Resident Evil Gaiden (Europe) (GBC)

**Resident Evil Gaiden** is a unique survival horror game for the Game Boy Color, offering a distinct experience compared to its mainline counterparts. The game combines top-down exploration with an innovative first-person combat system.

For most of the gameplay, players control characters like Claire Redfield and Barry Burton from a top-down perspective, navigating through cramped corridors and mysterious rooms aboard a cruise ship infected with a virus. This exploration phase retains familiar Resident Evil elements: searching for keys, solving environmental puzzles, managing items within a limited inventory, and encountering unexpected enemies. A map helps players orient themselves within the ship's complex environment.

The most notable and differentiating aspect of **Resident Evil Gaiden** is its combat system. When players encounter an enemy, the game switches to a first-person view. Instead of traditional aiming, a horizontal bar (often called the "combat bar") moves across the screen. Players must press the attack button at the precise moment the bar passes over the enemy to deal damage. The accuracy of the hit depends on the bar's position when the player presses the button; the closer to the center of the enemy, the higher the damage. This introduces a timing and reflex-based element, making each encounter tense and requiring focus.

Despite its 8-bit graphics, the game still conveys a sense of horror and tension. Players must be cautious with resources, especially ammunition and healing items, as they are scarce. The primary objective is to survive, uncover the mystery behind the virus outbreak on the ship, and find a way to escape this deadly vessel.