Amazing Penguin

Amazing Penguin is a puzzle game from Kemco that was among the early titles available for the Game Boy after its launch. The player controls a penguin moving around a square playing field, and the goal is to close off sections of the field into smaller rectangles by moving through them, gradually filling the percentage of territory required to advance to the next level. At the same time, the player must avoid enemy characters roaming the field, who can cost the penguin a life if they touch an unfinished line - a principle related to the enclosure-style arcade puzzles that became widespread later. The risk grows the more the player tries to enclose a large contiguous area at once, since a longer unfinished line means longer exposure to danger from the pursuing enemies.

On the Game Boy, Amazing Penguin remains clear even on the small monochrome display thanks to its simple, distinct visual style - the playing field, the penguin, and the enemies are all easily distinguishable at a glance. The controls are based on four directions of movement and are easy to learn, making the game accessible even to younger or casual players. The music and sound effects are restrained, as was typical for early Game Boy games, but they serve their purpose in signaling level completion or the loss of a life.

Amazing Penguin was among the titles that helped define the Game Boy's early puzzle lineup at a time when the console was still building its library. Today it is no longer a widely known name, but as an example of the early enclosure-puzzle concept on a handheld console it remains an interesting showcase for anyone interested in the genre's history, of how a simple mechanic managed to entertain players in the early nineties. It also illustrates how quickly publishers responded to the launch of a new console by trying to offer as varied a range of genres as possible right from its first months on sale.