The most hated sword in gaming found its dignity on a screen the size of a postage stamp.
On PC, Daikatana was a punchline — a famously arrogant ad, years of delays, and barely forty thousand copies sold. Then a small team in Japan, working at John Romero's own request, quietly turned that doomed first-person shooter into a top-down, Zelda-style action RPG for the Game Boy Color. Critics gave the little cartridge higher marks than its disastrous big brother — so much higher that a North American release was scrapped, the publisher unwilling to let the name's bad reputation drown a game that had actually earned its place. The same time-traveling sword, the same shamed franchise, redeemed on the humblest hardware in the room.
About this game
Daikatana is a action-adventure game for the game boy color.
Gallery
The Story Behind
The Game Boy Color version was designed in 2000 by developer Will and directed by Takeo Mogi under the request of John Romero himself. While the original PC Daikatana — released in May 2000 after years of delays — sold only 40,351 copies in the U.S. through September against a forecast of 2.5 million, the handheld adaptation was structured as a top-down action RPG in the style of the early Zelda games rather than a first-person shooter. Critics gave the GBC version higher scores than its notorious PC sibling, but a planned North American release was cancelled explicitly because the Daikatana name had become toxic; only Europe received a physical cartridge release in September 2000, and Japan saw it as a download-only title via the Nintendo Power service in May 2001.
Tricks & Tales
The Game Boy Color Daikatana was a completely separate game built at John Romero's request — instead of a shooter, it became a top-down dungeon crawler in the style of the early Legend of Zelda games, even though it shared the franchise's time-traveling-sword premise. Critics rated the GBC version higher than the infamous PC original, which had sold only about 40,000 copies and was remembered for its arrogant advertising. A planned North American release was cancelled specifically because of the original Daikatana's toxic reputation; Europe got it in 2000, while Japan received it only as a download for the Nintendo Power peripheral in 2001.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Like the original DMG, the Game Boy Color is fully region-free. Japanese, North American, and European GBC cartridges all share the same physical format and connector, and the hardware applies no lockout. A Japanese GBC cartridge will run on any GBC from any region without modification. The GBC is also fully backward compatible with original DMG cartridges — when a DMG cart is played on a GBC, the system automatically renders it with one of several colour palettes. GBC-specific cartridges (the 'GBC only' black-tab type) will not run on the original DMG, but will run on the Game Boy Advance as well as the GBC.
Maintenance Tips
Game Boy Color cartridges — the smaller, slightly translucent-shell format — use the same cleaning approach as original DMG carts: a cotton swab with 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol wiped along the contact row, allowed to dry fully before reinsertion. The GBC console's ABS plastic shell faces the same yellowing risk as the DMG when exposed to UV light over time. Notably, several GBC titles — most famously Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal — include a real-time clock (RTC) circuit that runs continuously off a CR2025 coin cell. These batteries are now well over 25 years old; a dead RTC battery means time-based in-game events will not advance, even though the game itself will still load and save normally. This is a distinct issue from save data loss.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Daikatana copies regularly.
Is this the same Daikatana that's famous for being one of the worst games ever?
No — and that's the point. This Game Boy Color cartridge is a separate, well-reviewed top-down action RPG, not the reviled PC/N64 first-person shooter. They only share a name and the time-traveling-sword story.
Why is a North American copy hard to find?
Because there isn't one. The North American release was cancelled over the PC version's bad name, so collectors are looking for the European (PAL) cartridge — the only physical Western release.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Daikatana
A short checklist for buying a used Game Boy Color cartridge wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Good news — Game Boy Color is region-free
These cartridges are not region-locked, so a Japanese copy plays on any compatible Game Boy worldwide.
Confirm whether the title is Color-only or also works on the original Game Boy.
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If this title saves your progress, check the battery
Cartridges that save use a small coin-cell battery that fades over decades — a dead one wipes your save without warning.
Ask the seller whether the save function was tested. Replacing the battery is possible, but doing so erases any existing save.
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Check that the contacts are clean
Dirty edge contacts are the most common cause of startup and sound trouble in cartridges of this age.
Choose a seller who cleans the contacts before shipping. A note that it was tested and cleaned means the basics were handled.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
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