Castlevania: Legends
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Release Date: March 1998
Best Feature: Classic Belmont Terror
As we patiently await the imminent release of Castlevania on the N64, Konami has blessed (or cursed!) us with a treat to hold us over: Castlevania: Legends. This iteration of the Transylvanian tumult brings in vampire killer Sonia Belmont to take on Dracula's Castle. She is a fearless hunter from the famed Belmont family, armed with the classic whip to eliminate the vampiric threat and his minions. Other than the ponytail, players will hardly notice much difference. The game still plays just as any Castlevania should, with all the side-scrolling staples well in tow. In the all-new Light Mode, Sonia will come equipped with a chain whip and fireballs from the start to make the journey that much easier. Beware of tricky platforming in the castle corridors. Miss by a pixel or two and Sonia will fall to her doom. Decent graphics, all things considered, particularly on the Super Game Boy.
Wario Land II
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Release Date: March 1998
Best Feature: Immune To Death!
The nefarious Wario is back and uglier than ever in his second foray on the Game Boy. Wario Land II is a traditional platformer same as the original, now with oodles of additional tidbits, humorous cut-scenes, and peculiar puzzle-solving. This eight-megabit Game Pak includes a revolutionary Zero Death gameplay mechanic - The first of its kind for Nintendo. Rather than losing a life, Wario will repeat areas until a puzzle is solved or a boss is defeated. Nifty! Another welcome formula change is the inclusion of total transformations rather than hat-based power-ups. Solving puzzles and accessing new locations will require turning into blazing Fiery Wario, spooky Zombie Wario, or pancake-like Flat Wario to name a few. When flattened and widened, for instance, you can traverse a crack in the floor and move onto the next area. Great presentation and spritework, and better yet on SGB.
Turok: Binosaurs
Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment
Developer: Bit Managers
Release Date: December 1997
Best Feature: Lots Of Weapons
Turok stampedes onto the small screen with an exclusive Game Boy variant titled Battle of the Binosaurs. This side-scrolling adventure features the heroic champion as he battles through eight intricate stages with tons of vertical sections. Leap, climb, and swim to best the dangerous environments and make your way through the treacherous jungles. Your objective is to secure three keys and a piece of the Chronoscepter weapon from each stage. Easy at first, but as the terrain becomes more complex and the jumps become more challenging, discovering these items may prove arduous. Many of the discoverable weapons match that of the N64 version, and though the itsy-bitsy graphics hardly hold a candle to the home console, it is not too shabby playing handheld. Adequate play control with no major issues to speak of. Sadly, no Super Game Boy benefits to be found.
Hercules
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Tiertex Design
Release Date: July 1997
Best Feature: Looks Like The Movie
Mythological Greek demigod and Michael Eisner's box office hero, Hercules has been adapted to the Game Boy in Disney's attempted rush to capitalize on the feature film's success. Converting a story of this size to Nintendo's handheld must have been a herculean task (Har, har -Jet), as although the overall package sucks, we do see glimpses of effort at play. This title unfolds as a typical, action-oriented side-scroller, in which the namesake protagonist must journey to become a true hero. Visuals are rather nice for the portable, and even shinier on the Super Game Boy, with character and stage designs each attempting to mimic the movie's style. Yet, the level of difficulty is non-existent aside from oddly backward controls: B to jump and A to attack. One glaring omission is a final confrontation with Hades! Huge misstep for THQ!
DK Land III
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Rare
Release Date: October 1997
Best Feature: High Quality Graphics
In an all-new, miniaturized 4-Megabit adventure, Dixie and Kiddy Kong leap back into the fray in Donkey Kong Land III. This cart, modeled closely after the Super NES' DKC 3, features six worlds with 36 total stages, and an eye-popping 72 bonus spots to be discovered. Its graphics shine above each previous entry in the DK Land mini-series, with smooth animations and crisp sprites for our heroic chimps. Still, naturally, plenty of blur when traversing area to area unless one pops this cart in the Super Game Boy. Play control is precise as one could ask for on a handheld, capturing the feel of Rare's console games. New vehicles like the toboggan keep the gameplay fresh and unique when compared to the home version. That all aside, it ought to be clear that this cart lacks much genuine improvement over previous iterations Land 1 and 2.
