Scooby-Doo: Classic Creep Capers

After playing through Shadowgate Classic, I was still on an adventure game kick so figured I'd dig further into my GBC library. Classic Creep Capers is a game that I have a unique attachment to. And yet, I haven't played it in nearly a decade so thought this would be a good time to dig it back out.

If you're not aware of this game, then you should hear me out. Yes, it's a licensed game. Yes, it's a GBC game that has NOTHING to do with the console version. And yet... all of this works in its favor. While Youtube videos of the N64 game make it look rather forgettable to me, the GBC is totally special. It's based on an actual Scooby-Doo episode, but more importantly, it is a completely unabashed homage to Maniac Mansion.

Yep, this is a game in which a bunch of young kids go snooping around a spooky mansion and meddle with a mad scientist. It also has a wicked sense of humor. Sounds familiar, am I right? 

It's an awesome game to say the least. It's got my vote for one of the finest GBC hidden gems (of which there are many - the GBC is a truly under-loved system). The graphics are great, the writing is funny, and the gameplay is solid if you're a Maniac Mansion fan. It's not super hard or super cryptic. And really, it can be tackled in a few hours if you're willing to experiment.

Unfortunately, my play through tonight was hampered by a nasty little bug of sorts. See, I got about halfway through the game, which wasn't too difficult for me as I've beaten it multiple times in the past. However, my GBA SP battery hasn't been holding a reliable charge, so when I put the game down to take a break I made sure to take a picture of the save code (yeah, save code, no battery on this one sadly). When I came back to the game and inputted the code it told me that it was correct, and yet, I was missing a BUNCH of items from earlier in the game. 

These were important items - ones I'd need to proceed further. Like the sausage from the fridge that I'd need to freeze in the lab to make a new leg for the stool (which was also missing from my inventory) so I could reach the lights to divert the robot Shaggy so I could steal the key to the cell holding Fred. See? I told you this wasn't my first rodeo. But sadly, I'm just not in the mood to restart after losing my progress. 

The funny thing is, this struck a chord of deja vu in me. I'm fairly certain I had similar issues with the game back when I last went through it and had to Google for a better, more accurate save code. Hmm. Anyway, I'm just not in the mood to do that again. But I can tell you this - if you're willing to plow through the whole thing in a single session (which realistically shouldn't take you more than two to three hours) then you're in for such a solid treat. Creep Capers is an excellent gem oozing with charm. And let's face it, we could all use some more Maniac Mansion homages in our lives.