ModRetro began its Classics Collection by remastering the adorable platformer Toki Tori. Now two additional games have joined the collection: 2001’s Project S-11 for the Game Boy Color and 1993’s Baby T-Rex for the Game Boy. ComingSoon was able to go hands-on with both titles, which are both retro novelties that are quite fun to revisit, although it’s Project S-11 that is the real highlight.
First off, it’s worth noting that the games come with really lovely packaging, premium cartridges (Baby T-Rex’s is appropriately green, while Project S-11 is clear), and an instruction manual with color illustrations. They also come with a little charm that is unique to each game, with Baby T-Rex’s protagonist being featured and a replica of Project S-11’s fighter jet for the shoot ’em up. The premium presentation is really nice and shows the care that has been put into these new versions.
Baby T-Rex is likely better known to US audiences as We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story, as it was changed to tie-in with the beloved children’s movie. The original version, which came out in Europe, features a skateboarding dinosaur looking to save his girlfriend. It’s a pretty standard platformer, and it won’t take very long to get through the game’s 16 levels.
The real standout of the game is its soundtrack, which is surprisingly catchy. It has a good bit of charm, but when comparing it to the best Game Boy platformers, it doesn’t quite reach the level of Nintendo’s output at the time. Regardless, it’s really cool to be able to own the game in its original version rather than seeing a license thrown on it, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome as it just takes about 40 minutes to complete.
Meanwhile, Project S-11 was released in 2001. The vertical shoot ’em up was a real marvel at the time, featuring no slowdown and responsive controls. Developed by Paragon 5, the space shooter also looks gorgeous, as it features lovely backgrounds and cool enemy designs.
I had never played Project S-11 before and it really blew me away. The game plays incredibly smoothly and is certainly one of the best shmups that ever released on Game Boy Color. It doesn’t start off super difficult, but it eventually becomes quite challenging and there’s a password system should you want to restart from where you died. What makes the game really unique is the power-ups, which completely change the weapon you’re using — ranging from missiles to lasers and beams. There’s a lot of variety, so you can figure out what fits your play style the best.
Both new ModRetro Classics Collection releases are a lot of fun and are worth checking out for fans of retro gaming. While Baby T-Rex is more of a cute oddity than a must-own game, I was really struck by how well Project S-11 has aged. Boss fights are quite fun in the shooter, which is just as fun today as it was in 2001. Both are great additions to anyone’s Game Boy collection thanks to the premium packaging and care the retro lineup is putting into releasing them.
Check out the ModRetro store to order Project S-11 and Baby T-Rex.
