Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider is a Game Boy Color action game released in 2000 developed by Core Design. It centers on platform movement and landing judgment, area and route exploration, and movement and immediate actions, with controls, information, and pacing arranged around a color handheld screen, a directional pad, and two main action buttons.
- AI score · out of 10
- 8.0 / 10
About this game
Tomb Raider is a Game Boy Color action release centered on platform movement and landing judgment, area and route exploration, and movement and immediate actions. Stages build pressure through routes, enemy patterns, and changing objectives, with progress divided into stages, tasks, matches, or growth milestones that make its immediate goals understandable. Its value depends on whether these rules continue to create judgment and room for mastery rather than on campaign length or series recognition. Short campaigns are judged by repeat-challenge value, while longer ones are judged by variety, pacing, and recovery after failure. Readable animation, hits, and hazards determine whether feedback remains dependable, while color choices need to distinguish characters, objects, and routes rather than serve as decoration alone. The main genre-specific friction is that period-specific collision rules, limited guidance, and repeated ground after failure can raise the entry barrier. In addition, battery saves, link cables, cartridge-specific hardware, the unlit display, and regional language can affect the original experience. This description covers only this release and excludes emulator features, modern-port conveniences, and content from other platforms.
Collected in series
Tomb Raider follows Lara Croft into ruins where finding a route can be as important as surviving a fight. Climbing, ancient mechanisms and archaeological mysteries anchor adventures that range from deliberate exploration to cinematic action.
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Game Boy Color (GBC)
AI review
AI reviews are subjective assessments, not player ratings. See each review for its evidence and limitations.Published date:
A substantial side-scrolling tomb adventure with strong movement puzzles and some navigation friction.
Rather than simply shrinking a three-dimensional adventure, Tomb Raider builds its handheld identity around climbing, rolling, swimming and carefully planned jumps. Switches, overhead routes and hazardous terrain give those actions distinct purposes, while fourteen lengthy levels across five areas vary the emphasis. Some paths demand considerable wandering and landmark memory, so exploration does not always maintain momentum. Lara's expressive animation and detailed architecture convey the adventure more consistently than its sound: gameplay lacks continuous music and effects repeat. Running also takes practice because Lara continues while B is held. Save crystals near dangers help recover from mistakes, although each use overwrites the only stored game. Patient explorers who enjoy reading a landscape should find considerably more here than a simple licensed platformer.
Strengths
- Movement abilities fit varied mechanisms and environments.
- Expressive animation and distinctive architecture create atmosphere.
Weaknesses
- Some routes demand wandering and landmark memory.
- Sparse music, repetitive effects and one save slot limit comfort.
Who it is for: Players who enjoy deliberate side-scrolling exploration and environmental puzzles.
Play notes: This is the original Nightmare Stone game. Release B to stop running; crystals overwrite the single save, and looking ahead helps avoid hazards.
View scoring basis
| Dimension | Review state | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension Fourteen levels across five areas offer variety, though wandering and landmark memorization slow progress. | Reviewed | 7.9 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Climbing, swimming and mechanisms fit their obstacles, preserving satisfying action-puzzle exploration. | Reviewed | 8.2 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Expressive animation and architecture stand out; absent in-level music and repeated effects are the main limits. | Reviewed | 8.0 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Hazard-side save crystals ease retries, but held-B running and a single save slot require care. | Reviewed | 7.3 / 10 | Not provided |
Review sources
Not provided
Core information
- Developer
- Core Design
- Publisher
- Eidos Interactive
- Release date
- 2000
- Platforms
- Game Boy Color (GBC)
- Content kind
- Game
- Release state
- Released
- Region
- Worldwide
- Official website
- Not provided
- Offline minimum players
- Not provided
- Offline maximum players
- Not provided
- Online minimum players
- Not provided
- Online maximum players
- Not provided
- Categories
- Action · Primary genre
- Tags
- 2D GraphicsFantasyReplayableDodgeFast-pacedLinear LevelsExplorationSolo-friendlyReal-time CombatMain Story Under 10 HoursPlatformingSide-scrolling
- Supported game languages
- Not provided
- Requires base game
- Not provided
- Standalone
- Not provided
- Age ratings
- Not provided
- Play modes
- Not provided
- Perspectives
- Not provided
Release editions
- Game Boy Color (GBC)Worldwide2000
Game gallery
Sources
Not provided