Monsters, Inc.

Monsters, Inc. on Game Boy Color came out around the time of the 2001 Pixar movie, published by THQ for the handheld. It's an action adventure game that lets you control both Sulley and Mike as they try to get Boo back to her world before the Child Detection Agency catches them. The game adapts the film's key plot points into a side-scrolling platformer with a few light puzzle elements, which was typical for movie tie-ins on this system. You spend most of the time navigating levels as either Sulley or Mike, each with their own abilities. Sulley can roar to stun enemies and carry objects, while Mike uses his agility to jump over obstacles and reach higher platforms. The core goal is to find and rescue Boo while avoiding or outrunning CDA agents. Along the way you collect items like scream canisters and power-ups that help you progress. The game is linear, moving from one area to the next, with occasional boss-like encounters that require timing and pattern recognition. For a licensed handheld game, Monsters, Inc. is surprisingly competent. It captures the look and feel of the movie with sprite work that tries to match the character designs, and the music is catchy. It's not a deep or challenging adventure, but it's a faithful adaptation that fans of the film will enjoy. If you grew up with the movie and have a soft spot for GBC platformers, it's worth a quick playthrough. It's one of those tie-ins that does exactly what it sets out to do without overstaying its welcome.