Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Disney’s The Emperor’s New Groove is a 2D platformer developed by Sandbox Studios and published by Ubisoft for the Game Boy Color in 2000. Rather than attempting to reproduce the 3D PlayStation and PC versions, this handheld adaptation condenses Disney’s animated film into a more traditional side-scrolling adventure starring Kuzco in his llama form.
Rating: 6/10
The story loosely follows the movie, with Kuzco transformed into a llama and trying to make his way back to the palace while Yzma attempts to stop him. Levels take inspiration from locations such as villages, jungles, mountain areas and the palace, although much of the film's dialogue and humour is naturally lost in the transition to an 8-bit handheld.
Kuzco has a surprisingly varied move set. He can run, jump, duck, headbutt enemies and perform a charging attack that can smash through certain barriers. His most distinctive ability is spitting, which functions as a ranged projectile after collecting spit drops as ammunition. It is easily the most entertaining mechanic in the game and can also be used to interact with switches and other objects.
Stages combine straightforward platforming with light puzzle elements. Progress frequently involves activating switches, opening doors, breaking obstacles and navigating hazards such as spiders, bats, pits and rolling objects. Some doors are timed, forcing you to quickly retrace a route after hitting a switch, while collectibles such as coins and hearts encourage a little exploration.
Unfortunately, controlling Kuzco can feel more awkward than his abilities suggest. His tall llama sprite creates an unusually large hitbox, and it is easy to bump his head against ceilings or the underside of platforms while jumping. This occasionally makes otherwise simple platforming sections frustrating. The headbutt also feels somewhat imprecise against enemies, while the spit attack is considerably more reliable.
Difficulty is generally moderate, but there are noticeable spikes. Timed gates and certain obstacle sequences can require memorisation rather than pure reaction, creating some trial and error. The game also isn't quite as forgiving as its Disney license might imply, although the inclusion of battery-backed saving prevents failure from becoming too punishing.
Visually, The Emperor’s New Groove is one of the stronger licensed Game Boy Color titles. Kuzco is represented by a large, detailed sprite with some nice animation, and the environments use bright colours effectively. Backgrounds vary enough between stages to stop the adventure from looking repetitive, and several locations are recognisable from the movie despite the hardware limitations.
The sound is much less memorable. Music and effects are functional but repetitive, and very little of the film's distinctive personality survives without extensive dialogue or voice acting. As a result, the game often feels more like a competent generic platformer using Emperor’s New Groove characters than a particularly faithful recreation of the movie.
Replay value is also limited. Once the adventure is completed, there are few meaningful incentives to return beyond collecting anything you missed. Still, the campaign is substantial enough for a handheld licensed game and offers a reasonable amount of content.
Overall, Disney’s The Emperor’s New Groove is a solid but unremarkable Game Boy Color platformer. The colourful presentation, varied move set and fun spit mechanic help it stand above the weakest movie tie-ins of the era, but awkward collision detection, stiff movement and occasional trial-and-error design hold it back. Fans of the film may enjoy a playthrough, but it never reaches the quality of the best platformers on the system.
Disney’s The Emperor’s New Groove is a 2D platformer developed by Sandbox Studios and published by Ubisoft for the Game Boy Color in 2000. Rather than attempting to reproduce the 3D PlayStation and PC versions, this handheld adaptation condenses Disney’s animated film into a more traditional side-scrolling adventure starring Kuzco in his llama form.
Rating: 6/10
The story loosely follows the movie, with Kuzco transformed into a llama and trying to make his way back to the palace while Yzma attempts to stop him. Levels take inspiration from locations such as villages, jungles, mountain areas and the palace, although much of the film's dialogue and humour is naturally lost in the transition to an 8-bit handheld.
Kuzco has a surprisingly varied move set. He can run, jump, duck, headbutt enemies and perform a charging attack that can smash through certain barriers. His most distinctive ability is spitting, which functions as a ranged projectile after collecting spit drops as ammunition. It is easily the most entertaining mechanic in the game and can also be used to interact with switches and other objects.
Stages combine straightforward platforming with light puzzle elements. Progress frequently involves activating switches, opening doors, breaking obstacles and navigating hazards such as spiders, bats, pits and rolling objects. Some doors are timed, forcing you to quickly retrace a route after hitting a switch, while collectibles such as coins and hearts encourage a little exploration.
Unfortunately, controlling Kuzco can feel more awkward than his abilities suggest. His tall llama sprite creates an unusually large hitbox, and it is easy to bump his head against ceilings or the underside of platforms while jumping. This occasionally makes otherwise simple platforming sections frustrating. The headbutt also feels somewhat imprecise against enemies, while the spit attack is considerably more reliable.
Difficulty is generally moderate, but there are noticeable spikes. Timed gates and certain obstacle sequences can require memorisation rather than pure reaction, creating some trial and error. The game also isn't quite as forgiving as its Disney license might imply, although the inclusion of battery-backed saving prevents failure from becoming too punishing.
Visually, The Emperor’s New Groove is one of the stronger licensed Game Boy Color titles. Kuzco is represented by a large, detailed sprite with some nice animation, and the environments use bright colours effectively. Backgrounds vary enough between stages to stop the adventure from looking repetitive, and several locations are recognisable from the movie despite the hardware limitations.
The sound is much less memorable. Music and effects are functional but repetitive, and very little of the film's distinctive personality survives without extensive dialogue or voice acting. As a result, the game often feels more like a competent generic platformer using Emperor’s New Groove characters than a particularly faithful recreation of the movie.
Replay value is also limited. Once the adventure is completed, there are few meaningful incentives to return beyond collecting anything you missed. Still, the campaign is substantial enough for a handheld licensed game and offers a reasonable amount of content.
Overall, Disney’s The Emperor’s New Groove is a solid but unremarkable Game Boy Color platformer. The colourful presentation, varied move set and fun spit mechanic help it stand above the weakest movie tie-ins of the era, but awkward collision detection, stiff movement and occasional trial-and-error design hold it back. Fans of the film may enjoy a playthrough, but it never reaches the quality of the best platformers on the system.
