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[radioheadrule83]

GTA Advance was out today. Anyone pick it up? If so, does it come with a paper map of Liberty City? I read the IGN review which seemed to indicate that it does, but my box didn't have one.

Anyway, not played very far so far. Done a few errands for Vinnie, got the getaway car sorted and now I'm picking up money. Thanks to the blurb on the back of the box, I pretty much know one of the next few missions isn't going to be successful and Vinnie's going bye-bye. Anyone any further?

Initial thoughts are: it's still a really great GBA game, but they actually used more 3d than IGN and Gamespot made me think they had. The textures on rooftoops are really low, and watching the pixels jut about kind of detracts from an otherwise okay experience. The framerate is about standard fare... but I actually think Payback might run just as fast, and that's full 3d. I love the way the cars can come off the ground, tilt as they turn, or flip out and roll over if you push em too much. They get damaged and blow up in a similar way to GTA 3 if you end up on your back.. you can get out and leg it before they blow. The taxis, police cars, fire engines, ambulances and possibly other vehicles all have paramedic/vigilante/taxi-fare/etc missions when you hit L + R together. And the city is really huge.

All in all I REALLY like it as a GBA game. But I can't help but feel I should have saved £30 towards an Xbox, or one of my next games: Paper Mario 2, Zelda: Minish Cap, Metroid Prime 2 etc.

Anyway, I'd love to read the thoughts of others. Especially if you're further on in the game.

Thom

 

[Lemurnator]

I read the IGN review which seemed to indicate that it does, but my box didn't have one.

Display copy?

Yeah. I have it. I think it's pretty crappy. Why have a city so big when everything looks the same?

Should have been saved for PSP.

 

[shuri]

Did you ever play the 2d ones back then? If its pretty much the same, i'm off to the store

 

[radioheadrule83]

Did you ever play the 2d ones back then? If its pretty much the same, i'm off to the store

Yeah it's quite similar - check the video at the site:

http://www.rockstargames.com/grandtheftauto/gba/

I'm a bit spoilt by the crisp graphics, coloured lighting and high resolutions of the games on the PC I think, but as a GBA game it's not that bad really. I'm really interested to see what it's like when I get into it.

 

[Mzo]

I played and loved GTA, GTA London, and GTA 2 on the PC.

GBA GTA is VERY similar in style, with a more cartoony stance. I tried it out for a bit, found the graphics gratingly ugly and the framerate unacceptable. Oh well.

 

[shuri]

Ugh the framerate is terrible

 

[tedtropy]

Yeah, I've only played it for a few minutes, but the first thing that leaped to mind upon playing was "man this is sluggish". While techinically impressive, I just don't think the system was up to the task power-wise of doing a good version of this game. Oh, and does anybody remember 'Karnaaj' - the GBA game with HORRIBLE box art but GREAT in-game graphics and was pretty fun in the nostalgic Death Rally-esque sense? Why hasn't that engine been used in more games...