The Gameboy Advance (GBA)
seems to be the perfect system for Super Nintendo ports. Lots of old classics
are making their return on the GBA, and Blackthorne is one of them. Brought to
us by Blizzard, Blackthorne is about a man fighting against the evil Sarlac.
After his village is attacked, he went into hiding for twenty years. Now he has
returned to Tuul to fight back. Blackthorne is an action platformer that
requires players to use a variety of techniques to navigate each maze-like
level.
The game offers a
practice mode where you can learn all about the abilities Blackthorne has. Each
person you talk to tells you how to do all your moves. The moves are very
simple, consisting of jumping, running, climbing, holstering/drawing your gun,
etc. There isn’t much of a learning curve in Blackthorne; the gameplay is pretty
straightforward from the get go.
Each level is almost like
a maze, since the most obvious path will usually have an obstacle that you need
to figure out how to pass. Levels are scattered with allies that help you if you
talk to them. A lot of the puzzles are solved for you if you keep these
bystanders alive.
Each level also has its
fair share of enemies. Combat in Blackthorne is pretty slow, but also realistic.
When you encounter an enemy, he will press his back against the wall (simulating
that he’s hiding behind an object). To do the same, you just press up on the
d-pad. He’ll pop out to fire at you, and you need to time his shots just right
so you can pop out without getting shot and shoot him before he hides again.
Enemies later on take multiple shots, and that’s where the combat can get pretty
boring.
Along with his gun,
Blackthorne can use items he finds. Most enemies will drop a bag when defeated,
and the bag will usually contain a bomb or health vial. These items are used
easily with the L button. After each checkpoint, though, your items reset – so
use them while you’ve got them.
You can’t save whenever
you want in Blackthorne. While this would have been nice, it would also make the
game very easy. Blackthorne automatically saves at checkpoints throughout
levels. This can be a bit of a pain if you have to stop playing but haven’t
reached a checkpoint yet.
Blackthorne is made up of
four levels, but the levels are pretty large. The length of the game is just
right for an adventure game; not too long and not too short.
Although Blackthorne
isn’t a very deep game, it is a lot of fun. It definitely feels like a classic
game and will satisfy old school fans. Even gamers not familiar with Blackthorne
should give a shot, although it won’t appeal to everyone. The integration of the
puzzle solving is great – the puzzles actually make sense and seem like they
belong. Plus they’re not too mind bending, so they won’t frustrate. Blackthorne
is a great adventure game for anyone looking for something to casually play on
their GBA.
Gameplay: 7.5
The gameplay,
although slow, is pretty fun. Blackthorne is a mixture of action and puzzle
solving. The game itself is simple, making the controls simple as well. There’s
also a practice mode that teaches you all of Blackthorne’s moves in case you get
stuck.
Graphics: 6.5
The graphics
aren’t the best you’ll see on the GBA, but they’re crisp and clean. Character
animations are well done, and the whole look of the game really capture’s the
dark setting.
Sound: 4
The music in the
game is fairly repetitive. It is the kind of music you’d expect to hear in the
specific setting of the game, but it just doesn’t sound right. Gun and bomb
noises are what you’d expect out of an old Super Nintendo game.
Difficulty: Medium
Later on in the
game enemies become pretty tricky, and dodging their shots isn’t as easy as it
is in the first level. Also, some of the puzzles and mazes can get pretty
difficult.
Concept: 6
Porting old Super
Nintendo games to the GBA has been a popular thing since it first came out.
Blackthorne was a little lesser known than some of the remakes such as Shinobi,
Contra, or Mario Kart, but if it wasn’t for the remake a lot of people wouldn’t
know how entertaining Blackthorne can be.
Overall: 7.2
Blackthorne is a
cool game. The hero is confident and tough, something that’s always nice to see
in a hero. The ambience of the game just sets the mood perfectly with its
darkness and oppression. Even though the combat is fairly slow, it feels more
realistic than a lot of run-and-gun games, and the puzzles are smart and don’t
feel out of place. The only problem I see is that maybe the action is too slow
and most people may be tired of it before the game is over.
