Kay's Corner

We all know how influential Nintendo's games can be, which is why I find their lesser-known projects so fascinating. With a legacy as long-running and celebrated as Nintendo's, it's fun to see what creative concepts might've slipped through the cracks. And among all these obscurities, from 8-bit text adventures to more modern experiments, I think I've found my favourite in Mole Mania. The funny thing about Mole Mania is that, at least in theory, it had all the makings of a hit. Shigeru Miyamoto (the visionary behind Mario and Zelda) served as producer, the Game Boy had a massive install base, Nintendo had plenty of magazines to help spread the word, but none of that mattered when the Game Boy itself was irrelevant. Pokémon had managed to revive the platform a few months prior in Japan, but its sheer popularity overshadowed everything else on the market. And in English-speaking regions, where the Nintendo 64 had just released and Pok...

    Over the past few months, I’ve gained a newfound appreciation for Nintendo’s Game Boy. I’d played many of its games before, but it wasn’t until experiencing them through Nintendo Switch Online and its incredible filters that I really understood the appeal and reverence. That was enough to get me to pick up a Game Boy Pocket and an Everdrive to dive into the library, and I’ve had an amazing time so far! But if I had to choose my favourite new-to-me series, it would easily be the throwback to Nintendo’s earliest handhelds: Game & Watch Gallery. The Game & Watch Gallery series is one of those unabashedly Game Boy ideas, like turning Balloon Fight into a platformer or remaking the original Donkey Kong and turning it into a wholly new game after the original ending. It’s a concept that only really could’ve been done in that specific period, where Nintendo owned the market and were free to experiment without compromise. I adored the original Game & Watch Gallery when...