ZanZarah: The Hidden Portal

ZanZarah: The Hidden Portal (2002)

by Funatics Development, Daedalic Entertainment, THQ
Genres:Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Themes:Open world, Action, Fantasy
Game modes:Single player
Story:The legends speak of a long forgotten prophecy... of a shining hero and of perilous adventures... of sinister powers, strange worlds and swarms of fairies ... but they said nothing of a girl with a big heart instead of a big sword!
user avatarAdded by @Max_R
Vote to bring this game to GOG and help preserve it.
2 043
Trailers and screenshots
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Screenshot
Stories about this game (11)
What’s your memory of ZanZarah: The Hidden Portal?Share your favorite moments and see what others remember about this game.
user avatar@placeholder

Make sure to follow our Guidelines when adding new Stories.

If not sure what to write:
  • What made this game unforgettable?
  • Who did you play this game with?
  • What made it fun or challenging?
  • Why do you want this game on GOG?
user avatar@Ekylauser avatar@Ekyla
January 31, 2025
It was such a nice experience to play this game back in the days. The world was super nice, and the gameplay was fun. There were many different fairies and it felt like a Pokemon game but with different mechanics (arena fights with a FPS view). The story was simple but it felt great to walk around and try to capture all these fairies. Definitely a nice game that I would be happy to find on GOG !
user avatar@TeaCharmeruser avatar@TeaCharmer
January 31, 2025
Quake 3 Arena meets Pokemon! I remember I first played the demo of this game from one of the demo disks from a local magazine. I didn't understand the mechanics behind it but was captivated by the world nonetheless. The idea of catching the fairies and then shooting each other in a magical arena was quite cool for little me. Recently I've managed to play it again, and it was a great time. All the managing of the fairies to suit the environment, uncovering many secrets of the game and just walking around this beautiful world, especially with enhanced graphics courtesy of dgVoodoo wrapper was an absolute pleasure. Would love to see it brought back to life, it deserves it. And with games like Palworld nowadays combining Pokemon and survival games, Zanzarah was truly ahead of it's time.
user avatar@rob.liefelduser avatar@rob.liefeld
February 06, 2025
Loved this one so. Has on odd little world probably based on Brian Froud and the like, and the gameplay of Pokemon crossed with Unreal tournament. Charming, addictive, absolutely unique!
user avatar@Microsd6user avatar@Microsd6
February 10, 2025
Watching the fairies evolve as I played this game with one of my best friends was really quite unforgettable. We had to go through so many different attempts to make it run, as the Steam version is a buggy and unstable mess on modern hardware, but it was really worth it to let her experience that nostalgia again. I hope she can play this game again without having to perform a magic ritual to soothe the machine spirit of this game, which is why I would love t osee it on GOG!
user avatar@MajorTom828user avatar@MajorTom828
February 15, 2025
10 Elements, 77 fairies. This was one of my favourite games back then and I would love to see it revived in some way. The 3D battle was ambitious and it had its problems, but was all in all fun. I feel, how my memory slips with this one.
user avatar@Enclave270user avatar@Enclave270
February 18, 2025
Where should I start? I remember playing this when I was 9 years old on someone else's computer—the story, the gameplay, the music, everything—so much nostalgia. I have it on Steam, but it doesn't work; it's always crashing, despite the fact that I did not ask for a refund and kept it on Steam. Hopefully, if it gets a GOG release, it will be able to run modern hardware.
user avatar@stanistouser avatar@stanisto
March 24, 2025
The music!!!! I still have a CD of this game. The game gave that fairytale vibe and was just purly visualy very pleasing. I would love for my kids to also ejnoy the same thing.
A fairy-based Pokemon-like, with action, instead of turn-based combat? SOLD! I played this on Steam and was thoroughly entertained and invested. It might be buried there, but I think a perfect home like GOG would help it find the broad appreciation a game like that, from the time of 2002, deserves.
user avatar@Bastasiauser avatar@Bastasia
April 05, 2025
Well actually im not such an Fairy-Type-Lover but this Game i've liked to play when i've build my second Computer so in 2003 / 2004. The Story, the Levels, the Gameplay, the Music had me kept for a few Hours on my PC. But sadly on modern Hardware it is almost impossible to play old CD-Games from your Collections. I really wish i could play that Game again on my modern System without searching the Internet to how to make old CD-Games running on modern CPUs.
user avatar@ShadowMiauser avatar@ShadowMia
April 08, 2025
I love this game!!! The box art looked nice and so I bought it in a large supermarket at the time. Aaaaaand boy, was I in for a treat. It's a little like Pokemon but with a magical world to explore. Your fairies have different types and can evolve through experience. You fight against other wild fairies and "trainers" and control your fairies manually in the fight. I enjoyed every minute of it although it was not an easy game in the later parts. To this day, I still have the lyrics to the title theme memorized and listen to it often: At last, you found your way, to the realms of my world......
Those games also need your vote!
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
