Summary
The last of Nintendo’s Game Boy consoles, theGame Boy Advance, is getting a new game this year, over two decades since the handheld’s original launch in 2001. Although handheld gaming technology has moved on significantly over the years with the likes of the Nintendo DS, PSP and PS Vita, Nintendo Switch, and PC handhelds such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally, the Game Boy Advance is still well respected with an impressive library of 32-bit titles, many of which still hold up in their own right.
StudioBitmap Bureauhas announced plans toport its 2019 arena shooterXeno Crisisto the Game Boy Advance later this year. TheSmash TV-esque title is an indie top-down arena shooter in which players assume control of a veteran marine who is deployed to Outpost 88, a scientific research facility that has been overrun by aliens. Bitmap Bureau’s game serves as a throwback to classic 1990s arcade games and feels like a product of that time with its 16-bit artstyle and arcade-esque gameplay, making it a perfect fit for the Game Boy Advance’s roster of games.
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Xeno Crisis Has Already Been Released On Other Retro Systems
The 2019 Title Isn’t Just On Modern Platforms
Xeno Crisishas already been released on a variety of platforms since its initial 2019 launch, including Nintendo’s latest console, the Nintendo Switch. However, when Bitmap Bureau originally announcedXeno Crisisfor itsKickstarterback in 2017, it was initially intended for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, with further ports announced upon reaching stretch goals. Since its launch, Studio Bitmap Bureau has ported the title to even more platforms, both retro and modern, seemingly attempting to get it to run natively on as many consoles as possible.
Currently,Xeno Crisishas appeared on the following platforms:
The GameCube port requires a modded system to boot the disc. Bitmap will supply a ‘DOL’ game file for those who wish to run it from something like the GC Loader.
A port for the original PlayStation had already been mentioned around the time the Game Boy Advance port was first confirmed to be in the works, adding yet another retro platform to the list. Many of these releases have also come with classic retro packaging for each console, with the largecartridge boxesof the SNES, N64, and Mega Drive era being recreated. The new Game Boy Advance release is no different, witha physical edition available for pre-order onBitmap Bureau’s official sitesporting a similar look to the classic packaging for the handheld’s games.
The listing for Xeno Crisis’s Game Boy Advance version states that it is an unofficial and unlicensed release for the handheld and is not affiliated with Nintendo or its affiliates, which is likely why it has Bitmap Bureau in a similar font to the Game Boy Advance logo but doesn’t use the name of the console on the packaging.
Bitmap Bureau’s aim to bringXeno Crisisto as many consoles as possible is certainly a fun one, and it will be interesting to see where the shooter ends up next. While the title is easily accessible on modern digital storefronts, playing it on a retro console like theGame Boy Advancecertainly brings a sense of nostalgia to past gaming eras, especially with how well the studio captured that time through its game.
