Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider for Game Boy Color from 2000 proves that even an iconic 3D action-adventure can be transformed into a two-dimensional form without completely losing its atmosphere. Developer Rage Software took the first installment of the famous series by Core Design as its basis and reworked its key locations – Peruvian caves, Egyptian tombs, and the lost Atlantis – into a side-scrolling platform adventure. Players on the handheld's small display thus relive Lara Croft's journey for mysterious artifacts, albeit on a much more modest scale than on PlayStation.

The gameplay relies on a combination of jumping, climbing, and solving simple puzzles, complemented by shootouts with wild animals and rival treasure hunters. Lara has only a limited set of moves compared to the three-dimensional original, but the game focuses all the more on precise jump timing over chasms and navigation through intricate corridors. The graphics make full use of the Game Boy Color's color capabilities, trying to evoke ancient complexes through detailed backgrounds and atmospheric music reminiscent of the main series' orchestral themes.

For Game Boy Color owners in 2000, this was one of the few attempts to bring a major console name to a handheld device without losing its genre identity. Today the title is interesting mainly as a curiosity for series fans who want to see how Lara Croft's adventure fit onto a modest handheld cartridge.

Why play it: For the nostalgic joy of seeing how an iconic action-adventure fit into the pocket-sized format of the Game Boy Color.