Review of Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped!

A blast from the past. The late 90s. Wow, thinking back, those were some chaotic years, right? Just me? Anyway, Wayforward comes up, and I can’t help but picture some of the coolest 2D-games ever. River City Girls! Shantae! But wait, we gotta talk about how they dabbled in licensed stuff too. Like, a ton. Enter Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped. Remember it? Yeah, it’s one of those games on the Game Boy Color. It’s not about heavy nostalgia trips alone; it’s like a sneak peek into the whole brilliance that led to Shantae.

Sabrina. A teenage witch. All havoc breaks loose when she messes up and turns her pals into animals. Oops. So, here we are, jumping on critters, trying to zap them back to normal. And the spells? You get a double jump, play around with her cat Salem, who, by the way, crawls through those tight little spaces, and even float around in a bubble—let that sink in. Floating. On a Game Boy Color. Why do they never get credit for these wild ideas?

The levels, oh boy, tight and tricky. They don’t just throw you in; it’s a dance of spells and strategy. Like that stage where the bubble becomes your best pal. Or those moments with Salem unlocking new parts to push the story ahead. Not exactly I’m-gonna-faint beautiful, but hey, it shows what those little cartridges could pack in. Big sprites, simple mechanics, all wrapped with a neat password system. A no-brainer, really.

If I’m nitpicking, and I usually am, the controls? A bit crammed. Everything’s on the B-button. I started trying to cast, but bam! Got smacked by a rogue enemy. Typical. But come on, for an animated spin-off game tie-in, it plays surprisingly well. Sure, it’s not gonna turn your world upside down like Shantae did, but hey, look beneath and notice the groundwork it all built upon. Call it a curiosity. Play it once. Enjoy it. Feel the vibe. Until the spell fades—and it will, after one go, maybe. Still, not regrettable.