Mini-Review
Ready 2 Rumble
Game Boy Color	From: Midway

Impressive on the Dreamcast and somewhat less so on the N64, Midway's arcade boxing game makes its handheld debut in predictably underwhelming fashion. Stripped of its graphical frills, Ready 2 Rumble is exposed as a very ordinary beat 'em up with little depth to its gameplay. You just stand in front of your opponent and trade blows until someone falls over and that's all there is to it. There's a lot of speech for a Game Boy title (including Michael Buffer's trademarked title phrase) and digitised versions of the original boxer intro FMV screens, but no amount of presentation can compensate for such repetitive action.

FG verdict

38%

Mini-Review
Shadowgate Classic
Game Boy Color	From: Kemco

Shadowgate was a popular point-and-click adventure from the days of the NES, when graphical interfaces were still a novelty and adventure games of any kind on a console were sure to raise a few eyebrows. This handheld version is exactly as we remembered it, right down to the fiddly menu control system and wrong move/instant death situations. While it's an acquired taste for anyone raised on the far superior modern Game Boy adventures such as Final Fantasy and Zelda, there's still some enjoyment to be had from exploring the dark and dangerous halls of Castle Shadowgate. Fun for a while, as long as you're prepared to endure more than a little frustration.

FG verdict

78%

Hydro Thunder / Mortal Kombat Gold