Merlin (Europe) (En,Fr,De,Es,It,Nl)

Merlin is a 2000 action platformer for the Game Boy Color, developed by French studio RFX Interactive and published in Europe by Light & Shadow Production alongside Electronic Arts. The game takes its name from the legendary wizard Merlin and drops you into a fantasy world full of enemies and obstacles. It launched exclusively on the GBC, a time when handheld platformers were a dime a dozen but this one brought a distinctly European art style and design sensibility to the small screen. The cartridge shipped with English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Dutch text, making it accessible across the continent.

You control Merlin through side-scrolling levels, jumping between platforms and using some form of attack to defeat creatures that cross your path. The core loop is classic platforming: move from left to right, avoid pitfalls, collect items such as potions or coins, and reach the level exit. The game throws a mix of grounded enemies and aerial threats at you, requiring precise jumps and timing. Power‑ups or special abilities may appear, but the exact mechanics aren't widely documented beyond the basic run‑and‑jump formula common to the era. Each level ends with a boss or a checkpoint before the next stage unfolds.

Merlin isn't a system seller, but it's a solid example of what European developers were doing on the Game Boy Color in 2000. The graphics are colourful and the controls are responsive enough for a pick‑up‑and‑play session. If you enjoyed other GBC platformers like Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare or Toy Story 2, Merlin offers a similar experience with a magical twist. It's a niche title worth checking out for collectors of European GBC releases or anyone curious about how different regions interpreted the platformer genre on Nintendo's handheld.