New games for the beloved Gameboy systems of old are becoming more and more frequent. This is in part thanks to the great development tools like GB Studio and Game Maker. Furthermore there are more ways to play than ever with great modern hardware like the Analogue Pocket. Bottle Boy is a new game for Gameboy Colour due for release some time in 2024. It’s an RPG that started as a concept during the peak of the Covid pandemic.
Bottle Boy – New Gameboy Colour RPG
I tried out the demo on the Analogue Pocket and chatted to its developer Greg Leblanc about the origins of the idea and his hopes for the full release.
Bottle Boy Demo
The demo opens with a great sequence that sets the scene for the story and introduces the main character Alex. The sci-fi fanatic schoolboy’s world is turned upside down when an alien space ship crash lands as he is throwing a frisbee for his loyal dog Sam in the back yard. In the commotion of the interstellar crash, Sam runs off to investigate and so begins the quest for Alex to track down his canine pal.
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Heading back through the house there is an emergency news bulletin on the TV in the living room about an unidentified object crash landing. As you head out into the neighborhood you meet a girl who needs help finding her cat – Mr.Cupcakes. You agree to help and you take on the demo mission called “The Curious Cat”.
From the title screen the game has really great music and its colours really pop on the screen of the Analogue handheld. The controls fell good with some platforming, avoiding hazards and shooting enemies with a blaster you find in a cave. It is fun and charming with some nice variety in environments/enemies and even has a Dr.Eggman style drill wielding boss.
Chat with the developer
Chatting to Greg the games creator I asked where the idea came from:
“So I started this concept during the peak of covid. I initially wanted to have some goop virus taking over the world but I was sort of over the pandemic thing. The idea for the bottle came from people wearing DIY protective gear at the start of the pandemic.”
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When asked what his hopes are for the game are he had this to say:
“I just want to expand on the world of Acreville and allow the character to feel like they explore the area a bit without feeling like they are trapped in too linear of an experience. My goal is to sort of bridge the gap between retro and modern – I grew up loving Gameboy color, and often I feel like some of these awesome little stories are lost with time because of the hardware. I hope that I can make an experience that can be enjoyed by all regardless of the fact that it’s for Gameboy color if that makes sense.”
It’s an exciting time to be a fan of the Gameboy with so many great little games like Bottle Boy coming to the beloved handheld. At Thumb Culture we are excited to see how the game shapes up on its release hopefully next year.
If you want to try out the demo yourself head over to the itch.io page where you can even play in the browser if you don’t have the means to do so otherwise. Give the developer a follow and send any feedback you have as it helps more than you know. Let us know in the comments below what you think.
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