Tamagotchi
Publisher: Bandai
Developer: Tom Create
Release Date: October 1997
Best Feature: Cooler Than Keychains
Time to warn the child psychologists! Tamagotchi, the inescapable digital pet craze is now unleashed onto the Game Boy. Inspired verbatim from the electronic keychain version, the GB cart will allow players to religiously care for their cybernetic creature lest risk its certain untimely demise. Bandai included an assortment of shiny treats to keep fans busy as they wait to feed or clean-up their digi-pet, including varying food types, specialized contests, and new mini-games. Eight unique Tamagotchi eggs are also available to hatch in order to unlock new breeds. Now onto the plethora of negatives! This cart features some horrifically irritating sound effects, uses an in-game menu with the vaguest of icons to work through, and, overall, totally fails to prove its merits over the much cheaper keychain toy.
Tetris Blast
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Bullet-Proof
Release Date: January 1996
Genre: Puzzle
Back to reclaim its stature as king of the Game Boy, a variation of an old classic ignites in Tetris Blast. The blocks continue to fall from the sky as we're all accustomed, but now a new twist is added to the mix. Positioning these blocks is made tougher now that they have learned to change their angles automatically! Making those horizontal rows is not so easy as it once was. New modes like Contest and Fight introduce intriguing features like tiny enemies that travel around the playing field to sabotage your efforts. Place bombs strategically and detonate them at the right time to wipe the slate clean. As a portable title, Blast does well as a fair substitute for the traditional formula, emitting decent sounds and standard graphics for the GB - far better on Super Game Boy. It may not have revolutionized puzzlers, but it makes for a nice time waster on a long ride.
DK Land
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Rare
Release Date: June 1995
Genre: Action-Platformer
It's Apes Gone Wild all over again with this formidable portable adventure on the Game Boy. Developed by the expert coders over at Rare, this astonishing 4-Megabit cart is nothing short of a miracle in gaming achievement. DKC has been crammed into handheld form, resulting in one of the best action titles available on the system. Start as DK as you peruse the countryside in search of your lost banana horde, bashing gophers and Kremlings all the while. Swap to Diddy Kong by pressing select, who is more agile yet a smidge less buff. These character sprites look positively excellent. Just as on SNES, the graphics have all been computer-rendered. With silky smooth character animation and diagonally scrolling backgrounds, the visuals are spectacular. Get ready for a huge difficulty bump compared with DKC. Careful, now, some of those later stages require overly-cautious movement.
Kirby's Dream Land 2
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Release Date: April 1995
Genre: Action-Platformer
Nintendo's pink puff-ball hero is back on the action front after a long retirement playing golf and pinball. Kirby's Dream Land 2, the sequel to HAL Laboratory's 1992 original, is a platform game with an ingenious idea. Instead of limiting itself to a protagonist with a single power, Kirby can inhale foes and copy their abilities. Go from tossing boomerangs to swinging swords in an instant. Feel like swatting baddies with an umbrella? No problem! This time, the roly poly dude can enlist the help of several useful animal friends, like a beefy hamster or a quick-flying bird. Though it recycles much from its predecessor, none of Kirby's content is at all bad. In truth, this is the best platformer all month.
Earthworm Jim
Publisher: Playmates Interactive
Developer: Shiny Entertainment
Release Date: May 1995
Genre: Action-Platformer
Meet the newest addition to the "EJ" library. Earthworm Jim shrinks down to the size of a Game Boy cart in this exceedingly impressive portable edition of Shiny Entertainment's masterpiece. The story is essentially unchanged. A lowly earthworm was gifted powerful armor and intelligence, and now must use his tools to eradicate all evil from the planet. Levels have been converted from the 16-Bit versions, including the iconic New Junk City. Use your blaster and whip attacks to take out crows, mutants, and all sorts of alien scum. This one is still as challenging as ever, so be prepared. As was true with Contra 3 and Cool Spot before it, EJ left us stunned as to the brilliance of portable devs.
Bonk's Revenge
Publisher: NEC
Developer: Red Company
Release Date: November 1994
Genre: Action-Platformer
Hudson's kid from the stone age is back, and boy is he furious! Bonk has his sights set on taking down the nefarious King Drool for the crime of initiating planetary destruction (He split the Moon in half! -Jet). As was true of the Turbo iteration, Bonk's Revenge takes players through a variety of quirky platforming stages in the role of the titular cave boy. Bonk's standard headbonk power is joined by an all-new morphing ability. Chow down on a piece of meat to transform into either a high-flying Batboy, a thief in prisoner's garb, or a sharp-toothed maniac! Levels are a tad short with minimal secrets and bonus rooms, and the musical score gets old way quick. Overall, not too bad a rental.
