Griffin is a deep cut. A top-down tank shooting game from Telenet, it was released in 1991 exclusively on Game Gear in Japan. Because of its obscurity and rarity, it typically sells for around $200 on eBay. Luckily, for those who don't require a hard copy, the game is now available digitally on modern systems thanks to publisher Ratalaika Games. At $5.99, Griffin is far more affordable than ever. But is it worth your time and energy?

The size and mechanical scope of Griffin is small, which is understandable considering its genre and the fact it was born on a handheld device with a 3.2-inch screen. From an overhead perspective, you'll guide your tank in eight directions through four stages, each with aggressive enemies, power-ups, bosses, and unique backdrops. You'll begin in a jungle, segue to a desert, move into the sky — where the game briefly transitions into a vertically-scrolling shoot-'em-up — and end in a high-tech facility. 

Well, you don't exactly end there, at least not at first. In order to actually finish the game, and see the final splash screen (a provocative image of the heroine), you must replay stages 1, 2, and 4 at slightly higher difficulties. So, think of Griffin as a seven-stage game. Even with that extra content, though, it's painfully short. You can expect to finish it in about 30 minutes. It's a very fleeting experience, and it doesn't compel you to revisit it anytime soon, since the gameplay does nothing to capture your imagination.

Indeed, compared to the better tank games of the era — titles like TNK III — Griffin plays quite poorly. The controls are stiff, the levels don't offer anything exciting or unusual, and the same enemies are repeated throughout. To be fair, the game does add one interesting wrinkle: three weapons types, useful in different situations. The standard shot is weak but can be directed in all eight directions; the sub-weapon won't contact nearby enemies, but can reach those hiding on the other side of a wall or tree; and the special weapon can only be fired forward but does lots of splash damage. It's a nifty idea, although limited by the stage and enemy variety — not to mention the irksome need to pause the game every time you want to swap weapons.

As for the graphics, they're fine by Game Gear standards but don't benefit from being blown up on a 50-inch monitor. As a result, playing in handheld mode on Switch is actually the preferred option.

This modern port, developed by Edia Co., doesn't do anything to improve upon the core gameplay or enhance the visuals. Rather, it offers a few bells and whistles: rewind & fast-forward functionality, save states, screen filters, cheat codes, an art gallery, and a jukebox. The art gallery is a mixed bag. While it includes scanned manuals and box art, everything is in Japanese, limiting its usefulness to an international audience. Furthermore, the scan work looks a bit clumsy, as if it was captured on an iPhone.

The best part of the package, unexpectedly, is the jukebox. It contains the main theme song to Griffin, which is a complete delight. Seriously, it's great. You might want to consider forking over $5.99 just to have it at your fingertips.

Unfortunately, the theme song is the only great part of Griffin. The base game is clunky, shallow, short, and repetitive, and the additional bells and whistles, while nice, don't do anything to elevate the core experience from 1991. If you're a Game Gear fanatic who doesn't want to pay $200 for a hard copy, you might want to consider picking this up, if only to help complete your collection. But remember: just because something is rare doesn't mean it's any good.