Retro Reflections: Looking Back On Blade (Game Boy Color)

No matter how well this Marvel Cinematic Universe thing does, or whatever changes come, Wesley Snipes will always be Blade to me. I’m a huge fan, but somehow missed the tie-in games, so I’m correcting that mistake now and basking in the man’s digitized glory. There were actually two games released based off of the first film which were both quite different at the core, instead of the handheld iteration just being a watered down version as was typically the case back then.

The one for the PlayStation didn’t catch my attention as much, but this Game Boy Color (GBC) title was developed by HAL Laboratory and Avit Inc. That alone piqued my curiosity, as HAL Laboratory is a name many hold in high regard, having created titles like Smash Bros. and Earthbound, while the footage I had seen showed off a variety of gameplay and a wonderful visual presentation for that device. Simply put, it was time to go kill some vampires.

“They are big, crazy, armed bloodsuckers. So watch out.” -Whistler

Released in 2000, two years after the movie, this beat-em-up was a welcomed addition to the GBC’s library and makes for some fun in a genre that hadn’t flourished in that market, even though it seems like a perfect fit. It was almost unique to the console at the time and the review scores reflected a game that was deserving of more attention, beating out its PlayStation sibling.

Starting off there is a neat text scroll in blood red font that catches anyone up who may not know what Blade does, as well as this wonderful hollow music that tries so hard, burdened by being on a handheld, but it fits. From there, it is right into the action, and that may also be the first issue.

This game needed some type of tutorial, or at least a command list of some kind. I should be happy that there aren’t text boxes popping up every twenty seconds and stopping the gameplay to explain everything, but leaving me high and dry wasn’t a great option either. The controls are intuitive enough, not having many buttons to worry about, but it still throws a lot at the player.

Basic attacks are easy to pick up and the hero has a lot of moves. Pressing up and down will change the type of attack, whilst blocking is important for the counters it provides. There are special items to use, and even a dash. I learned a few things along the way, but apparently still missed one of the sword techniques.

There are different gameplay types, such as kung-fu beat-em-up sections, shooting galleries, and fights using the sword that are reserved for bosses. The fist fighting is the meat of the gameplay. They’re the most fun parts and probably should have replaced the swordplay in the boss encounters, as I found them to be the weak point of the game. The shooting sections might throw some people off, but I enjoyed them, reminding me of Punisher on the NES with surprisingly fun controls, even if they feel clunky at first.

Combat can be a bit challenging, especially for anyone who can’t get a hang of the countering, but the boss fights are what will hold most up. The game is short, like many handheld games, but this difficulty will make it feel more substantial, and Blade’s serum which suppresses his bloodlust acts as a time limit for some extra tension.

The player is given a choice of three stages at the start, and it is possible to skip around, but that makes the game more difficult. There are some power-ups as well, but those only come after beating the stages. Fear not though, there is a password save system to help keep that progress.

For a game on the GBC, I loved the presentation. Good backgrounds and overall use of color, with a faded pallet, implying the darkness of night and undead theme. It isn’t a gore fest, but that is all implied with simple aesthetic choices, making an enemy’s demise seem vicious. The sprites look thick and fit the environments, and I loved the appearance of the bosses at first, until I realized it’s a reused likeness.

Movements are smooth though for the handheld console and there were some surprise animations, certainly more than I expected. The game attempts to make use of some of the movie’s aesthetic with things people recognize, such as some of Blade’s iconic weapons and even how certain enemies ash, to great effect. It’s a unique world of darkness that didn’t feel cheap.

“Quit brown nosing, Whistler.”

The storyline is simple and minimized for the format, but Blade has some great lines that fit the character. It even has a brief after credits scene, which feels odd for a GBC title, but I get why it is there—mimicking the movie. There is a part where Blade runs into a normal human and the player has to decide whether to trust him or not. It’s a small bit, almost thrown away, but little things like that endeared me to this game and made me want to finish the journey. Once I get a little bit better at the bosses, I could see this becoming a game I revisit more.