The Pagemaster
Publisher: Virgin Interactive
Developer: Probe Software
Release Date: November 1994
Genre: Action-Platformer
When a young boy named Richard Tyler finds himself stuck in a magical library, he is teleported off to a literary world of wonders - and dangers! Scale treacherous cliffsides and shove off onto a pirate ship straight out of Treasure Island in this platformer. As far as Game Boy titles go, this cart exhibits very nice graphics with detailed foreground objects and enemy sprites. The soundtrack is supportive of the visuals too. Those controls are a serious downer. The entire game requires pin-perfect precision to conquer, yet it feels like all levels are covered in ice! As you slip around, expect hits from unavoidable baddies, one of which will send you to the grave. Pick up a book instead!
Tiny Toon Sports
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Release Date: December 1994
Genre: Sports
Speaking of beloved Warner Bros. toons, the Tiny Toons are back and eccentric as ever. The ever-strange Gogo Dodo is heading up a catch-all sports fest, and it's up to you to snatch gold! Fans of the famous cartoon will have a blast in this diverse collection of miniature bursts of games. Play a variety of quirky contests from tennis and baseball to the Wild Gunman-like Squirt gun challenge over in the Carnival square. Wacky Sports is a decent Game Boy offering with fair graphics, standard GB sound, and decent play control. Two-player mode is a neat addition, as well. Though hardly in the running for greatest portable cart of last year, this cart easily excels above other such sports offerings.
Space Invaders
Publisher: Taito
Developer: Taito
Release Date: November 1994
Genre: Shooter
The legendary arcade game from the 1970s returns! Space Invaders by Taito is a recreation of the original with several new gameplay elements and options. Shoot down alien spacecraft as a lowly tank, using floating shields to your advantage to block their blasts. Let's not fool ourselves here, this is as basic a shooter as you can conceivably get. Although, when you pop this cart into the Super Game Boy, you will be greeted with a special, full-color display reminiscent of the classic arcade cabinet. In addition, the SGB unlocks a couple fun menus to further customize the screen. This flashy surprise aside, Space Invaders is a relic of times long gone by, and probably should remain buried.
Contra III: Alien Wars
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Release Date: October 1994
Genre: Action-Shooter
Contra: The Alien Wars is the sparkling new Game Boy entry in Konami's action-packed shooter lineage. Taking direct inspiration from the same-named SNES cart (Can you say, carbon copy? -Jet), it's the duty of the player to guide your elite warrior through the dangerous city streets, taking out scores of alien baddies, mini-bosses, and giant mechanized monstrosities. This downsizing of a console classic contains all the fun of the original, with our main gripe being the stark color loss. The Super Game Boy adds some life to it, but you may as well play the original at that point. In our view, Alien Wars is a fine pickup for any player to enjoy. Perhaps a bit too violent for kiddos.
Mortal Kombat II
Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment
Developer: Midway
Release Date: September 1994
Genre: Fighter
Mortal Kombat rears its head on the portable scene with the teeny-tiny Game Boy release. As with the console versions, MK II exhibits a marked improvement upon its less-than-perfect predecessor. Its gameplay and play control are kicked up a notch to the point that the game is serviceable! Character animation is fluid, and fatalities are a cinch to pull off. On the downside, due to a modification to fall speed, jump-kicks can no longer result in crazy combos. This iteration also suffers from familiar Game Boy issues including lack of color, absent 2-player mode, and unpleasant music. No Super Game Boy bonuses here, either. Surprisingly, a great porta-fighter.
Mega Man V
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Minakuchi
Release Date: October 1994
Genre: Action-Platformer
Capcom hits us once more with a new entry into the Blue Bomber saga with Mega Man V on Game Boy. By our count, this is the twelfth mainline game in this franchise and the formula remains about identical to the beginning. This time around, an armada of nasties called the Star Droids are wrecking destruction. Our Mega hero must save the day! Our titular hero uses a new contraption developed by Dr. Light called the Mega Arm, a weapon to reel bosses and smash them into submission. MMV plays precisely as the previous games do: Traverse a stage, defeat a boss, gain their power, rinse and repeat. It's a fine adventure, but, alas, a rehash of an old tune.
Yogi Bear
Publisher: GameTek
Developer: Twilight
Release Date: September 1994
Genre: Platformer
Quick, hide your picnic baskets! Yogi has snuck his way onto Game Boy courtesy of GameTek, in Yogi Bear's Goldrush. To be frank, little separates this title from the tons of other platform games available on Nintendo's portable. Walk to the right, jump over pits, collect coin-like picnic baskets, and so on. While this cutesy adventure may be fun for children, others, like our own Review Crew, may fall asleep after a mere five minutes. GameTek did include a smattering of hidden areas and secret items, but it hardly made up for an overall underwhelming and lackluster run-and-jump. If you can handle the so-called challenges in Kirby, skip Yogi.
