Review of “Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped!”

Oh man, remember the days back in the late 90s? I do. Sort of. A mishmash of neon colors and pixelated screens that felt like magic at the time. And speaking of magic, there’s Wayforward, literally taking us on a time warp with their quirky games. They’re behind gems like River City Girls and Shantae – top-tier 2D fun on both handheld devices and consoles. But did you know they dabbled in loads of licensed games too? Yup, like Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped! on Game Boy Color. It’s a throwback playground and, strangely enough, Shantae’s ancestor. Never thought I’d connect those dots, but there you go.

So, Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped! It’s based on the TV show – remember that? Teenage witch, accidental spells, chaos ensues. Sabrina, bless her witchy heart, accidentally turns her friends into animals. You gotta help her fix this mess by jumping on their heads and, well, magic happens. The game lets you gather spells. Gotta love it when you can double jump or make your cat Salem wiggle through tight spots. There’s even a bubble spell. Imagine floating… everything just sort of glides by. Why do bubbles make everything better?

The level layouts? Oh, they’re tight. Swapping themes and twisting how spells are used, which shook things up in ways that surprised me. Like, I remember this one tall vertical level. You literally have to bubble your way up. I quite enjoyed the bits where you turned into Salem just to bash some blocks and unlock paths. Not groundbreaking, but c’mon, it’s Game Boy Color. They made colorful juggernauts out of those little cartridges. Simple passwords, easy play – it’s that cozy, pick-up-anytime kinda vibe.

But, oh, the controls. Let me tell you, juggling spell-casting and running on one B-button felt like a cruel joke sometimes. I’d be zipping around, then BAM, hit by an enemy instead of zapping it. Classic. You really wouldn’t think a licensed game from a random TV spin-off would pull this off, but it kind of does. Sure, it’s not the Shantae masterpiece, but it laid some solid groundwork. Think of it as a quirky relic; a curiosity that doesn’t disappoint – even if it’s just a one-time magical ride. The spell does wear off… eventually.