Gotta slay 'em all!

Recent hiccups relating to Diablo 3 aside, Blizzard's fantasy series has been a critical and commercial smash for years now - so much so that the company was at one point considering a money-spinning version for the Nintendo Game Boy Color.

Named Diablo Junior, the game would have taken a leaf from Pokémon's book by launching as multiple editions, allowing players to exchange exclusive characters with one another. Development began around the same time as Diablo 2, and a Game Boy Advance version was also on the cards.

These revelations come from Blizzard biographer David Craddock, who is currently working on an unofficial history of Blizzard called Stay Awhile And Listen, and has spoken to more than 80 ex-employees of the company - which is also responsible for the popular MMO World of Warcraft.

Here he is to tell you a bit more:

The team at Blizzard wanted to release three cartridges, each packing a different hero in the warrior-rogue-sorcerer vein as well as items that players would have to trade for in order to collect. Heroes started in a unique town before heading into dungeons and wilderness zones.

Diablo Junior was ultimately put out to pasture because of the steep production costs associated with developing handheld games.

[source edge-online.com, via shacknews.com]