Man, the late 90s were a trip, right? I mean, Wayforward—just hearing that name makes me feel like I’m back fiddling with my old handhelds, bumping into gems like River City Girls and Shantae. But here’s the kicker: these guys did a whole bunch of licensed games, kinda like hidden easter eggs in a sea of iconic hits. One of those is Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped! on the Game Boy Color. It’s like a throwback in more ways than one. Play it and you’ll totally see the blueprint that made Shantae what it is today.
Speaking of which, ever watched that animated show? Yeah, this one’s based on it. Sabrina, our teenage witch with more enthusiasm than caution, accidentally turns her buddies into zoo creatures. Yep, chaos ensues, obviously. To get ‘em back to human form, you jump on their heads (because magic, I guess?) and throw a little spell action their way. Wild, eh? As you go along, Sabrina gets new spells, like a double jump and even control of her sarcastic cat, Salem. He’s the sneaky little guy who can get into crawlspaces. Anyway, it gets you thinking, “What’s next?” every level.
Let’s talk about those levels. They’re pretty tight, design-wise. Sometimes you’re floating around with bubbles in vertical stages or swapping to Salem to break through barriers. Not revolutionary, but man, it takes you back to when the Game Boy Color tried to stretch its legs a bit. Big chunky colorful sprites, a simple password system—like, do you remember writing those down? It makes replaying it easy, even if you just have a few minutes.
But, full disclosure, the controls are kinda funky. You’re stuck with the B-button for spells and running, which means you might just get bopped by an enemy instead of casting your spell. Gotta love the quirks of the Game Boy Color, eh? Still, for a game based on an animated spin-off, it plays surprisingly well. Sure, it’s no milestone in gaming, nothing that’ll compete with Shantae’s polish, but without this, you wouldn’t have the other. So, yeah, maybe check it out for a bit of nostalgia. It’s a fun ride—even if just once before the spell fades and you’re back in reality.
