Van Helsing

2026-05-16

"Van Helsing" is a Game Boy Advance game from 2004, and it's based on the movie of the same title, with Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale. As with the Wolverine game last week, there were two different games for GBA and consoles at the time. I gotta say, I had fun with it, but then I read it was a bit of a disappointment at the time, which doesn't really surprise me. But now, it doesn't matter anymore.

Visuals

Let's start with visuals, which I welcomed with sympathy, because they reminded me of various renders from the mid-1990s games, like "Crusader: No Remorse" or even "Planescape: Torment." The key is *reminds me*. Serving a 1995 quality in 2004 was probably a miss; however, as my friend said, "nostalgia beats IGN score," so here we are.

Gameplay

Gameplay wise, it's a top-down, and we control titular Van Helsing. There are kind of in-game cut scenes, where the game takes over control of our character, NPCs join, and there are dialogues at the bottom of the screen. They generally follow the movie, including "It smells like a wet dog here," which I remembered, but I have an impression that they were shortened to fit the screen, as well as the game format, and they are even campier than they were.

A side-note: I probably used the D-pad correctly for the first time here. I normally hold the tip of my thumb on a single direction, as if it was a button; then it takes time to travel from left to right, and top-downs are even worse. However, this time I put my finger in the middle, and this was a bit of revelation for me: suddenly, it was easier to navigate. Learning never ends.

But let's go back to the game. Van Helsing can slash enemies with his arms, which reminds me of Wolverine; however, it was the same actor playing in both movies, so I guess it makes sense. Then, there are shootable weapons: I started with a pistol, but soon was handed a crossbow by the friar accompanying us. There is also a grappling hook, something that even Batman didn't have back in 1989. And we can jump; so far, I could jump over a table.

2026-05-17

If anything, "Van Helsing" reminded me of "Postal," the very first one, which has been later overshadowed by its FPS successors. I don't mind it, but the first one built an entirely different experience.