Mouse P.I. is a boomer shooter with a Disney twist

Simon Balissat

14.4.2026

Translation: Elicia Payne

Mouse P.I. is a tribute to film noir, 1930s cartoons, and retro shooters. This wild mix works better than cornstarch in fondue. You have to like the black-and-white cartoon style, though.

It’s the 30s. Jack Pepper’s a private detective, drinks too much and his achievements are modest. All the better for him then that a case about a missing magician comes in. During his stage show, magician Steve Bandel vanished into thin air, and there’s been no sign of him since. Oh, not to mention: Bandel, Pepper, and all the other characters in Mouse P.I. are mice in a black-and-white cartoon world. In first-person perspective, I investigate a case that gets more and more complicated.

Corrupt police officers, cultists and fascists from the GMP (Grand Mouse Party) are involved; the latter is an obvious reference to the GOP (Grand Old Party) that the U.S. Republicans are known as. The police seem to be chasing shrews for no apparent reason, locking them up, and kidnapping them. Topics that couldn’t be more relevant. Yet the game was released as early as 2024, before Donald Trump’s second election as U.S. president and the actions of his aggressive immigration agency, ICE.

The mouse theme – and especially the idea that mice love cheese – runs through the story like a thread from a fondue fork. It starts with the protagonist’s name – Pepper Jack’s a cheese from the United States. Instead of alcohol, fondue is the drug of choice. It sometimes makes me smile, but often comes across as bland as Gouda. Pop culture references scattered throughout the game are much more refreshing. The Thompson submachine gun, better known as the Tommy Gun, is called the James Gun in the game – a nod to director James Gunn. Jack frequently comments on his actions with lyrics from well-known songs. He thinks his spontaneous exclamation «Runaway Train, never come back» is so bad that he’s certain no one will ever copy those lines. Well…

And then there are the seemingly endless references to Disney cartoons, Looney Tunes and the like. Pianos and anvils crush enemies, and a broom shows us the way, as if it had escaped from the sorcerer’s apprentice in Fantasia. And in one scene, Jack eats a can of spinach and then, with muscles like Popeye, starts punching people in the face.

In terms of gameplay, Mouse P.I. is largely a classic boomer shooter. The focus is on fast-paced action with weapons such as shotguns, pistols, machine guns, and rocket launchers. It’s giving Doom vibes. Locked doors I have to find the key for, or barrels that explode when hit, are straight out of the genre’s original pioneer.

The characters in the 3D world are also two-dimensional sprites, which enhances both the cartoon-like and Doom-like feel. This is where Mouse P.I. really shines. It’s always a blast to use a brush cleaner gun to etch the flesh off a fascist mouse’s ribs until all that’s left is a rattling skeleton.

The boss battles, which usually await you at the end of levels, are really wild. They often require skill and strategy rather than mindless shooting. The cartoon style really shines here; the bosses are beautifully animated and the fights are brilliantly choreographed. The whole thing’s accompanied by a swing soundtrack that captures the spirit of the era – one that I find myself humming hours after I’ve finished playing.

All quiet on the western front – and that’s a good thing

There’s a touch of modernity, though. For example, you can upgrade your weapons, there’s a fun mini-game with baseball cards – since Gwent in The Witcher 3 has become a staple of modern game design – and you can complete side quests. Mouse P.I. isn’t quite as linear as Doom either. I pin clues to a bulletin board. Once I’ve collected enough of them, I unlock new locations that I can then explore at my leisure in my car. That at least suggests some freedom, but doesn’t change much, since the choice of locations has no impact on the rest of the story.

That makes Mouse P.I. almost the perfect retro shooter for me, setting it apart from the familiar pixel art style of other games in the genre. I like the film noir setting, I like the cartoon graphics and I like the narrative style. That’s why Mouse P.I. is like a half-and-half fondue on a cold winter evening – I keep digging in until every last bit of cheese is gone.

Simon Balissat

Teamleader Editorial

Simon.Balissat@digitecgalaxus.ch

When I flew the family nest over 15 years ago, I suddenly had to cook for myself. But it wasn’t long until this necessity became a virtue. Today, rattling those pots and pans is a fundamental part of my life. I’m a true foodie and devour everything from junk food to star-awarded cuisine. Literally. I eat way too fast. more

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