Game News 6 games (unfairly) forgotten on Game Boy Advance!
Published on 07/09/2022 at 09:45
The life of a large catalog console can be cruel! Games are sometimes unfairly shelved, whether it’s because of bad release timing or a concept that doesn’t match market expectations at the moment T. Today, we’re going to give back some visibility to the good games of the Gameboy Advance that have fallen into oblivion. So, ready to discover titles?
Kuru Kuru Kururin
We start with a game with a rather singular name, Kuru Kuru Kururin ! Does that mean anything to you? It’s a puzzle game released in 2001 on Gameboy Advance, which was also available when the portable console was launched. Here, the player directs a stick in dozens of levels seen from above, the goal being above all not to not touch the edges of the course, at the risk of losing health. Of course, the levels are filled with obstacles, and you have to pay attention to the speed of rotation so as not to lose the game. It is however possible to turn faster and to accelerate the trajectory of the machine. And despite the simple appearance of the latter, it is a helicopter piloted by Kururin, a small bird who goes in search of his ten missing brothers and sisters. Time is running out, we have to rescue them! Use your reflexes and ingenuity to accomplish your goal.
Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars
We are now interested in the most unknown opus of the Zone of the Enders license. While the series is best known for its PS2 action games, Zone of the Enders The Fist of Mars on Gameboy Advance is a tactical-RPG but still with a more muscular layer (the presence of a reticle to target enemies). The fights take place as follows: on a squared playing field, the players must first approach the opponent, choose an attack and then align it with a viewfinder. This last phase will then have an impact on the damage done to the opponent. Beyond, as is the tradition with the series, there is a really rich story with a lot of heroes and dialogues. Many interesting points.
Ninja Cop
Then, Ninja Cop (or sometimes “Ninja Five-O”), we bet you’ve never heard of it! Quite simply because when it was released, Konami’s title generated very few sales, so much so that it is today one of the rarest games on Gameboy Advance. On eBay, a copy with box, instructions and cartridge can be found around 1.000 euros, just that ! The worst part of all this is that the software was more than solid at the time. We embody Joe Osugi, a ninja responsible for stopping a terrorist group. Ninja Five-O therefore takes the form of a fairly classic 2D action game, but with a requirement reminiscent of Ninja Gaiden and realistic heroes like Mortal Kombat. So it’s a shame that the title sold so little!
Sabre Wulf
When we talk regarding the Rare studio, what do you think of? Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong Country and Sea of Thieves, right? ‘Cause on our side it’s right now Sabre Wulf which comes to mind (no). It’s a sort of spiritual sequel to another game that bears the same name but was released in 1985 on the ZX Spectrum. Twenty years later, the series therefore returns to Gameboy Advance thanks to Rare, which serves here a real summary of what had already made its success : colorful and state-of-the-art graphics – for the medium – a clever mix between platform and puzzle game and a good British humor. Its particularity: the hero, Sabreman, only knows how to jump, and he will have to call on a whole bunch of creatures to make his way through the levels. Our test, with a 15/20, condemns only “the very repetitive side of the action”.
Lady Sia
Now, place to Lady Sia ! No, we are not talking here regarding the singer of “Chandeler”, but regarding an action-platform game released in 2001 on Gameboy Advance. One of the first of its kind to hit the portable console ! The player embodies (as her name suggests) Sia, warrior princess. His mission: to annihilate the T’soas, a race of creatures who have declared war on the other kingdoms. His quest thus leads him to go through various levels. A very important task, but Lady Sia is not always so serious! Witness the light dialogues, the graphics whose artistic direction quickly recalls a comic book style. In short, there is plenty to look at, and the backgrounds often offer detailed decorations. In addition, the gameplay is not left out, with phases that will surprise you. A very beautiful forgotten adventure.
Wade Hixton’s Counter Punch
We end with an offbeat game that will delight the most nostalgic among you: Wade Hixton Counter Punchwhich resumes the gameplay of the cult boxing game Punch Out ! Concretely: you face an enemy in the ring, and you have to adapt to his fighting style, do everything possible to avoid his blows and send mandals. The Wade Hixton version offers quite original enemies, since your opponent will be a gorilla, a mackerel named Sweetness, and even a real party girl. Funny detail: as you climb to become the new champion around the corner, you will earn moves to use in combat. The media FandomSpot even specifies that it is possible to bribe the referee in order to achieve victory. As they say, it’s the result that counts, huh! A little forgotten nugget.
