Hotel Barcelona is one of those games that everyone really needs to experience for themselves. I'm not suggesting that this is one of those absolute must-have AAA releases; it's no Ocarina of Time or Halo (although mind you, there are perfectly valid reasons for not liking either of those games!) Instead, this is one of those innately polarising games where reviews are all over the place, and so each player needs to make up their own mind about it. This is no surprise, given that the game is the product of a dream collaboration between two of the most controversial game creators today. These equally enigmatic creators each impart their unorthodox game development styles and philosophies upon the game. To step into Hotel Barcelona is to step into a truly one-of-a-kind meeting of the minds.

In an age of big budgets and high production values, the expectations heaped upon video games have never been higher. Everything from a glitch-free experience to the professionalism of the voice acting comes under microscopic scrutiny. Game developers have also become less daring and adventurous (unless your name is Hideo Kojima, that is). There was a time when big game publishers were not afraid to take risks, to sell game design choices that were quirky yet innovative, and they appreciated the value of catering to niche audiences to build a cult following.

This unhindered approach to game development and design really peaked during the sixth console generation, with SEGA's Dreamcast setting the example and Nintendo's GameCube and Sony's PlayStation continuing to be a haven of cool ideas. Not every game needed to score a 90% average on Metacritic to be deemed a success, as it was simply enough to create a compelling title for its intended audience.

Nowadays, you'd be hard-pressed to find such experiences from big publishers, but there's certainly no shortage of these flawed but creative efforts from up-and-coming developers in the indie scene. There's still a void when it comes to new ideas from true industry veterans, but thankfully, there are two names who continue to march to the beat of their own drum: Goichi Suda (a.k.a Suda51) and Hidetaka Suehiro (a.k.a Swery65).

As game directors, both have incredible resumes, but if one title were to define their respective game development philosophies, then for Suda51, it would be No More Heroes, and for Swery65, it would be Deadly Premonition. These signature titles have garnered a loyal fan following over the decades, and the impact these games have had on the gaming zeitgeist can't be understated.

They are unique in their directorial styles and yet so alike. One thing is clear: their games are all about the profound intangibles, as these games often have subtext within the narrative and game design that tap into a gamer's psyche like no other. As experiences, these are games that challenge the very notion of 'play' in video games, and not only that, they challenge the idea of what it means to be a 'gamer'.

They've always gotten along as comrades in the same industry, but fans have often wondered what would happen if they collaborated on a project. In fact, some wondered if such a thing were even possible, simply because Suda51 and Swery65 are just too alike. Could two uniquely creative volcanoes find compromise and balance when bringing highly volatile ideas together as one?

Turns out, it was possible after all, and the end result of bringing two mad geniuses together to create a video game is Hotel Barcelona.

A fundamental commonality between the pair is also evident here: their games are unapologetically 'janky'. This 'jankiness' is evident in the gameplay systems that are often simple and effective, but lack fluidity and polish, especially in combat and shooting. The graphics aren't AAA quality either, instead emphasising artistic expression over texture mapping polish. Not only that, but the performance rarely hit a stable 60 frames per second. Some wonder if these passionate game directors deliberately make 'bad' games, and, well, of course they're not; it's just their intentions and emphasis are different from typical game directors.

This can be contrasted with other media like film and music, but let's go with music to illustrate a point. You can pick up the latest mainstream pop record, and chances are you will be treated to a polished musical experience where the vocals are always on key and the instruments are mixed to sound as clean and pleasant as possible. And yet, there is an audience for the unrefined and unpolished, where instruments are allowed to make raw noise and unconventional singers are allowed to express unhinged ideas; that right there is punk. It's a counterculture for the sake of alternative expression, to challenge conventions and the status quo.

That's what games by Suda51 and Swery65 are: the punk rock equivalent of gaming. And so, Hotel Barcelona is the ultimate punk rock album by two industry legends. It's a dream team to be sure, and the result is a game that will be truly appreciated by its intended audience, perhaps even more so over time.

Hotel Barcelona is a roguelite, and while there are numerous roguelikes and roguelites in the indie scene, they don't compare to the vibe and style that Suda51 and Swery65 have created here. Think of it as a punk rock video game by two industry legends who don't need millions to express their wild creativity.