Cool Spot
Publisher: Virgin Games
Developer: Virgin Games
Release Date: August 1994
Genre: Action-Platformer
Virgin Games' Cool Spot is taking a vacation from 16-Bit and sailed right onto the Game Boy for a new-ish adventure! You see, this cart is inches away from a Super NES port, borrowing a ton of elements from the console version including models and stages. Luckily, it borrowed the fun gameplay too! Rescue a jumble of stolen spots, collect secret discs and the oh-so-smooth 7-Up health items (Never too subtle, are they? -Jet). CS' graphics are not too shabby, and the visuals are given a spot (get it?) of color when played on Super Game Boy. Once more a well-done cart despite the agonizing product placement, and worth a try for all.
Power Rangers
Publisher: Bandai
Developer: Tom Create, Pixel
Release Date: July 1994
Genre: Brawler
If you thought the Power Rangers craze was over, well, we have some awful bad news for you. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is here for Game Boy, and if the toy line is any indication, this cart is sure to sell out fast. Choose one of five rangers and tackle a never-ending barrage of baddies and obstacles in your path. MMPR is a bare-bones brawler in essence. Jump, kick, then jump and kick some more! This title's animation and graphical fidelity are more than a little hideous, and the gameplay itself is easy as pie - we beat it within hours. Younger players, notably Power Rangers fans eager to scoop this tripe up, will get their fill.
Donkey Kong
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: June 1994
Genre: Puzzle-Platformer
Back in the dark times of the Reagan years, gamers first learned of this determined, mustachioed man named Jumpman and his quest to topple an angry gorilla named Donkey. Nintendo has reached back to times gone by to revive this long-dormant franchise with a surprisingly refreshing reboot on Game Boy. Donkey Kong is not just a port of the simplistic arcade cab, it's an expanded puzzle-platformer oozing with creative concepts and ingenious level design. DK also takes advantage of the new Super Game Boy, which adds a splash of welcome color to the scene. An excellent time overall for such a tiny cart.
Mickey's Challenge
Publisher: Hi Tech Expressions
Developer: Designer Software
Release Date: June 1994
Genre: Action-Puzzle
Oh boy! Our old friend Mickey Mouse made his way onto the Game Boy for a new puzzler-adventure courtesy of Hi-Tech Expressions. Mickey's Ultimate Challenge is a mix-and-mash of various puzzles and missions cobbled together into one oddity. As seasoned players know, Mickey games have a rocky history with some absolute treats and other forgettable disasters. Challenge lies somewhere in-between. It demonstrates decent graphics and gameplay for a Disney title, but this game is predictably easy. Its target demographic, very young gamers, may very well be enthused. Us more experienced lads can give this a skip.
Stop That Roach!
Publisher: Koei
Developer: Koei
Release Date: June 1994
Genre: Puzzle
Boy, oh boy. Developers will turn anything into a game nowadays. Even bug squishing! Stop That Roach! is a Game Boy puzzler developed by the fine folks at Koei. Stepping in the nasty shoes of a pest exterminator, players will need to use their noggins to outsmart the sly little cockroaches before they reach the confectionary-shaped goal. Defending your cake may not sound as important as saving the planet from alien invaders, but in our book, roaches are even worse! Roach is a fun timewaster with a hint of strategy but otherwise there isn't much to be done, here. Most gamers will be through in five minutes.
Chase H.Q. II
Publisher: Taito
Developer: Taito
Release Date: April 1994
Genre: Racing
Seeing as the Game Boy cannot exactly handle the likes of F-Zero or Super Mario Kart, PPM must look to third-party manufacturers for solid, portable racing games. Meet Chase H.Q. II by Taito, a cart that practically begs Nintendo to release an updated handheld system. Drive down a series of long, lonely highways to find and corner the perp - then pummel them into submission! Players will be able to upgrade their vehicle, and the addition of minor cutscene messages was a nice touch, but Chase requires a hefty amount of imagination to get through it without losing your mind, or returning this game.
SML3: Wario Land
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: April 1994
Genre: Action-Platformer
Mario is Missing? "Good!" boasts the mischievous Wario. "Time for my turn in the spotlight!" Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land is the long-awaited sequel to Six Golden Coins. Wario takes center stage in this platforming adventure, and he is determined to grab as much treasure as he possibly can. Unlike his nemesis, Wario does not lazily jump on his foes. He charges forward and pummels them! By donning various power-up hats, he can also learn to fly and breathe fire. Wario Land shines as a worthy successor with great music and original gameplay for Nintendo's portable system.
