Tarzan (GBC)

When Disney released the animated Tarzan at the end of the nineties, a video game adaptation was inevitable – and on the Game Boy Color it was handled by Digital Eclipse, a studio known for its feel for craftsmanlike handheld games. The result is a colourful platformer that tries to capture the free, dynamic movement of the jungle hero.

The player leads Tarzan through dense jungle, swinging on vines, sliding along branches and trees and gliding through levels at a pace meant to evoke the film's action. Besides classic jumping and battling enemies, the game bets on that sense of fluid movement through the treetops – the swinging and sliding are its signature. The visuals make good use of the GBC's colour capabilities to render a richly green jungle environment and the well-known characters from the film.

As a licensed title aimed mainly at a younger audience, Tarzan offers no deep challenge, but it is conscientiously made, accessible fun. For retro gamers and collectors of Disney titles it makes for a pleasant piece in the collection – a solid handheld platformer that respectably carries the atmosphere of the animated original onto the small screen.