Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Score: 40% ESRB: Publisher: THQ Developer: THQ Media: Cart/1 Players: 1 Genre: Action
Graphics & Sound: Ohhhh... I was surprised to see that Buffy wasn't chasing down THQ's management for making a deal with the devil to bring Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Game Boy Color in such poor form . The first tip-off that this game might be a different shade of Buffy was the cartoon-style graphics and jangly, pachinko-parlor music. I actually think the cartoon cut-scenes between Buffy's vampire hunts are the strongest element of the game, and are most true to the mood of the show. After each level, Buffy and her friends spend some time recapping in the sarcastic, sassy style we've all come to know and love from the T.V. However, when the game starts up again, look out! It's like the developers took one level and just changed the backgrounds and textures to fit the theme. The vampires don't look much better, but they've at least got some unique animations. The sound is ouch-erific on the old ears, but it at least changes with each level.
Gameplay: Buffy the Vampire Slayer for Game Boy Color takes up right where the show left off last season, including the fact that Angel is out in L.A. doing his own show - uh... I mean, saving lost souls - and Ethan, that old villian, is back to haunt Buffy and her friends at college. I imagined a game that would be about killing vampires - I mean, that's what the girl does - but this game is literal to a fault. Each level is set up by a cut-scene, and then Buffy goes out on her own to patrol or explore. The patrols involve side-scrolling with an occasional jump or drop, and vampires rushing out to suck your blood. Buffy can punch or kick the vamps and throw or kick objects at them; when they lose energy, she stakes 'em good and they sashay off to Hell. Sometimes, you'll get a Boss vampire, but the routine of punch-kick-stake works well on them, also. And that sums up the gameplay entirely. There's not a single extra element to the game. No locked doors or found objects. No Platformer elements or puzzles to solve. Not even very challenging battles. I mainly kept playing because I couldn't believe the game would go start-to-finish without something different. I kept thinking I'd get to the beef, but the beef never came.
Difficulty: In another bad move, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is stupid-easy until the last level, where it goes from 'Little Red Riding Hood' difficult to 'Navy Seals' difficult. All of a sudden, the vampires you dispatched easily all through the game are twice as fast and recover more quickly. You find less power-up items and the whole thing starts to drag and seem pointless.
Game Mechanics: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is wired to be most like a Platformer, with different jumping abilities, pickup items and some simple combat moves. Buffy has a punch, kick and throw, but can also sweep-kick, jump-kick and use a super-blow when she finds power-up soda cans. She can roll on the ground and block attacks, but the trusty stake is all it takes to dispatch a dirty blood-sucker for good. Health is indicated by a status bar and another bar that measures recovery time. When Buffy is knocked down, her recovery bar drains and you have to press the (A) and (B) buttons to bring her back on her feet. The vampires are like this too, so you have to use that stake before they recover. Control problems are numerous, but most noticeable is sheer lack of variety. Every vamp can be killed with the same strategy, and even those that jump around or are supposed to be tough go down like a sack of rocks. Without any variety in the landscape or any 'quest' material, Buffy the Vampire Slayer should be all about fighting vampires. The sad thing is how soon the fighting gets old, and then frustrating. Controls are poor because depending on how close Buffy is to a vamp, she goes into this 'auto-defend' that prevents you from acting or moving the other direction. Remember all the crazy jumping and flying around in the old Mortal Combat? Imagine trying to play that game, but without the ability to move your character just because they're too close to the opponent. Bizarre... The power-up system is okay, but you never really need them until the last level, and then they're nowhere to be found. If you've decided to name your child Buffy, have a Buffy toothbrush or lunchbox and wish Buffy would hunt you down and stake you some night when the moon's full, this game might be for you. Only a huge fan could suffer the tedium of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for Game Boy Color in honor of the T.V. show, but I know it's possible. As much as I wanted to like this game, the whole thing feels half-done. With only a little effort, the gameplay and difficulty could have been tweaked to make things fun. As it is, I almost drove the GBC through my heart at one point to end the suffering...
-Fridtjof, GameVortex Communications AKA Matt Paddock
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