Kyle Blackthorne
The game's protagonist, a human soldier who returns to Tuul armed with a shotgun and determined to challenge Sarlac.
How it plays
Blackthorne is played from a side-view perspective across connected stages. Kyle must move through hostile environments, defeat guards and monsters with his shotgun, find keys and switches, and free imprisoned villagers who can reveal routes or assist his progress.
The campaign is divided into themed areas with increasingly complex traps, ambushes, and platforming challenges. Players can crouch, jump, climb, turn quickly, and use the environment for cover. Progress depends on exploration and solving local obstacles rather than simply defeating every enemy.
Plan your run
Use cover whenever possible, especially against enemies that can kill Kyle quickly. Crouching behind terrain can let him fire safely while avoiding incoming shots.
Search each area for keys, switches, hidden passages, and prisoners before moving forward. Rescued villagers often provide useful information, and careless movement can trigger ambushes or traps.
Meet the cast
The game's protagonist, a human soldier who returns to Tuul armed with a shotgun and determined to challenge Sarlac.
The tyrannical ruler of Tuul and the central antagonist.
Before you begin
Learn enemy attack timing before advancing into open spaces.
Check platforms and recesses for keys, switches, and prisoners.
Use the shotgun deliberately; rushing into groups of enemies is dangerous.
Blackthorne is a cinematic action-platform game developed by 7 Studios for the Game Boy Advance and published by Interplay Entertainment. It follows Kyle Blackthorne, a stranded human soldier who returns to the fantasy world of Tuul to overthrow the tyrant Sarlac and rescue its people. The game combines side-scrolling exploration, platforming, gunplay, environmental puzzles, and hostage rescue. Its deliberate movement and dark science-fantasy atmosphere distinguish it from faster arcade platformers. The original game was generally recognized for its moody presentation and Prince of Persia-inspired animation, while the GBA version brought the adventure to a portable audience with revised presentation and additional content.
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