Summary
Kien, a long-delayed action platformer that was initially scheduled to launch onGame Boy Advancemore than 20 years ago, has now finally released in 2024 as an exclusive for Nintendo’s retro handheld. Though it’s unfortunate that the game is only available on a console that’s no longer supported by its manufacturer, seeing this once-lostGame Boy Advancetitle be made available to the public in any official manner is cause for celebration, as it serves as another significant win for game preservation.
Having entered production all the way in 2002,Kiensuffered an excruciatingly long and arduous journey towards its release. The game, which was made by independent Italian developer AgeOfGames, started life as a simple passion project conceived by 5 aspiring game creators who had no prior experience with coding or programming. After work on the title began, it hit a snag leading up to its initial launch and ended up in production limbo. Unlike othergames with long development cycles, though, progress onKienwent smoothly for the most part. In fact, the title was actually finished and shipped to reviewers as early as November 2003. However, it was canceled by its publisher right before launch. Though AgeOfGames did shopKienout to other companies over the years, they were unable to find a suitable partner for decades.
Fortunately, in March 2024, retro game publisher InCube8 announced that it would collaborate with AgeOfGames to finallybringKiento GBA in the near future, physical cartridge and all. Fast-forward a few months later, and the once-canceledGame Boy Advance platformeris now officially available for Nintendo’s classic portable console. To commemorate the game’s release, one of the 5 original developers who worked onKien, Fabio Belsanti, spokein an interview with The Guardianand shared some comments about the much-postponed launch of the title.
This Once-Cancelled GBA Game Has Finally Released More than 20 Years Later
Belsanti discussed many topics during the interview, but one of the things he highlighted was AgeOfGames' and InCube8’s decision to releaseKienon a defunct platform. Speaking on this subject, he stated that “the thought of releasing the game on its original console is simply magical” to him. The Italian developer then said that seeing “Kiencome to life on the very platform it was designed for is a dream come true.” Though the title may be dated by modern standards, Belsanti argued that the technical limitations ofthe Game Boy Advance gameadded to its charm. “The power of the video game experience can, not always but in some cases, be much more intense and powerful in old video games made with limited graphical and technical resources.”
Belsanti closed things off by revealing that a spiritual successor toKienis currently in development at AgeOfGames. This is rather surprising, but it’s exciting news from the independent Italian developer nonetheless. Hopefully, this spiritual sequel toKienwon’t take 20 years to release and betrapped exclusively on the Game Boy Advancelike its predecessor is.
Nintendo Game Boy Advance
The Game Boy Advance was Nintendo’s handheld offering in the sixth generation of consoles and was the successor to the Game Boy Color. It offered upgraded graphics and allowed developers to pack even more complex games into the handheld space.