Onimusha 2: Samurai's DestinyOnimusha 2 is the second installment in the Onimusha series of video games released in May of 2002. The game retains the action elements from its predecessor such as the use of multiple special weapons that can be upgraded by defeating enemies. Apart from the main character, the game features four playable sub-characters, each of whom shares a part in the story. The player's actions determine which characters will decide to help Jubei in his quest. These characters were added by the Capcom staff to give a bigger depth to the game and expand the game's feeling of adventure.
Action
Fantasy
Historical
Horror
Action
Fantasy
Historical
Horror
2 026
5
Lost Planet 2
Lost Planet 2Lost Planet 2, the sequel to Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, the landmark third-person shooter that sold over 2.3 million units worldwide.
Action
Science fiction
Action
Science fiction
1 316
24
Bloodborne
BloodborneIntroducing Bloodborne, the latest Action RPG from renowned Japanese developer FromSoftware, makers of the hit Dark Souls series, coming exclusively to PlayStation 4. Face your fears as you search for answers in the ancient city of Yharnam, now cursed with a strange endemic illness spreading through the streets like wildfire. Danger, death and madness lurk around every corner of this dark and horrific world, and you must discover its darkest secrets in order to survive.
Open world
Action
Fantasy
Horror
Open world
Action
Fantasy
Horror
11 254
37
Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition
Final Fantasy XV: Royal EditionThis special edition of the game includes all previously released downloadable content, as well as new areas to explore and quests to conquer.
Action
Fantasy
Science fiction
Sandbox
Survival
Action
Fantasy
Science fiction
Sandbox
Survival
1 292
2
Final Fantasy XV
Final Fantasy XVFinal Fantasy XV is an action role-playing video game being developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is the fifteenth main installment in the Final Fantasy series, and forms part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis subseries, which also includes Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Type-0. Originally a spin-off titled Final Fantasy Versus XIII exclusive to the PlayStation 3, it is a heavy departure from previous games, providing a darker atmosphere that focuses on more realistic human characters than previous entries. The game features an open-world environment and action-based battle system similar to the Kingdom Hearts series and Type-0, incorporating the ability to switch weapons and other elements such as vehicle travel and camping.
Open world
Action
Fantasy
Science fiction
Sandbox
Survival
Open world
Action
Fantasy
Science fiction
Sandbox
Survival
707
2
Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition
Resident Evil 5: Gold EditionResident Evil 5: Gold Edition includes "Lost in Nightmares" and another campaign-expansion episode, "Desperate Escape", where players control Josh Stone and Jill Valentine as they assist Chris and Sheva. The edition also includes the previously released Versus mode, four new costumes and an alternate Mercenaries mode with eight new playable characters, new items and maps.
Action
Horror
Survival
Action
Horror
Survival
860
Resident Evil: Origins Collection
Resident Evil: Origins CollectionExperience the early days of the outbreak in Resident Evil Origins Collection, a compilation package of two with two Resident Evil origin stories: Resident Evil 0 and Resident Evil HD . Both terrifying games have been brought to new new levels of horror with new HD visuals, improved sound, widescreen support, an optional modernized control system and more.
Action
Horror
Survival
Action
Horror
Survival
1 175
American McGee's Alice
American McGee's AliceShortly after her second adventure, Through the Looking-Glass, Alice's house is burnt down by an accidental fire, killing her family and leaving her as the only survivor. As time progresses Alice loses touch with reality. She is institutionalized in Rutledge Asylum, where she is observed and treated by Dr. Heironymous Wilson. Alice's only possession in Rutledge is a stuffed rabbit. Ten years after Alice was committed to Rutledge, she finds herself sucked back into a Wonderland that has been twisted by her own broken mind. The White Rabbit summons Alice to aid a radically altered Wonderland, which became a twisted version of itself as it came under the horrible rule of the Queen of Hearts. The Cheshire Cat serves as Alice's companion throughout the game, frequently appearing to guide her with cryptic comments.
Top
Action
Horror
Top
Action
Horror
55 295
86
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Resident Evil 3: NemesisResident Evil 3: Nemesis is a survival horror video game and the third installment in the Resident Evil series. Like its two predecessors, it is a third-person action-adventure game with polygonal characters on pre-rendered backgrounds with cinematic camera angles. Although the game uses the same basic engine and gameplay as the previous games, the gameplay is improved by features such as auto-targeting, a 180 degree spin, and a new dodge move that allows Jill to avoid enemy attacks. The PC and Dreamcast versions includes all eight of Jill's possible costumes, as well as the mercenary mini-game Operation Mad Jackal which allows you to play as one of the three Umbrella soldiers. On the Playstation version, these special features must be unlocked by beating the game with a high score.
Action
Horror
Survival
Action
Horror
Survival
1 287
1
Half-Life: Alyx
Half-Life: AlyxHalf-Life: Alyx is Valve’s VR return to the Half-Life series. It’s the story of an impossible fight against a vicious alien race known as the Combine, set between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2. Set between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2, Alyx Vance and her father Eli mount an early resistance to the Combine's brutal occupation of Earth.
Action
Science fiction
Action
Science fiction
561
1