G-pinions

So did anyone figure out what game I bought? Come on, it’s not that hard. It just came out in early June… I’m obsessed with Rare… Heck, I even linked to a picture of the old Spectrum Sinclair, and I know anyone who reads this site is familiar with that old system. Still don’t know? Well, I’m very disappointed in you. Of course I bought Sabre Wulf for the GBA. And I’ve been enjoying every delicious minute with it.

Considering it’s “only” a Gameboy title, Sabre Wulf has been in development forever. I guess that should come as no surprise since Rare was making it and all. Thankfully, this game is more in line with what we have been expecting from Rare during the Nintendo era. SW game breaks away from the overly ambitious Banjo-Kazooie GBA, the fun though repetitive Grabbed by the Ghoulies, and the just too damn long for its own good Star Fox Adventures by creating a game that is finally worthy of the Rare name. Sabre Wulf will remind fans of Rare why they loved them in the first place, and will be thoroughly enjoyed by platform fans of all kinds.

So what is Sabre Wulf? It’s the fourth game in a twenty year old series staring Sabreman – a foppish English adventurer - in a quest to seal the kleptomanical Sabre Wulf in a magic something or other that will keep him from terrorizing towns. The story is kind of ridiculous, the wolf steals anything he can get his hands on including women’s underwear and the major, but that is to be expected from Rare products, no?

For most of the game, Sabre Wulf is a relatively traditional 2D platformer. Harkening back to the days when controllers contained only two buttons, Sabreman does not have a huge arsenal of moves at his disposal. In fact, the only move he can perform is jumping. But, he does have a bag full of animals to help him. It’s not really explained how this works, but somehow Sabreman has 15 animals with different abilities at his disposal There’s Boomer – a crazy badger who blows up anything nearby. Tiny Phoenix – who makes Sabreman invincible. And Golem – an immobile behemouth who crushes enemies and acts as a platform. The other 12 animals all bring something to the table (unlike GP) and help you on your quest.

The only flaw with the game is the animal inventory system. As the game does not pause when you bring up the animal menu, you can find yourself in some tricky situations, frantically scrolling to the correct creature before you meet your demise. I wish Rare would have allowed you to quick map animals to the L and R buttons, but, alas, they do not.

There is some light puzzle-solving along the way, mostly figuring out what animal to use in what situation, but for the most part you will be trying to pass obstacles rather than trying to figure out how to pass them. The levels themselves are set up in a way very similar to the Donkey Kong Country series. You are able to simply walk from the beginning to the end, which is good enough to pass levels and eventually win the game. But, like DKC, you can also explore if you want to. Levels branch up and down, allowing you to search for new animals and treasures if you wish. This added option is the perfect mix for people who do not like exploration in their platformers.

My favorite part comes after you reach the end. Every level concludes with you sneaking up to Sabre Wulf’s cave and snatching whatever treasure he has stolen away from him. This pisses off the mythical beast. He lets out an enemy killing howl and then the chase is on. The game shifts from a traditional platformer to an anything goes chase back to the start of the level. With Sabre Wulf nipping at your heels, you need to make sure you don’t get caught while still navigating the jumps of the level. Oh, and those enemies he killed with his howl magically change into bouncing treasure. So, while you run away from the crazed canine, you will also be trying to pocket as much cash as possible.

This part of the game is very reminiscent of the kitchen scene from Jurassic Park. You remember that scene – the stupid girl and the stupid boy are in the kitchen together while the world’s greatest predator is trying to find them. Somehow, they inadvertently fool the raptors with a reflection on a nearby cabinet. As if a raptor could be tricked so easily. Anyway, there was that one part where they are running towards the freezer with a raptor right on their tale. When they enter the walk in freezer, the ground is covered with ice for some reason. Both girl and dinosaur fall to the ground – a mere inches from each other. The girl somehow gets up first and locks Mr. Raptor in the freezer.

In Sabre Wulf, a similar thing happens. The wolf is much faster than you are, so you will have to do some fancy maneuvering to avoid him. With all that speed, the thief has trouble keeping his feet when you make him change direction quickly. So, if you’re about to be caught, you can change direction and watch him skid helplessly by. It’s pure entertainment.

Because of this speed element, the game offers tons of replay value. Like Blast Corps, you are awarded a bronze, silver or gold depending on how quickly you return with the treasure. If you earn a gold, you open up a challenge mode for that level. In this mode, you attempt to pass the first part of the level as quickly as possible using only a select number of animals. So, essentially, there are two speed goals for each level. As the levels are all designed really well, it’s a blast to play through them again in order to earn gold.

The game also has some RPG elements. Not much, obviously, but there are some. When you’re not confronting Sabre Wulf, you are in a town with a top down view. Here, you can buy armor and more animals with your loot, or talk to the folks in town. This part is actually quite fun as Sabreman is hilarious. He always questions why these towns are making an old man fight the good fight for them, and is reluctant to continue on the quest without the promise of money.

This is just one of those games that really make me thankful Rare is still around. They took a normal 2D platform game, injected their sense of humor, added a great chase element, and made another great game. This is my favorite Rare game since Conker’s Bad Fur Day on the N64, and, along with Mario Kart and Mario and Luigi, one of the 3 best games on the GBA. And since the game is only $20, no one but Nick has an excuse for not buying this game.