Mad Rat Dead - Ending and Credits

[@darkbeastqueen]

It is strange that the scientist would put a cat's heart inside a dying rat. I would imagine the scientist was either desperate to save Mad Rat's life (provided the player gives more benevolent answers in the beginning cutscene) or just wanted to see what would happen, as mad scientists are prone to doing (if the player answered in an antisocial manner). And so, we reach the end of the story. Although Mad Rat will still die by the end of the day, he at least made sure Heart will still live and preserve the Rat's legacy which Rat God had tried to cruelly undo earlier.

[@Overhazard]

And I think that's part of the idea--parasites, by nature, don't care about the well-being of their hosts, as long as they get what they want out of those hosts. (If they did, biologists would refer to them as symbiotic or mutualistic rather than parasitic.) It would make sense that Rat God's true personality is one of complete selfishness, with no concern for anything but her end goal of getting Mad Rat to be eaten by a cat, even if a small child must die in the process.

[@baalfgames5318]

I'd rather think that the "anti-social" scientist did it because he has more respect for life than most, since you're allowed to select "I hate humans" as an option, so it's possible he takes pity on the creature for what other people put it through.

[@remsleeep]

You're still my heart.

[@pietrobruno5734]

I really wished that mad rat could get to live happily with Heart after what happened, this ending is pretty sad imo

[@Overhazard]

One of the themes of the story is acceptance. Mad Rat is going to die, and even Rat God can't help him with that. So the best thing to happen to him is that he dies having left a positive impact on the world.

[@DrThunderous9x]

One thing that's kinda interesting is the Cat has the Rat God's text sound effects and not Heart's.

[@Overhazard]

I thought it sounded off. It doesn't sound exactly like the Rat God's sound effects to me, but it does sound closer to hers than to Heart's as a heart.

[@SapphireCrook]

What's killing Mad Rat without the surgery though? That aside, this is one of those stories that just kinda gest to me. I dunno what it is, but it just works. It takes itself seriously and plays it straight, but it still adds up nicely too.

[@Overhazard]

The game doesn't say it outright, but Mad Rat appears to have a bad heart. Whatever the case, he has been so sick that he can barely walk under his own power. I found this game to have a more involved and enjoying story than I had expected. It could have just been a rhythm platformer and it would have been fine, as there aren't many games like that, but they had a story someone put a lot of heart (no pun intended) and soul into.

[@dodgeworldl8470]

I assume the tests Mad Rat went through was killing him and depending on what answers you chose at the start, the surgery was another cruel experiment, or the doctor trying to right the wrong he caused by making Mad Rat sick. (And maybe in turn saving others as well.)

[@dodgeworldl8470]

I just finished this game today, and I had to say.. it's been a ride! And it even left me guessing at points! Normally Rhythm games are not my cup of tea, but this game stole my heart! (Then replaced it with a cat heart. Please send help I've been re-living this day over and over until I S-rank all stages.. ;-;)

[@Overhazard]

It is definitely one of the more story-driven rhythm games, a lot more so than I had expected.

[@dodgeworldl8470]

@@Overhazard Oh yeah it was! Here's hoping for a second game with new characters!

[@sigmadraconis8207]

Outside can also be played on any stage.

[@Overhazard]

I know. Same goes for any song in this game. I haven't actually tried "Outside" in gameplay though.

[@randomyoshi]

-The cage that Mad Rat was in wasn't tightly sealed? Huh. No wonder Mad Rat was able to get out of it easily despite the fact that he's slowly dying. -1:53- So Heart was a cat after all? Interesting. I had a feeling that Heart wasn't originally a rat and that Heart was probably a cat based on the cutscenes in 5-2; the stage had Mad Rat telling Heart that it "liked to take that cat's side" and Heart telling Mad Rat that it "really liked cats." But what doubted me was the fact that the scientist was using a heart from another species to try and save Mad Rat. No wonder the operation was a failure and Mad Rat ended up dying. -2:06- Aww, Mad Rat's hugging Heart! Heart did that to Mad Rat in world 4, and now Mad Rat's hugging him back in the ending. -2:58- And so it ends. -4:57- Or not-? -5:19- Aww, that's pretty sweet. Heart really cares about Mad Rat and wants to be with him during Mad Rat's final moments. -5:46- Well, that's true. Mad Rat died plenty of times while trying to clear all of the stages in the game. -6:04- And so it ends...for real.

[@Overhazard]

No one said the mad scientist was competent. Just that he has a laboratory way too big for one person.

[@ShioMW]

The saddest thing is that because they rewinded time to before the transplant, now nobody is there to save the cat from the flooding and little girl from the truck. They're unfortunately going to die

[@Overhazard]

I think the idea behind the credits sequence is that Mad Rat and Heart DO seek out the little girl and the cat and save them.

[@user-ky8cx2tj7q]

Yeah at 2:24, Mad Rat is asking Heart to go and rescue the other cat and the little girl, and Heart is saying he can do it because he's already seen it before. So I think it's implied that they go save them!

[@user-ky8cx2tj7q]

Oh and I think the silhouettes during the credits show Heart going to save them and distracting the little girl so she doesn't get hit, before rewinding time so Mad Rat can go with him

[@ShioMW]

Oh you guys are right, I missed that

[@strategist9]

Jeez, no wonder Mad Rat was gonna die regardless. You can't just swap in organs like that from different species! I think for the most part the story isn't too bad but the time travel aspect of it seems a bit...weird. Like they came up with it as a gameplay feature and tried to fit it into the story. I could see another version of the story without the time travel aspect at all without minimal changes honestly.

[@Overhazard]

Maybe if the species were very similar, but yeah, rats and cats are not similar at all. Mammals, yes, but they're not interchangeable. Of course, no one said the mad scientist was a competent one.