Play Metal Walker Online

Metal Walker came out for the Game Boy Color in 1999, published by Nintendo. It was part of that wave of late 90s handheld games that tried to do something a little different with established formulas. You play as a kid named Bolt who gets pulled into a digital world, and your main companion is a small robot you can upgrade and command in battles.

You control Bolt, moving screen by screen across a world map to find and enter various computer systems, which act as the game's dungeons. Your main goal is to stop a rogue AI, and you do this by exploring these systems, solving environmental puzzles, and fighting viruses. The combat is turn based but uses a billiards style system; you aim and shoot your Metal Walker to bounce it off walls and hit enemies. You collect parts and data to upgrade your robot's stats and abilities between fights. The pacing is deliberate, with some tricky enemy encounters that require careful aiming. It feels like a thoughtful mix of exploration and a very physical kind of strategy.