It's an effective 2.5D action game oozing with style. The core gameplay loop is enough to keep players coming back for more, and each return trip opens up more of the creativity. There are homages to gaming's past here, and plenty of powerful and provoking meta-commentary tucked away in both the game design and narrative flow. It's a violent game, but one for the thinking gamer. In the signature style of these developers, video game violence thrills are presented with a contemplative subtext.

No one writes a protagonist quite like Suda51 and Swery65, and here we have Justine, a complex and reluctant anti-hero who expresses deep monologues as she wrestles with her demonic alter ego. The premise is gruesome and unkind, and yet there is a wicked sense of humour to it all, especially in the playful dialogue flow.

It's all about style, with a range of visual styles delivering a story that only Suda51 and Swery65 could dream up together. Speaking of the former, Suda51 has always been about boss battle presentation, and Hotel Barcelona delivers its cast of eccentrics in a style most game directors could only dream about. Aside from Kojima, nobody writes boss characters quite like Suda51. The first boss theme song samples 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' by Metallica, and the rest of the presentation isn't shy in referencing all kinds of media from heavy metal to horror cinema. The bosses are cool, and their presentation showcases true pop culture passion, but it's just too bad that the core gameplay makes the actual battles feel tedious.

I described the game as effective, and it is, but that's about the most glowing praise the core gameplay earns. Take away the layers of style and personality, and you're left with an action game that features cumbersome combat and dull level design, one where the set pieces and platforming rarely gel well with the clunky mechanics. It's all competent and serviceable enough, but oh so very dull. It also speaks volumes about how attractive the presentation and vibe of Hotel Barcelona can be; it's exciting enough to make the majority of the sluggish gameplay worth enduring.

Maybe persevering through rusty gameplay is the point of it all. Even when parts of the gameplay don't feel great, the sum of the many parts that make up the experience, whether it's the music or character designs, creates a whole that feels special. Put it this way: Black Sabbath didn't have an opera singer on vocals. The point isn't to have a good singer; the point is Ozzy Osbourne was the only voice to bring together the many imperfect yet unique parts of the Black Sabbath sound.

Hotel Barcelona is a flawed and imperfect game; it's not a low-budget indie game created by green developers, nor is it a AAA title backed by reputable industry veterans. Instead, this is a perfect in-between: it has modest production values and yet perfectly expresses lofty and ambitious ideas. It's a bit like when a punk rock band goes from playing small clubs to selling out stadium shows, without losing their artistic edge.

Forget the reviews and forget the accepted norms of AAA gaming; Hotel Barcelona is a title that will be savoured and studied for decades, long after games like Battlefield 6 have shut down their servers.

When I was younger, I was always convinced that the first Tomb Raider game got a sort of remake on the Game Boy Color. It makes a lot of sense in my mind, since the title of the game was Tomb Raider. And in the same time period, Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine also got a port to the Game Boy Color. That game was an interesting remake in 2D. Now, we are not here to discuss an Indiana Jones game, so let us focus on the Tomb Raider games.

I do not always do research before I start playing a game. This game is one perfect example. I just started the game up, expecting the story starting with a rendition of the Ice Caves. But, to my surprise, the game started up different. 

The actual subtitle of the game is The Nightmare Stone. On the box-art, we just got Tomb Raider as a title. On the box-art, we see that Lara is running away from an erupting volcano and behind her, you see several skeleton enemies. The bottom section is reserved for company logo’s like Eidos, Core Dynamics, the licensor Nintendo, and the publisher THQ. We also got the “Only on Game Boy Color” triangle in the left corner.

The game was released in June 2000. On June 7th, North America, Europe got it on June 28th and the UK two days later. Only Australia got the game a little bit later. Their version got released on July 18th. Nowhere on the box-art, the game got the subtitle The Nightmare Stone. The game just released as “Tomb Raider” in North America and released as “Tomb Raider: starring Lara Croft” in all other regions. This is a practice also done with the other Tomb Raider games. It would have been easier if they just added the subtitle, to make conversation easier.

