launched on PS4 and for players lucky enough to pick up a launch PS5. The game won over reviewers with a good balance between picking up where 2018's Spider-Man left off and Miles' first solo video game adventure.

In the middle of his victory lap, a new character has stolen Miles' thunder. An orange Tabby cat named Spider-Man, whom Miles dubs Spider-Cat, has become the sensational character find of 2020.

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It shouldn't come as a huge surprise that Spider-Cat is a breakout star. Given the internet's abiding love for cats, it would be strange if Spider-Cat hadn't become popular on social media. Developer Insomniac Games has already capitalized on the popularity of cat memes by paying tribute to a classic featuring an NBA Legend.

The game also passed the true test of our time when players found out they could pet the cat. That would certainly be enough to set the game apart from the vast majority of superhero games. They haven't offered that level of cat interactivity, lagging behind competitors like Assassin's Creed Valhalla.

The fact that Miles can bring the furry ginger Spider-Man with him on missions puts the game on another level. Placed in Miles' backpack, he can join in on the fight, taking part in finishing moves. Miles even goes the extra mile and protects his partner's secret identity by giving him a Spider-Mask of his own.

Spider-Cat helps add the kind of levity to the game that sets Spider-Man apart from more grim heroes. His civilian job as a bodega cat gives Miles' Brooklyn neighborhood a sense of place. It's one of the details that helps differentiate the game from its predecessor despite taking place in New York City.

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Spider-Cat's popularity also speaks to a void in superhero games. Furry sidekicks are a rarity in superhero games. Despite having a stable of underrated animal characters, Marvel's video games haven't given them much of a spotlight.

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Characters like Throg and the Runaways' Old Lace appeared in the MMO Marvel Heroes as assist character pets. Lockjaw is always good for a cameo when the Inhumans show up in Marvel Ultimate Alliance series, serving a dual role of teleporting the player's party to missions in space and being a good boy.

DC's representation of animal allies isn't much better. Their MMO, the still-active DC Universe Online, features some pets. Outside of an Atlantean seahorse, actual animals are confined to bases.

The fighting game Injustice 2 features DC's best use of a pet in gaming. The Red Lantern Dex-Starr accompanies the corp's leader, Atrocitus, into battle. He can be called upon as an assist character, attacking Atrocitus's with energy bolts and Rage Vomit, in one of the few times a cat's vomit has ever been welcomed by its owner.

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The games that set the standard for open-world superhero titles, Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham series, are too gritty to accommodate any version of Ace the Bat-Hound. Damian Wayne's absence from the series has meant that his pet dragon bat Goliath also hasn't made an appearance.

Pets on the level of Spider-Cat in other superhero games could be a game-changer. Imagine setting the Brood ablaze as Kitty Pryde's pet dragon Lockheed in an X-Men game or unleashing a swarm of furry friends on Doctor Doom as Squirrel Girl in the next Ultimate Alliance. Krypto might be the missing ingredient in the elusive good Superman game. Now that Rocksteady has moved on to a Suicide Squad game, Ace might have a future in future Batman games like Gotham Knights.

Hopefully, Spider-Cat's popularity will lead to a new golden age of furry friends interactive superhero entertainment. Games like Fallout shouldn't have a monopoly on animal sidekicks, given their long history in comics. No matter what happens, Spider-Cat's future seems bright. After all, is there a better sign you've made it than having your own Hot Toy?

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