Skip to main content

‘Socks the Cat’ Super Nintendo game may finally see the light of day

Unreleased Games | Socks The Cat Rocks The Hill
Presidential pets have been in the spotlight for decades, with George W. Bush’s Scottish Terrier Barney and Barack Obama’s Portuguese Water Dog Bo getting significant attention for their antics around the White House, but let us not forget about some U.S. presidents’ more apathetic pets: their cats. Though Socks has been dead for years, it looks like Bill Clinton’s feline friend could live on in a long-lost Super Nintendo game.

Socks the Cat Rocks the Hill was originally planned for release on the Super Nintendo back when President Clinton had just taken office. The game tasked the cat with fighting through the White House “battling all sorts of enemies, including Dobermans, protesters, and satirical versions of famous political figures,” according to new publisher Second Dimension. The game was even reviewed by some outlets before it lost its original publisher and was canceled.

Collector Tom Curtin, who had purchased an unfinished copy of the game, turned to Second Dimension and a small team of developers, including “two experts in releasing previously unreleased games” to make Socks the Cat Rocks the Hill a reality. The team now says the game is “100 percent complete” and many of its bugs have already been addressed.

On Kickstarter, Second Dimension is currently asking for $30,000 to release the game by July 2017, and promises a digital copy for $20 backers and a physical cartridge for $40 backers. Higher payment tiers also included a branded cardboard box and the game’s manual, complete with the artwork found on the original canceled version.

While there likely aren’t thousands of people clamoring to get their hands on Socks the Cat, releasing the game for collectors and historians to see is certainly welcome. Now if only Nintendo will officially release Star Fox 2. Small, four-legged creatures just can’t catch a break.

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
How to start the Nuka-World DLC in Fallout 4
People standing outside Nuka World.

The first major DLC expansion for Fallout 4 lets players go to the abandoned amusement park called Nuka-World. While there's plenty of fun and excitement to be had here, don't expect it to come from the roller coasters or carnival games since this park is the battleground between rival raider gangs. This new zone adds a ton of new quests and side activities to the base experience, but it isn't as simple to get to as a real theme park. Don't worry if your Pip-Boy isn't helping you get to Nuka-World -- we'll show you how to start this DLC.

Read more
How to start the Automatron DLC in Fallout 4
A man and a robot walking in the wastelands in Fallout 4.

Each piece of Fallout 4 DLC adds something substantial to the base experience. In the case of the Automatron expansion, an entire new questline pitting you against a robot army led by a figure known as the Mechanist. Starting it isn't as difficult as starting other DLCs like the Nuka-World expansion, but it-s still a bit cryptic. Buying the DLC doesn't automatically make it apparent how to actually start this new adventure, but we'll give you specific directions to find it in the wasteland.

Read more
One of 2023’s best indie games is getting a movie starring LaKeith Stanfield
James descends on an elevator in El Paso, Elsewhere.

El Paso, Elsewhere, one of Digital Trends' favorite indie games of 2023, now has a film adaptation in the works.

Variety reports that LaKeith Stanfield -- an actor known for his work in films like Judas and the Black Messiah, Knives Out, and Haunted Mansion, as well as TV shows like Atlanta -- is going to star in and produce the film. The adaptation is in the works at Di Bonaventure Pictures, the production company behind the Transformers, G.I. Joe, and The Meg film franchises. Little else is known about the film at this time, although we'd presume it will be a fairly direct adaptation of this intense story-driven game.

Read more