GENRE
	Puzzle
	DEVELOPER
	Digital Eclipse
	PUBLISHER
	Midway
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-2
	CONNECTIVITY
	No
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I never played Rampart, the underdog arcade classic, until I picked it up for review. I am excited to bring GameBoy Dojo readers a totally fresh perspective on this game. When reviewers are already fond of an old-school game, they are sometimes unable to tell where the port truly stands in today's enormous Game Boy library. That will not be the case for this review.

The graphics look like poop. Little white circles represent ground troops, and the only reason the ships are identifiable is because they move around in the blue stuff, which must be water. The score and hint windows are so small that you will need to rest your eyes after trying to read three of them. I could go on, but Rampart is an attempt to recreate a classic arcade experience, so I can't allow myself to linger too long on the visuals.

The nature of this game doesn't demand too much in the audio department, but the sound is well done. There are some sharp voice samples and the music is a nice medieval march. The explosions and other sound effects are standard issue for GBC. Strangely, there always seems to be some static over the audio. This doesn't ruin Rampart's sound, but it did make me put in a different game for a few minutes to make sure my GBC speaker was okay.

An arcade-style strategy and puzzle mix plays just as unique as it sounds. When each game begins, you must pick one of several castles to begin your defense with. The castle is surrounded with walls and you are allowed to place cannons inside. A guy yells "Fire!", and you have a few seconds to aim and fire your cannons at incoming enemy ships. Naturally, the ships fire back and knock some significant holes in your walls. During the next phase, you have a limited time to surround at least one castle while the enemy slowly advances, with bonus cannons awarded for surrounding extra castles. This is where the game becomes surprisingly challenging. The pieces you must use to rebuild are awkwardly shaped, and become more ridiculous as you stay in the game longer. If an enemy ship manages to touch the mainland, some of these pieces might need to be sacrificed to deter ground troops. The enemy may have damaged the ground during the battle phase, preventing you from building on some areas. Suddenly, decisions that seemed like no-brainers are coming back to haunt you. From the start, you must account for building space that might not exist later.

Rampart's play is unique, but is it fun? Unless you are a fan of the original, the answer is likely no. This game asks you to put too much patience into simply aiming for a high score. There are no major goals whatsoever. Perhaps Rampart would have worked on a Game and Watch-style compilation cartridge, but it can't stand on its own in front of anyone who doesn't have a sentimental attachment to the game. Even those who once appreciated Rampart should note that this cart doesn't save high scores, a feature I consider to be must-have for an arcade-style game.

Rampart allows you to adjust both the ability of the armies and the time you are allowed for the various phases. That is all for the one player game. I apologize for disappointing all the rabid fans of the options paragraph.

You can link up with a friend and battle castle-to-castle. This is a nice variation from the regular gameplay, both in terms of competition level and style of play. You are able to adjust the number of rounds and select from several battlefields.

See Gameplay above.

There is a difference between a classic game and a timeless game. Rampart falls in the former category. If you enjoyed playing it back in the day, you will likely enjoy having it in your pocket. However, if you have never touched this game, stay away! Rampart is crusty, especially considering that the GBC will soon host such true strategy titles as Warlocked and Heroes of Might and Magic

3.5/10