Soapbox features allow our writers and individual contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they’ve mulled over. TodayOllie sat down with the least favorite entry in Current Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy library and found a weird, distorted version of his favorite game…
Alone in the Dark: New Nightmare for PlayStation is not a masterpiece.
This is one of the survival horror games that came out after the huge success of Evil inhabitant And Silent Hillthrough Lonely in the dark the franchise itself has been ahead of both by a number of years. New Nightmare was the first reboot of the series (with a second reboot currently in the works at Pieces Interactive and THQ Nordic) that debuted in 2001, seven years later. Alone in the dark 3.
The critics at the time were most of They were positive in their reviews of the game, with many praising the game’s visuals and atmosphere, and criticizing the script and puzzle elements. With 15 critical reviews available, the PlayStation version is now at a respectably higher level 77 on Metacritic. In general, the general consensus with players seems to be, “yes, great effort, but not as good as RE or Silent Hill.”
Personally, though? I’m sure admire Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare.
I love the gritty gothic nature of the game: the dark forest surrounding a vast, creepy manor on Shadow Island; the way it emphasizes the use of the torch as both a navigational tool and a weapon against supernatural beings; the ultimate ‘B-movie’ dub will make the creators of Resident Evil extremely proud. Great.
it is not perfect by all means though, and I imagine that if the game launches today, there are plenty of alternatives available – along with me now having my own disposable income – that might be worth the money. That means it will fail. But as a kid with only a handful of mini-games to call his own, it kept me hooked from start to finish.
The New Nightmare debuted on multiple consoles in 2001: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Dreamcast, Windows, and Game Boy. The first four platforms get more or less the same experience bar with some slight graphical differences, but Game Boy Color Version has been significantly changed to match the experience for handheld gamers.
I was also impressed how the essence of the game was translated to a different hardware
Of course, I knew that a Pocket Studio version of The New Nightmare existed on the Game Boy, but it wasn’t until it was recently added to the Nintendo Switch Online service that I actually played it for the first time.
Honestly, I’m shocked at how different the experience is and how much has been cut and changed, but at the same time, I’m also impressed at how quintessentially the game is ported to a different piece of hardware. so. This is a very odd addition to the Nintendo Switch Online service in my opinion, but I recommend you give it a try. If nothing else, it will satisfy your sick curiosity.
Let’s first consider the narrative differences between the Game Boy version and the home console, these are actually pretty obvious. In the full version of the game, you have the option to play as one of two main characters: Edward Carnby, the protagonist of the entire franchise, and Aline Cedrac, a young University professor who has a relationship particular interest in the overarching mystery. As they approach Shadow Island, their plane is attacked, forcing the two to jump out of the air, eventually landing at separate points on Shadow Island. This approach allows you to experience the game from completely unique perspectives, and it works pretty well for the most part.
However, the GBC version has completely removed this, focusing the experience on Edward Carnby alone. In fact, any sense of danger in the opening cutscene is completely nullified. While the plane effectively crashed in the home console version, it landed safely on Shadow Island on the Game Boy. Not only that, but Carby instructs Cedrac to wait by the plane as a kind little companion while he begins his spooky adventure. The two still communicate via radio, but Cedrac’s involvement in the story is minimal.
Friend maybe argues that narrative changes make for a more streamlined experience; This is the Game Boy we’re talking about, after all, and there’s only so much you can fit into a little thing. However, bigger changes come with the gameplay.
Navigating Shadow Island and its manor is actually quite similar to the larger version. You’ve got pre-rendered backgrounds that crop between different camera angles, showing just enough of your surroundings while masking certain key images. As for the 8-bit Game Boy title, the environment looks pretty impressive, but areas from the home console version have been completely cut off, resulting in dead ends and blocked doorways that would otherwise open, lead to a lot of confusion on my part.
But that’s not all that has been changed. The main difference really comes in when you get into combat, and this is handled in a pretty similar way to Capcom’s GBC survival horror production, Resident Evil Gaiden.
