Review of Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped!

Okay, so picture this: you’re back in the late 90s. Somehow. No idea why that era sticks out, but it just does, right? Anyway, there’s this company, Wayforward. You’ve probably heard of it, especially if you’re into 2D games. River City Girls, Shantae, you know the deal. But here’s the kicker—they’ve dabbled in all sorts of licensed stuff. Enter Sabrina: The Animated Series – Zapped for the Game Boy Color, and wow, it’s like, exactly what you’d expect—a blast from the past, really.

So, you’re playing as Sabrina, the teenage witch. Remember her? She has this habit, just casually turning classmates into animals—oops. Her mission (your mission) is hopping on their heads to zap them back. Classic. She learns neat tricks along the way: double jumping, bossing around her cat Salem (who can crawl into tiny spaces), and even floating around in bubbles. Because why not?

Honestly, the levels are kind of tight. You get a mix of themes, and the spells spice things up. There’s this one level—totally vertical—where using the bubble is your golden ticket. Then there’s another where Salem unlocks spells, breaking blocks and clearing paths. It’s not revolutionary, but these kind of quirky platformers are what the Game Boy Color thrived on. Big sprites, easy pick-up-and-play, with a simple password thingy to save your place.

But—and there’s always a but—the Game Boy Color doesn’t give you much to work with button-wise. Spells and running both using the B-button? Yeah, expect to faceplant into baddies now and then. For a game riding on the coattails of a TV animated spin-off, it’s surprisingly fun. It’s not gonna rewrite gaming history or anything, and don’t think it’ll ever top Shantae, but honestly, Sabrina’s antics are worth a shot. Maybe once. The magic kind of fizzles out after that. Still, it’s a neat, little curiosity.