We all remember the things which give or gave us joy the most–memories created by a moment in our childhood when nothing else mattered than the present of yesterday. 1998 marked the first time I made a monetary goal and then succeeded in attaining it. To a little 6/7 year old me the only thing which mattered was paying for my Gameboy Colour, and did so with a bunch of five dollar bills and a bag of spare change.
Fast forward twenty plus years and as I’m going through some boxes in storage I come across a purple Pokemon pouch; inside is that very same game system.
Power Quest is a Gamboy game which takes advantage of the Gameboy Colour’s ability to display more than black and white. Originally published in November of 1998, This game mixes the RPG and fighting game genres which had been relatively separate at the time. The story reads like Pokemon without the turn-based attack system. Instead, the player takes control of fighting model toys in Street Fighter-esque matches.
The story follows a tournament plot involving a best friend, a Team Rocket style antagonist, and a rival who boasts having never been defeated by a boy before. It’s quirky, enjoyable, and uses passwords to save all your game data. Yes, you read that right, a randomized password saves everything from the parts you purchase for your model to your progress in the game’s storyline. I remember having a stack of Post-Its in my bag for just this purpose.
Overall, I found that I enjoyed the blend of RPG and fighting game elements just as much now as I did back then. Perhaps it’s the nostalgia talking, but Power Quest still gets decent recommendation from me.