Soapbox features allow our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random things they’ve been chewing on. TodayOllie sits down with the least loved entry in the current Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy library and finds a strange, twisted version of the game he loves…
Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare because the PlayStation is not a masterpiece.
It is one of those survival horror games that came after a huge success Resident Evil and Silent Hillalthough Alone in the dark the franchise itself was preceded by a number of years. The New Nightmare was the first reboot of the series (with other reboots currently being worked on by Pieces Interactive and THQ Nordic) launched in 2001, seven years after Alone in the dark 3.
Critics at the time were mainly positive in their assessment of the game, many praising its visuals and atmosphere, while also criticizing the script and puzzle elements. With 15 critic reviews available, the PlayStation version is now more than respectable 77 on Metacritic. Overall, the general consensus with players seems to have been, “yeah, great effort, but not as good as RE or Silent Hill.”
But me personally? I absolutely do adored Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare.
I loved the bleak, gothic nature of the game: the dark forest surrounding the vast, eerie mansion on Shadow Island; the way it emphasizes the use of the torch as a navigational tool and weapon against supernatural creatures; superb ‘B movie’ voice work that would make the creators of Resident Evil immensely proud. It was wonderful.
It was not perfect although, in any case, and I suspect that if the game came out today, the sheer number of alternatives available – coupled with the fact that I now have my own disposable income – could mean that it would fail. But as a kid with only a few games to call my own, it kept me engaged from start to finish.
The New Nightmare was launched on multiple consoles in 2001: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Dreamcast, Windows and Game Boy. The first four platforms received more or less the same experience with a few minor graphical differences, but the Game Boy Color version was drastically altered to accommodate the experience for handheld gamers.
I’m also impressed with how well the essence of the game has translated to such different hardware
I knew, of course, that the Pocket Studio Game Boy version of The New Nightmare existed, but I only played it for the first time when it was recently added to the Nintendo Switch Online service.
To be honest, I’m shocked at how different the experience is and how much has been reduced and changed, but at the same time, I’m also impressed at how well the essence of the game has translated to such different hardware. It is, in my opinion, a very bizarre addition to the Nintendo Switch Online service, but I advise you to give it a try. If nothing else, it will satisfy your morbid curiosity.
Looking first at the narrative differences between the Game Boy version and the home consoles, they are actually quite large. In the full version of the game, you have the option to play as one of two protagonists: Edward Carnby, the main character of the entire franchise, and Aline Cedrac, a young university professor who has a vested interest in the overarching mystery. As they approach Shadow Island, their plane is attacked, forcing the two to jump into the air, eventually landing in separate locations on Shadow Island. It’s this approach that allows you to experience the game from completely unique points of view, and for the most part it works pretty well.
However, the GBC version ditches this entirely, focusing the experience solely on Edward Carnby. In fact, any sense of danger in the opening scene is completely neutered. While the plane actually crashed in the home console version, it safely landed on Shadow Island on the Game Boy. Not only that, but Carby instructs Cedrac to wait by the plane like a good little sidekick while he goes on his spooky adventure. The two remain in communication via walkie-talkie, but Cedrac’s involvement in the story is minimal, at best.
Your could claim that narrative changes make for a simpler experience; this is a Game Boy we’re talking about, after all, and you can fit so much into small things. Bigger changes, however, come with the game.
Navigating Shadow Island and its house is actually quite similar to the larger version. You have pre-rendered backgrounds that change between different camera angles, showing just enough of your surroundings while blocking out certain key visual elements. For an 8-bit Game Boy title, the environments look pretty impressive, but areas from the home console version were completely cut out, resulting in dead ends and blocked doors that would otherwise be open, leading to a lot of confusion on my part.
But that’s not all that’s changed. The main differences really come to the fore when you get into combat, and this is handled in a remarkably similar way to Capcom’s GBC survival horror offering, Resident Evil Gaiden.