Mega Man IV
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Minakuchi
Release Date: December 1993
Genre: Platformer
Get ready for another entry in the exciting action-adventure series from Capcom. That's right, Mega Man returns for his fourth entry on the Game Boy portable. Drawing elements from IV and V on NES, Capcom re-introduces robot masters along with their special weapons. Sprites are easily definable on the tiny, green-and-white screen of the aging Game Boy, and they move astoundingly quick. The Blue Bomber can also now spend P-Chips on items at Dr. Right's Lab, from Weapon Chargers to E Tanks! Our PPM Crew found Mega Man IV the best Mega yet on a portable pushed to its limits.
TMNT III
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Release Date: December 1993
Genre: Action-Platformer
Turtle Power is back again on Game Boy in Radical Rescue, an action-adventure title available in stores now. Staring Michelangelo (the turtle, not the artist), the player must navigate the complex Fortress maze and rescue his three friends! Once each turtle is rescued, you may switch out to another based on his abilities and fighting style. Play control is fair but underwhelming for a Konami platformer. Graphics do the small screen justice, however, and the music is rather bouncy! This is a bit of a challenge, and you'll be checking your map often, but turtle fans of all ages will love it.
Kirby's Pinball Land
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Release Date: November 1993
Genre: Pinball
What do you mean PPM is reviewing a Kirby pinball game before the markedly superior Sonic Spinball? Oh, the humanity! Yes, folks, Kirby is back on Game Boy with Kirby's Pinball Land, an adventure-style pinball game developed by HAL Studios. The little pink puffball makes for the perfect roller ball as this title carries over the basics of pinball alongside Dream Land's character sprites. Pinball Land is in our view more of a traditional, screen-by-screen pinball game than Spinball as well. Worth a shot if you're a newbie or a pinball wizard!
Mortal Kombat
Publisher: Acclaim
Developer: Midway
Release Date: September 1993
Genre: Fighter
Squeezing the complex graphics and arcade action of Mortal Kombat onto the tiny, green and white Game Boy screen must not have been an easy task. Acclaim certainly appeared to give it their best shot, and the result is... well, maybe a good enough job considering the limitations. Move varieties for all available characters are present minus Johnny Cage, but the blood is nowhere to be found, the animation is horrendously sluggish, fighter sounds are totally absent, and the controls are limited to the A and B face buttons. It may be a technical marvel, but we think Game Boy owners may emerge disappointed and ask for a return.
Link's Awakening
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Release Date: August 1993
Genre: Action-Adventure
Nintendo delivers an excellent follow-up to A Link to the Past with the newest, monochromatic Zelda on the Game Boy. Our hero awakens on a deserted beach, and the player must guide him through a multitude of dungeons and perilous plateaus to learn the secret of the Wind Fish. Not dissimilar to Mario Land 2, the Big N manages to squeeze a 16-Bit-like cart onto the very tiny Game Boy screen, and yet again, we're amazed. Link's adventure is most enjoyable from start to finish, the new items and collectables keep us on our toes, and the sound design is wonderful for a portable cart. Well done, Nintendo.
Kid Dracula
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Release Date: April 1993
Genre: Action-Platformer
Drac makes his way to the Game Boy courtesy of Konami, appropriately shrunken down for the portable machine. Take control of the King of Darkness in a slew of exciting levels with a range of transformative abilities to take out the baddies. With a variety of level designs, above average play control, and graphics that push the Game Boy's limits, this is an easy pick-up for all you portable fans out there reading this.
Super Mario Land 2
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Release Date: November 1992
Genre: Action-Platformer
Easily the best Game Boy title we here at PyroPlayers have tackled this year. Mario 2 on the Game Boy outshines its older brother in every respect, and actually looks and plays like an NES Mario! The level design is fantastic, power-ups are rewarding, and it's chock-full of secrets. All it needs now is a spot of color to be perfect.
Bionic Commando
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Minakuchi
Release Date: October 1992
Genre: Action-Platformer
Rad Spencer, an agent of the FF Corps, is on a mission to rescue his friend and ally from the evil Doraize Army! This platformer is rather fun considering the limitations of the tiny Game Boy portable screen, and after a while you do forget that you're playing on a handheld. It's another excellent title in a long list from Capcom studios, and perhaps on par with the NES counterpart.
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