The Game Boy version of Casper is a top-down action-adventure game where you play as the friendly ghost himself. Loosely based on the 1995 film, the story involves Casper trying to help the living inhabitants of Whipstaff Manor, particularly the young Kat, while dealing with his mischievous uncles, the Ghostly Trio. Gameplay consists of exploring the mansion, collecting items, solving simple puzzles, and using Casper’s ability to morph into different forms to overcome obstacles and avoid or interact with the environment. 1 Reception for the Game Boy version was generally mixed to negative. While some appreciated the attempt to bring the movie’s atmosphere to the handheld, many criticized the simplistic gameplay, repetitive tasks, and lack of engaging challenges. It was often considered a watered-down version of the console releases, failing to capture the charm and depth of the source material.
Boxed, With Insert
2195
£15.99
Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty’s Revenge – Nintendo Game Boy Advance (2003)
Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty’s Revenge on the Game Boy Advance is a platforming adventure that serves as a direct sequel in the timeline, set between the first Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie. The story begins two months after Gruntilda’s defeat, where her loyal minion Klungo builds her a robotic body to house her spirit. Seeking revenge, Mecha-Grunty travels back in time to prevent Banjo and Kazooie from ever meeting. 2 Mumbo Jumbo intervenes, sending Banjo back to stop her. 2 Gameplay retains the series’ focus on collecting items like Jiggies and musical notes across various themed worlds. 3 Banjo starts without Kazooie and many of his abilities, gradually reuniting with his feathery friend and relearning moves. Mumbo Jumbo also returns, offering transformations into creatures like a mouse or a tank to access new areas. 2 Reception for Grunty’s Revenge was mixed. While praised for its faithful recreation of the Banjo-Kazooie feel on a handheld, including its visual style and gameplay, it was criticized for its short length, low difficulty, and a somewhat weak story that didn’t fully utilize the time travel premise. Some considered it a commendable effort for the GBA, while others felt it didn’t quite live up to its Nintendo 64 predecessors.
Boxed, With Insert
2196
£11.99
Doom – Nintendo Game Boy Advance (2001)
Doom on the Game Boy Advance is a commendable handheld adaptation of the classic first-person shooter. Despite the GBA’s limitations, the game manages to capture the core essence of Doom, casting players as a lone space marine battling hordes of demonic creatures on Mars’ moons. The story is minimal, focusing on the aftermath of a teleportation experiment gone horribly wrong, opening a gateway to Hell. Gameplay revolves around navigating maze-like levels, blasting through enemies with a variety of iconic weapons, and finding keycards to progress. While some level designs were simplified and the visuals were understandably less detailed than the PC original, the GBA version was generally well-received for successfully bringing a demanding title to a handheld, offering fast-paced action and retaining the intense atmosphere. It was praised for its smooth frame rate and faithful recreation of the Doom experience on the go, even including multiplayer options via link cable.
Complete
2197
£32.00
Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure – Nintendo Game Boy Advance (2001)
Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure on the Game Boy Advance is a side-scrolling action-platformer where you play as Pitfall Harry Jr., who must venture through the Mayan jungles to rescue his father from the evil warrior spirit Zakelua. Gameplay involves running, jumping, swinging on vines, and using weapons like a whip, sling stones, and boomerangs to navigate treacherous environments filled with enemies and traps. The GBA version is based on the SNES release, featuring detailed 2D graphics and smooth animation, though some darker environments suffer on the non-backlit screen. Reception for the GBA port was mixed. While some praised its challenging gameplay and faithful recreation of the 16-bit version, others criticized the poor sound quality, difficult boss battles, and the lack of the original Pitfall game as a bonus. Some reviewers also noted that the dark visuals could make it hard to distinguish enemies and hazards on the GBA screen.
Complete
2198
£7.99
Spyro: Season Of Ice – Nintendo Game Boy Advance (2001)
Spyro: Season of Ice for the Game Boy Advance marks Spyro’s first handheld adventure. The story begins with Spyro, Hunter, and Bianca on vacation when they receive a distress message from Zoe. A clumsy Rhynoc librarian named Grendor, after accidentally misreading a spell from Bianca’s misplaced spellbook, transforms into a two-headed Rhynoc with a persistent headache. To cure himself, he’s freezing fairies in ice and plans to use their wings. Spyro journeys through four seasonal Fairy Realms to rescue the captured fairies and stop Grendor. Gameplay retains Spyro’s core abilities like gliding, charging, and flame breath, but shifts to an isometric perspective. Players navigate levels, collect gems, free fairies, and engage in mini-games and Sparx-focused stages. Reception for Season of Ice was mixed. While praised for its attempt to translate the Spyro experience to a handheld and for its visuals and music, it was criticized for its zoomed-in camera, which hindered platforming precision, and for depth perception issues due to the isometric view. Some reviewers found the level design confusing and the difficulty uneven. Despite its flaws, it was a commercial success.
