- Kien is a new title just released for the Game Boy Advance
- Retro publisher Incube8 and developer AgeOfGames have resurrected a 22-year-old classic
- Kien was fully completed but never saw the light of day due to publishing problems
Hey, dude! Have you heard about this radical new gaming handheld, the Game Boy Advance? It’s like a Super Nintendo but you hold it in your hand. Eh? Smartphones? What are those?
If you’re a fan of the Game Boy Advance you may lament the fact that support for the device, and development of new games, has long since ceased. But you’d be wrong, because 22 years after it was originally developed there’s finally a new game coming to the GBA in the form of Kien! Courtesy of publisher Incube8 games and developer AgeOfGames, the RPG platformer Kien will see not only a digital but also a physical release on genuine GBA cartridges!
The planet of Malkut was once ruled by the Seven Masters of the Absolute. But when these Masters disappear, and 7000 years of harmony are disrupted, it’s up to two young apprentices – Kjan and Elendel – to battle the evil overtaking the Land of Harmony and uncover the secrets of Kien.
Guess who’s back?
And here we thought that Genshin Impact collaborating with the Discovery Channel was going to the strangest news of the day. And yes, before you ask, it’s a game that you can have in your pocket! So technically, we cover it.
Kien is a simple action RPG platformer, but the story of its development is an adventure in and of itself. Developed by a rag-tag team of Italian developers from a starting capital of only 500 euros, the team successfully created Kien in its entirety but was stymied by high cartridge costs and a diminishing market for the Game Boy Advance that prevented the game from being published. But now, 20 years later it seems the game is finally getting its chance to shine with a fully physical release, suitable for both players and collectors alike.
Kien is now available in physical format from publisher Incube8, in which you’ll get the game, a cartridge protector, a sticker sheet, a manual and a neat box. We don’t yet have any news on a digital release, but hopefully, it won’t just be GBA enthusiasts who get to see this game in the light of day.
