Warlocked (2000)

This was a nostalgic game for me. I remember reading all the old game magazines touting the release of the newer, better, more powerful Gameboy Color. And this game was the perfect example of all of that. It was a fully-featured RTS on a GameBoy! Complete with collectible wizards, a mechanic that feels strange now but that was obviously meant to capitalize on some of that Pokemon hype.

In reality though this is an RTS that was stripped down to the barest of bones. Pathfinding is barely functional, probably due to the low computing power of the handheld. You can only gather two kinds of resources and build three kinds of units. And the AI is almost completely brain dead. Because things are so simple strategy and tactics are basically pointless. Just build units ten at a time and you can steamroll through most everything.

Modern gamers should probably give this one a pass. The frustrations of poor pathfinding and weak AI can make it a slog. And despite the wizard collecting mechanic this game lacks charm. But if you are interested in the Gameboy Color as a platform this title and what it represents could give you a taste of the history and hype of the system. It certainly brings back memories for me.

Warlocked really had it work cut out for itself and somehow they manage to make a compelling and simple RTS for Game Boy! The small variety of units is complemented by a wide array of Wizards that player can use to really turn the tide of battle. The controllers weren't optimal and the Soldier Ai wasn't good, especially when it came to defend their perimeter or get from point A to point B. But even with its fault, it's still a fun game to pick up and play, especially with friends.

The coolest aspect of the game is by far the collectible wizards that you can find, and how they each interact with the world and units.