Blackthorne (Game Boy Advance) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

Blackthorne is the last of a trilogy of Blizzard Classic titles that the veteran company has unleashed on the gameboy scene over the past few months. The idea's simple really: take SNES classics from your back catalogue and lovingly convert them to the GBA. The other two titles were rather pleasing conversions of The Lost Vikings and Rock 'n' Roll racing both of which scored high marks with reviewers and gamers alike so there's no reason to believe that this third and final title won?t be just as good. But is it?

Gameplay

Blackthorne is your classic ?jumping platforms, collecting items and staying alive? type of affair so fans of the platformer will feel instantly at home. There is a story, and a rather extensive one at that, but for now let's just say you have to escape from a facility and rescue hostages over a number of different stages. For most of the game this is achieved by simply chatting to people so as to gain hints about what to do next. Most of the game?s inhabitants are amiable enough although it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between friend and foe. That is until they start shooting at you when it is worth remembering one incredibly useful move, the ability to hide in the shadows. Considering this is a 2D game this is remarkably effective.

One thing that Blackthorne did bring to a rather well worn table was the use of intelligent weapons, which required a little more thought than simply mowing enemies down with a shotgun. These enemies include some rather robust guards, who require a significantly more powerful explosive charge and aid of the incredibly adaptable 'wasp'. This is a remote control device that you'll pick up on your travels which can not only be detonated at will but also flown to the exact location you wish to place it in and which is ideal for squeezing though impossibly small gaps. There's also the rather remarkable elevator, which allows you to reach some of the more difficult platforms. Finally, and as with the other two Blizzard Classics, everything is saved to the cart with a choice of some six slots and while they can't be given a name of any type they?re still an improvement on the original?s password system.

Controls

The control is simplicity itself and is adapted to the GBA's more simplistic layout. It includes the usual jumping and attacking as you'd expect, with the shoulder buttons taking charge of the various bonus items you'll collect along your quest. There's also a whole tutorial section (or 'Practice' as its called here) which you can delve into before you even step foot into the game and start to wither away your valuable health bar. Mass Media must be applauded because although this seems like the best way for developers to give gamers the most benefit from their products there simply aren't enough of them doing it.

Graphics

Blackthorne is a product of the computer gaming age when almost everything starts out with a black canvas and is built up from there. This means there are many dark environments although the fact that the majority of the game takes place in caves and at night is no doubt a happy coincidence. The actual environments themselves are not as detailed as we expect from more modern titles but they still manage to illustrate a variety of locations though there is a slight problem with the colours employed as some backgrounds are a little too dazzling with their use of vibrant oranges and reds. Animation wise the whole thing is very smooth, regardless of how much is happening on the screen at any given moment and your main character can pull off enough moves to rival some more modern leading men.

Sound

Actually very sparse indeed which is a little surprising given the attention that the audio received during the last two Blizzard Classic GBA titles. On the plus side the soundtrack does a fine job of immersing the gamer in the game?s atmosphere and the odd sound effect and voice sample help to punctuate the on-screen action. It's all there but a lot more subdued than you'd expect.

Final comments

Blackthorne represents a slice of SNES gaming from days gone by and a tasty slice at that. Everything's here for fans of the genre and you could argue that games like this, Flashback and Prince of Persia is where the likes of Tomb Raider received its initial inspiration. There?s very little in the way of replay value as once you've completed the quest there are no extra bonus items to uncover or multiplayer action to indulge in but this is a minor quibble. To sum up Blackthorne is a great, well-rounded and ultimately very satisfying Action Adventure.

Pro: Great Puzzles.
Con: A Little Too Short.
Final score: 8.1

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