Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Playthrough of Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, HotGen’s action-adventure game published by THQ for the Game Boy Color in 2001. Rather than attempting a direct conversion of LucasArts’ 3D PC and Nintendo 64 game, HotGen completely reworked the adventure into a 2D diagonal-view puzzle-platformer designed around the limitations of Nintendo’s handheld. The result is an unusually ambitious licensed GBC game that manages to preserve much of the exploration and puzzle-solving of the original.
Rating: 7/10
Set in 1947, the story follows Indiana Jones as he races Soviet agents to locate the four pieces of the ancient Infernal Machine. The plot is heavily simplified compared with the PC and N64 versions, with brief sequences between stages providing most of the context, but the globe-trotting archaeological theme remains intact.
Gameplay is viewed from an angled top-down perspective that gives the environments a pseudo-3D appearance. Indy can run, jump, climb, swim, crawl and interact with objects while navigating ruins, caves, military installations and other hazardous locations. His whip can be used both against enemies and to cross certain gaps, while firearms and explosives provide additional options in combat.
Despite the weapons, combat is secondary to exploration. Most stages revolve around finding keys, operating switches, pushing objects, locating hidden passages and determining the correct route through increasingly maze-like environments. Later sections also introduce abilities connected to pieces of the Infernal Machine, adding further variety to the puzzles.
The level design can be impressively elaborate for a Game Boy Color title, but it is also responsible for many of the game’s frustrations. Objectives are not always obvious, and missing a switch or item can result in considerable backtracking. GameSpot’s contemporary review specifically criticized the amount of wandering and the lack of puzzle guidance, awarding the GBC version 6.9/10.
Platforming can also be unforgiving. Because of the diagonal perspective, judging exactly where Indy will land is occasionally difficult, and climbing or whip interactions sometimes require very precise positioning. Death is especially painful because there are no mid-level checkpoints, meaning a mistake late in a stage can force you to repeat a substantial amount of progress. The game uses passwords rather than battery-backed saves.
Visually, however, Infernal Machine is impressive. Indy has a surprisingly large range of animations, including climbing, swimming and pulling himself onto ledges, and the environments use detailed tiles and shading to create convincing depth. The variety of locations also helps prevent the lengthy adventure from becoming visually monotonous.
Audio is considerably more restrained. Sound effects accompany footsteps, weapons, switches, water and other interactions, but much of the actual exploration takes place without continuous background music. This makes some areas feel unusually quiet, although it can also add to the atmosphere of exploring abandoned ruins.
Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine is not one of the easiest Game Boy Color adventures to play. Its long stages, limited guidance, heavy backtracking and harsh penalty for dying require considerable patience. At the same time, it is far more ambitious than the average handheld movie-license game. Instead of reducing Indiana Jones to a simple side-scrolling platformer, HotGen created a substantial puzzle-adventure with exploration, combat and environmental interaction.
It has rough edges, but players who enjoy methodical games such as the Game Boy Color Tomb Raider titles should find plenty to appreciate. Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine successfully captures the feeling of cautiously exploring dangerous ancient locations and remains one of the more interesting and technically impressive action-adventures released for the system.
Playthrough of Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, HotGen’s action-adventure game published by THQ for the Game Boy Color in 2001. Rather than attempting a direct conversion of LucasArts’ 3D PC and Nintendo 64 game, HotGen completely reworked the adventure into a 2D diagonal-view puzzle-platformer designed around the limitations of Nintendo’s handheld. The result is an unusually ambitious licensed GBC game that manages to preserve much of the exploration and puzzle-solving of the original.
Rating: 7/10
Set in 1947, the story follows Indiana Jones as he races Soviet agents to locate the four pieces of the ancient Infernal Machine. The plot is heavily simplified compared with the PC and N64 versions, with brief sequences between stages providing most of the context, but the globe-trotting archaeological theme remains intact.
Gameplay is viewed from an angled top-down perspective that gives the environments a pseudo-3D appearance. Indy can run, jump, climb, swim, crawl and interact with objects while navigating ruins, caves, military installations and other hazardous locations. His whip can be used both against enemies and to cross certain gaps, while firearms and explosives provide additional options in combat.
Despite the weapons, combat is secondary to exploration. Most stages revolve around finding keys, operating switches, pushing objects, locating hidden passages and determining the correct route through increasingly maze-like environments. Later sections also introduce abilities connected to pieces of the Infernal Machine, adding further variety to the puzzles.
The level design can be impressively elaborate for a Game Boy Color title, but it is also responsible for many of the game’s frustrations. Objectives are not always obvious, and missing a switch or item can result in considerable backtracking. GameSpot’s contemporary review specifically criticized the amount of wandering and the lack of puzzle guidance, awarding the GBC version 6.9/10.
Platforming can also be unforgiving. Because of the diagonal perspective, judging exactly where Indy will land is occasionally difficult, and climbing or whip interactions sometimes require very precise positioning. Death is especially painful because there are no mid-level checkpoints, meaning a mistake late in a stage can force you to repeat a substantial amount of progress. The game uses passwords rather than battery-backed saves.
Visually, however, Infernal Machine is impressive. Indy has a surprisingly large range of animations, including climbing, swimming and pulling himself onto ledges, and the environments use detailed tiles and shading to create convincing depth. The variety of locations also helps prevent the lengthy adventure from becoming visually monotonous.
Audio is considerably more restrained. Sound effects accompany footsteps, weapons, switches, water and other interactions, but much of the actual exploration takes place without continuous background music. This makes some areas feel unusually quiet, although it can also add to the atmosphere of exploring abandoned ruins.
Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine is not one of the easiest Game Boy Color adventures to play. Its long stages, limited guidance, heavy backtracking and harsh penalty for dying require considerable patience. At the same time, it is far more ambitious than the average handheld movie-license game. Instead of reducing Indiana Jones to a simple side-scrolling platformer, HotGen created a substantial puzzle-adventure with exploration, combat and environmental interaction.
It has rough edges, but players who enjoy methodical games such as the Game Boy Color Tomb Raider titles should find plenty to appreciate. Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine successfully captures the feeling of cautiously exploring dangerous ancient locations and remains one of the more interesting and technically impressive action-adventures released for the system.