The critics gave Lara Croft is first entry on the Game Boy Color very high praise. Various gaming magazines and websites gave this title 8 or 9 out of ten. The average score of this title is 79% on the aggregator GameRankings. One of the lowest scores I could find was by a German magazine named 64 Power in their June issue, giving it a three out of 5 or 60%.

Since Core Design developed this game, it will not be a surprise that you find a lot of developers on this game also worked on the main Tomb Raider games. This game was developed by people who knew how a Tomb Raider game should play. In this title, Lara is hunting after the Nightmare Stone. This stone is in possession of a treasure hunting group who wants to use it to release the evil god Quaxet, a factious god in the Mayan mythology.

Playing through this game, you really want to play through a Tomb Raider game. Of course, there are some big differences since the game got released on a handheld. The most obvious difference is that the game is in 2D. There were only a handful of 3D Game Boy games, and most of them did not involve jumping. 

Another significant difference with the main line Tomb Raider games is that this game plays a lot slower. The controls are more limited on the Game Boy Color, and more action-packed gameplay could not really be implemented, per se without it becoming really clunky. 

Speaking about the controls, it takes some time to get used to. I mostly played platformers or adventure games on the Game Boy, and I was so used to push the A button to make my character jump. But Lara jumps with the up arrow in this game. Not only that, if you want to climb up ledges, you need to hold B. Which is the button you use to run. If you are moving left or right and press B, Lara starts running. When Lara is running, and you press the jump button, Lara jumps in the direction she is running. This gives you a hint how to jump a gap when standing still. You have to press B first before the jump button to jump over a gap.

This control scheme is quite ambitious since there is no real tutorial in game explaining the controls. You do not have a training or testing level in Lara’s home. The manual explains these things quite well, but if you bought your copy today from a garage sale without the manual, I would advise you to look for it online. The control scheme is something that you will not really expect from a Game Boy game. 

Earlier, I mentioned that this game has a slower pace compared to the main line Tomb Raider games. That was intentional. If you start running everywhere, you will find that this game will be quite harsh and brutal. There are several pits and gaps that either eat a good chunk of your health or kills you right away. Enemies are also hidden everywhere, and their damage can be unforgiving. 

You cannot save where you want in this game, since the save crystals from early Tomb Raider console games return in this game. Learning where the save crystals are important. It is the only way you can save, and it is you respawn spot when Lara losses all her health. The save crystals are not close to each other, either, so I was always happy to find one. 

If you do not really know the controls, it can feel a bit like trial and error. For example, I did not know that when you are running and jump, Lara will land further than from a standing jump. I did not expect this mechanic to be in the Game Boy Color games as well. Other things like dynamite being able to use to explode walls, which is something I’d have loved to get explained to me.

Overall, visually, this game is extremely impressive. Once everything starts clicking together, and you get used to the controls, this game is a hidden gem on the Game Boy Color. When you know what you are doing, this game takes around 4 hours to play through. For a first playthrough, I would say that you can finish this game in roughly 15 hours. 

The game must have been quite successful since a year later we got a new adventure in the same engine and style. Eidos tried to get this game released around the time the first Tomb Raider movie released. Tomb Raider – Curse of the Sword, released in late June in North America and in August in Europe. 

This time, the game was not released by THQ, but by Activision. Most of the team who worked on the first Game Boy game also worked on this title. Because this game got a shorter development time, this game is shorter compared to the first Game Boy Color game. If you know what you are doing, this game can be beaten in two and a half hours. For a first playthrough, I estimate that it will take 8 to 10 hours. 

The sequel got the same reception from critics when it released. This game still shows off impressive visuals for the Game Boy Color. Remember that the Game Boy Color is an 8-bit system, and these two Tomb Raider games had such fluid animations that it looked next-generation. Did you know that there are over two thousand animation frames per game to make the animation work? Lara’s model is also forty-eight pixels, making her one of the most detailed characters on the Game Boy Color. 

Personally, I feel like both games are amazing entries into the Tomb Raider series. While they play quite different from their console and PC counterparts, both are an amazing adventure through various locations. You still must solve various puzzles and platform your way around. In Curse of the Sword, you even have a chase sequence on the rooftops. 

