What are the criteria for different medals/prizes in Catherine?

Question

I've just played through the demo for Catherine, and I noticed that at the end of each level you get a "prize" (I think the game calls it a prize, though I might be wrong as everywhere I find mention of it on the web the term used is "medal") which is either bronze, silver or gold.

I assume you get a better prize the higher your score is for the level, but perhaps there are other factors involved?

Also, if it is only a matter of your score for the level, just how high does your score have to be for each of the prizes? Are the target scores level dependent?

Answer

The medals/prizes are just a measure of how well you did on that particular stage, based on two main things:

• Your finishing chain
• Your score

Chain is accumulated by climbing higher blocks in succession, without stopping. You'll notice this counter at the top right of the screen, which increases with each new floor climbed. If you take too long to reach a new floor, your chain will reset.

You have a limited amount of time in between floors before this happens, measured by the meter that appears below the counter. This meter will replenish per new floor climbed.

Score is also important, though maintaining a high chain takes priority. You will receive +1000 points per gold pile picked up, so try to get all of them on your way up!

Target scores are level dependent, as the height of each level, as well as the number of gold piles in them vary.

In between levels, you'll also have the opportunity to spend points on items at a merchant. However, if you are going for the gold prize, do not do this. All levels can be cleared without purchasing a single item.

What makes this game even more difficult is that obtaining a gold almost always has to be done from the beginning of a level instead of by any checkpoints you may run into. This is because if you die and start again at a checkpoint, you will notice that you lost any chain that you might have built up.

Gold medals/prizes are also only awarded per nightmare, and not per level. To get a gold ranking, you pretty much have to gold every single level in that particular nightmare (ex. Torture Chamber nightmare, you have to gold area 3-1, 3-2, and the Boss level to secure the gold).

As an example, here's a gold run of the first level in Catherine (the same one featured in the demo, although this one is done in the Japanese version, which has slight differences in some levels).

Although this is essentially a "perfect" run, there is some leeway in terms of how high your score must be. Missing a gold pile here or there won't prevent you securing the gold, but breaking your chain halfway through probably will.

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