The King's Return brings a new platformer to Game Boy Color
Towea Studio's medieval platformer has launched as a boxed Game Boy Color release with six worlds, multiple modes and a free demo.
The King's Return has arrived as a boxed Game Boy Color game, giving Nintendo's 1998 handheld another new medieval adventure decades after its commercial heyday. The release comes from French developer Towea Studio and publisher Broke Studio, with a cartridge, full-colour box, manual, guidebook and sticker sheet included in the physical package. 1
A new quest for the Game Boy Color
The story follows the King of Towea as he returns from a crusade and finds his kingdom emptied and overrun by monsters. The ruler's chamberlain was left in charge during his absence, but the kingdom has fallen into chaos. The King's task is to recover the souls of his subjects, defeat the threat inside his castle and reclaim his throne. 12
Homebrew Factory describes the game as an action platformer, while the developer's page says the project mixes several Game Boy-style formats. The six-world campaign includes five levels per world, with boss encounters, a story mode and three difficulty settings. There is also an unlockable Boss Rush mode, a music player and a progression-saving system. 23
That variety is part of the appeal. The King's Return is not limited to conventional left-to-right platforming: its listed formats include forced-scrolling stages and shoot-'em-up sections. The official description also promises in-game tutorials and original music and art, suggesting a complete modern homebrew package rather than a brief novelty cartridge. 3
What comes in the box
The physical edition includes a new cartridge, cardboard tray, full-colour cardboard box, full-colour manual, ROM file for emulator play and a digital PDF manual. Homebrew Factory says the game has been tested on the original Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Advance SP and Analogue Pocket, although it does not guarantee compatibility with clone hardware. 2
The developer also offers a free browser demo through its itch.io page, where the game is identified as a released Game Boy Color platformer. That makes it possible to sample the presentation and controls before buying the boxed edition. 3
Price and availability
Time Extension reported the boxed release at €50, £42 or $56, while the Homebrew Factory product page lists the same €50 price and identifies Broke Studio as publisher and Towea Studio as developer. Availability can change, so prospective buyers should check the store listing rather than treating the launch price as permanent. 12
Our opinion
The King's Return is a particularly neat fit for the modern homebrew scene because its physical presentation matches the hardware it targets. A new cartridge, manual and box make it feel like a lost late-1990s release, while the multiple game styles and Boss Rush mode give the project more substance than a simple nostalgia exercise. The browser demo is the sensible first stop for anyone curious about the adventure, but the boxed package is clearly aimed at collectors who still want new games to sit beside their original Game Boy library.