"Revenge of the Gator" (Game Boy)

Fun gator-themed pinball game. Presents a bunch of features and bonus games, along with great animation, despite not having enough lives or a password-backed save option to continue your gameplay.

I truly believe Charly the 'Gator from the rare hit Tail 'Gator got his start on this game. I suppose it's because the failure to hit the million-selling mark, that he likely jumped off to try his luck with his own game. This must mean that even video game characters struggle to find a good job/stable project to be a part in. Now you know how we feel, huh?

I don't have too much to say about this as it is a pinball game with a theme. To control the paddles, the A button controls the right paddle, and the left D-pad controls the left paddle. As far as I know, no button shakes the pinball board in case the ball gets stuck or something.

As with most pinball games, you simply try to get a high score, namely in the millions. While some require hits to open a new path on the board, you get to advance playing a Bonus Stage featuring challenges in being able to hit alligators for as long as you can last. The first stage is hitting fish—look like cigars or pills—and getting the walking-by alligator to fall making him easy to hit. The second stage is a five-egg challenge where you hit the eggs to open up little hatchlings until they fly with wings, finishing them off with hitting them as normal. The third stage ought to remind you of that arcade game Whack-A-Mole—you know, that game where you have a hammer to hit the moles on their heads coming up from the ground. Knock all ten of them and the bonus game repeats.

As with any pinball game, losing from not being able to keep the ball alive is a horrible feeling. However, there is one way to acquire extra lives—extra balls. That is, if you happen to access the fourth and highest part of the pinball board, the goal is to get the ball to hit the fish on the top left and right corners, feeding the hatchling at the top center. When fed, the hatchling will grow until it's all grown up. The full grown alligator will break free and if you hit it, you win an extra ball! That's very much the only opportunity.

I often wondered if there was a way to beat the game entirely but according to what I've read and gameplay videos I've watched, there isn't a particular way to finish the game. What you see and what bonuses/extra rooms the pinball features is all what's packaged here. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but some may feel there ought to be a goal from the start of the game. You'd think with the title of Revenge of the 'Gator, you may think a 'gator as the final boss would suffice, despite the fact that, say, the 'gator has encrypted the passage ways on the pinball board, making freeing the poor little hatchlings very difficult. Would you play if the game were to be that way? Let us know in the comments!

It's an underrated title and also not a typical, boring pinball game as it has some challenges with it. Other than that, it would've nice to see a bit more stages and possibly a goal to, again, say, defeat the evil 'gator holding the hatchlings hostage, or something like that. This game doesn't also turn up very often in conversations and fellow handheld collectors' library so don't overlook this. With all that, give this game a shot!

Kris Caballero

Founder and operator of KCU Network, Kris has been writing since he managed a personal blog made back in late 2005. Officially retired from video production and going back to the computer sciences, Kris enjoys studying Math, Quantum Computing, playing old video/DOS games, and listening to sports radio.

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