Since we brought you the news of Xeno Crisis being released on GBA, we’ve now had the chance to put the handheld port to the test. If you’re a fan of new games for old consoles, you won’t need us to tell you how much of a smash hit Xeno Crisis is. Originally developed for the Mega Drive and released in 2019, the brilliant retro shooter has been ported to countless consoles, handhelds and platforms. It’s remarkable just how many different ways there are to play Xeno Crisis, everything from old consoles to the latest digital storefronts, as well as handhelds such as Evercade and Switch.
Before we get into giving our opinion on Xeno Crisis on the GBA, it’s worth pointing out the excellent manual that comes with the game. It’s well thought out and has some great imagery, with the highlight being a double-page spread of the first boss. The outer box is also made of a high-quality card, as is the inner tray. The cart itself looks and feels as if it could have come straight from 2001 when the GBA was current. The overall presentation of the game is exactly what you would expect from publisher Bitmap Bureau.
The GBA port starts exactly the same as the previous versions with a rip-roaring intro theme and bold pixel art cutscenes that look great on the small screen. The controls are mapped out well, with the d-pad moving your chosen marine around the screen while holding B to fire in the direction you pointed. Once the firing begins, you can still move the marine about with the firing fixed. The A button is used in conjunction with the d-pad to roll across the screen, and the L trigger tosses a grenade in the direction faced.
Sweeping through a couple of levels and it was clear early on that the GBA port of Xeno Crisis has been well developed. The excitement of moving from room to room and trying to get that little bit further each time works fine on a smaller screen. Although we wouldn’t say Xeno Crisis on the GBA is the definitive way to experience this masterpiece of a game, it’s very fun and would make a great addition to any GBA collection. It plays just as well as any of the other versions using this button layout. Those who enjoy arcade-style shooters or have fond memories of the 16-bit shooter era will also love having Xeno Crisis on their GBA.
