Bits Corporation's RTS on Game Boy Color. Real-time strategy on a handheld, with spells, buildings, and two factions.
Warlocked was developed by Bits Corporation and published by Nintendo for Game Boy Color in September 2000 — a real-time strategy game in the style of Warcraft adapted for Game Boy Color hardware. Players built bases, gathered resources, trained units, and used spells to defeat the opposing faction. The human and monster factions each had distinct unit types and abilities. Warlocked is notable for successfully adapting the RTS genre to handheld hardware with directional controls rather than mouse input. It sold approximately 200,000 copies and is cited as one of the better RTS attempts on handheld hardware.
About this game
Warlocked (2000) is the only real-time strategy game ever made for the Game Boy Color — a North America-only release developed by British studio Bits Studios and published by Nintendo. Players command armies of humans or goblins, capturing mines, training units, and destroying the enemy base in real time on the tiny GBC screen. Its ambition and technical achievement in fitting a full RTS experience onto handheld hardware made it a landmark in both genres.
Key Features
Two factions — humans and goblins — with distinct unit types and base structures. Resource management: mines generate gold, which funds unit training. Real-time combat with direct unit commands on a scrollable map. Single-player campaign for both factions plus a multiplayer vs mode via Game Boy link cable. Seven unit types per side with different combat roles. A minimap view helps manage the field of battle. Developed by three people: programmer Steven Clark, designer Martin Wheeler, and composer Jeroen Tel.
Gallery
The Story Behind
When Warlocked was released in July 2000, the Game Boy Color was the dominant handheld but the Game Boy Advance was just a year away. Real-time strategy games on home consoles were already challenging because of input limitations; on a two-button handheld they seemed impossible. Bits Studios built a streamlined RTS that stripped the genre to its essentials — base building, resource management, unit control — and made it functional with the GBC's limited controls. Nintendo's decision to publish it added legitimacy to an unusually ambitious third-party concept.
Tricks & Tales
Warlocked was built by just three people: programmer Steven Clark, who was one of Bits Studios' principal coders across many of their projects; graphic artist and game designer Martin Wheeler, whose other notable design credit is the 1984 8-bit classic Sorcery; and Jeroen Tel, a veteran composer who started in the C64 demo scene and contributed music to dozens of PC and console games. Warlocked was the only game Jeroen Tel made for Bits Studios. The game was never released in Japan or Europe.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Warlocked was released exclusively in North America (July 2000) — never released in Japan or Europe. Original copies are North America-region GBC cartridges only.
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.
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Warlocked copies regularly.
Is this a region-free game? Will a Japanese Game Boy cartridge work on any Game Boy console?
Yes. The original Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket, and Game Boy Color have no hardware region lock — a Japanese cartridge plays on any Game Boy or Game Boy Color console worldwide without modification. The game itself is in Japanese, but the hardware accepts it freely. Game Boy Advance consoles are also backward-compatible with Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges and share this region-free status.
How should I clean a Game Boy cartridge?
Apply 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol to a cotton swab and gently wipe the gold-plated edge contacts on the base of the cartridge. Never blow into the cartridge — breath moisture accelerates contact corrosion. If the shell needs to be opened for deeper cleaning, Game Boy cartridges use 3.8mm security game bit screws. The contacts are small; clean with a gentle wiping motion rather than abrasive pressure.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Warlocked
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.
See what it's selling for on eBay →Unexpected Discoveries
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