When I look with a critical eye at these two games in 2024, I would say that the lack of a tutorial for the controls really hurts the game. Also, some people might be put off from the difficulty level of this game. These games have some really difficult sections. Use the save crystals well! Otherwise, you might lose a lot of progress. And if I am really nitpicky, I could say that some areas would benefit from a map screen. But the levels are a bit too complex for those and with the small Game Boy Color screen, the map might not be even readable. Thankfully, there are various sources online, like Stella’s Tomb Raider site (tombraiders.net) that have amazingly drawn maps. 

When you read this, you might think that beating these games without a walkthrough is almost impossible. But do not worry. These games are quite linear and straight forward. I rarely got stuck in these games by not knowing what to do next. Most of the time, I did not know I was able to perform a certain action or how to solve a certain puzzle. 

The streak of releasing a new game every year continues in November 2002. The Game Boy Color was on its way out, and the next title was released on the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. For this title, Ubisoft Milan was tasked with creating a new game. That is because the main team was working on the sixth main title, Angel of Darkness. Tomb Raider – The Prophecy was released to mixed reviews. It released in early December in Japan.

This game played quite different compared to the Game Boy Color titles and played more as a top-down isometric puzzle platformer. If I am very honest, this is the gameplay style I expected more of the Tomb Raider series on the Game Boy. It is mainly because I associate Tomb Raider more as a top-down game on handhelds than it being a 2D side view game. The Game Boy Color version of Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine showed me it was possible to have a game like that on Game Boy Color. 

The story of this title is about the Tome of Ezekiel. In this tome, a story is told about three magical stones that bring great power. She faces a big cult by the name of Teg-du-Bhorez. The game takes about 6 hours to complete on a first playthrough. If you really know what you are doing, this game can be beaten in 2 hours and a half. 

Honestly, for a portable Tomb Raider adventure, I really enjoyed this one. It is a rather underrated gem in my opinion and really can be quite exciting to play. Especially since the formula really works this way on the Game Boy Advance. The big issue is that reviewers compared it too much to the mainline series, which is quite unfair to do. What I can agree with, is that this game can feel a bit repetitive at times in terms of puzzles and level mechanics. But it is way less repetitive compared to the Game Boy Color titles, since a lot more puzzle solving like statue placing is used. 

The final Tomb Raider title on the Game Boy line of platforms came in 2006. After the very mixed reception to Angel of Darkness, the IP was given to Crystal Dynamics and Tomb Raider Legend was born. Talking about that, can be an entire article in itself. But, to close off this article, I want to quickly focus on Tomb Raider Legend on the Game Boy Advance. I know there is a port to the Nintendo DS, but I do not have any nostalgic memories for that one. I do have nostalgic memories for the Game Boy Advance port.

Now, let me tell you, the Game Boy Advance port was rough. The game went back to the style in like the Game Boy Color games. Yet, it also tried to do intractable doors. I can totally understand why reviewers back in the day were extremely negative about this game. Especially, since the console and PC versions of this game were such a blast of fresh air in the series. 

Still, why did I beat this title 100% three times? Because, it had a certain charm. You could find various secrets in the game to unlock secrets like concept art or even cheat codes. But you were not able to see if you got all treasures in a level. The jumping and swinging controls were a bit awkward, yet you had very forgiving checkpoints. 

There are a few things that stick with me to this day, the fact that the final boss is rendered a joke in this version. Just mash the attack button and you easily win. No matter the difficulty. Also, the mini-games and exploring Lara’s home were fun distractions as well. Moreover, I want to thank all the pizza boys who delivered me pizza during the writing of this article, like in the credits of this game.

And with that, I want to wrap up this brief nostalgic look into the 4 Tomb Raider titles on the Game Boy Color and Advance. My name is NekoJonez and if you enjoyed my writing and want to read more of my work, you can find me over at: https://arpegi.wordpress.com. I want to thank you all for reading my article, and I hope you enjoy the work of the other writers in this magazine. But for now, I am out! I hope to welcome you in another article but until then, have a great rest of your day and take care!

Editorial note: This article has been written for a gaming magazine. Did you find this article interesting? Then you should read the other articles right here. Thank you so much Dominus for letting me publish an article. There are various articles about Ultimate Underworld Retrospective – Sin God – The Making of the Wipeout logo design – …