Gold and Glory: The Road to El Dorado (2000). Play online

Summary

Gold and Glory: The Road to El Dorado landed on the Game Boy Color in June 2000 as a colorful 8‑bit side‑scroller, letting players trek through swampy jungles, Spanish galleons and the fabled city itself. The game packs around twenty sprawling levels, each crammed with traps, puzzles and battles against Cortés and his henchmen, which felt surprisingly deep for a handheld title. What really stood out for me was the “Ubi Key” infrared system – you could exchange data with other Ubisoft GBC games, a rare little cross‑title connectivity that felt cutting‑edge at the time.

Developed by Revolution Software, the same team behind classic adventure hits, this version uses a stripped‑down version of the engine from their earlier title In Cold Blood. While the PlayStation and PC releases leaned into 3D adventure territory, the handheld kept a classic 2‑D feel, which many fans appreciated for its nostalgic arcadestyle. Planned ports for Dreamcast, GameCube and PS2 never saw the light of day, making the GBC edition the most accessible legacy of the franchise today.

Storyline

The Game Boy Color version of Gold and Glory: The Road to El Dorado follows the film’s basic premise but adds its own twists. Players choose either Tulio or Miguel and travel through a Spanish town, ships, jungles, caves, and finally the legendary city of El Dorado. The early goal is to collect nine map pieces that together reveal the hidden city’s location.

Along the way the duo battles wild animals, hostile plants, human foes and environmental hazards. Every three levels culminates in a boss encounter, keeping the action fresh. The final showdown pits the heroes against the conquistador Cortés, ending the adventure.

Collecting all map fragments unlocks the city and completes the game.