Grand Theft Auto Advance

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Grand Theft Auto Advance
Grand Theft Auto Advance.jpg
Developer(s)Digital Eclipse
Publisher(s)Rockstar Games
Director(s)Michael Mika Sr.
Producer(s)
  • James Stanley
  • William S. Schmitt
Programmer(s)Cathryn Mataga
Artist(s)
  • Boyd Burggrabe
  • Daniel Shallock
Writer(s)James Stanley
SeriesGrand Theft Auto
Platform(s)Game Boy Advance
Release26 October 2004[1]
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Grand Theft Auto Advance (also marketed as Grand Theft Auto) is a 2004 action-adventure game developed by Digital Eclipse and published by Rockstar Games. The eighth instalment in the Grand Theft Auto series, it was released for the Game Boy Advance on 26 October 2004 (the same day Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was released for the PlayStation 2).[1] The game takes place in Liberty City (a fictional parody of New York City), the same setting used for Grand Theft Auto III, to which it serves as a prequel. The story, set one year before Grand Theft Auto III, follows small-time criminal Mike's quest for revenge after his partner's supposed death, which leads him to become entangled in a world of organised crime, gang warfare, and corruption.

The game is played from a top-down perspective, similar to the style used in Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2; despite this, it is part of the series' "3D universe" canon, sharing continuity with the three-dimensional games of the franchise. It also features most gameplay elements of the 3D Grand Theft Auto games, including the vehicle-based side-missions, most weapons, the use of safe houses, and the style of the heads-up display. The game received mixed reviews from critics, and was followed by Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, another Grand Theft Auto III prequel, in 2005.

Gameplay[]

Screenshot of the game's main menu, showing the game's logo in the top-center, the logo of Rockstar Games in the bottom-left, and that of Digital Eclipse in the bottom-right. The bottom-center of the image displays the command "Press Start".
Title screen
Game cartridge

Grand Theft Auto Advance is an action-adventure game set in an open world environment and played from a top-down perspective. The game had to be adapted to the Game Boy Advance's hardware limitations. As a result, it does not have animated cutscenes, nor does it have Grand Theft Auto III's much-lauded pedestrian dialogue. All cutscenes are text-only with hand-drawn pictures of the characters' faces, with a thematic backdrop behind. The art style is consistent with that used for the cover and loading art of the three-dimensional releases in the series. Replacing the pedestrian dialogue, some soundbites taken from Grand Theft Auto III are played when the player hits someone's car. Short police radio voiceovers will announce the player's location and vehicle type when the player commits a crime.

The game does not feature radio channels. Like the Game Boy Color ports of Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2, each car has one fixed tune that is constantly repeated and cannot be changed. These include parts of some familiar Grand Theft Auto, Grand Theft Auto 2 and Grand Theft Auto III tunes, in instrumental versions. Despite this, billboards for the radio stations featured in Grand Theft Auto III can be seen throughout Liberty City.[2]

Synopsis[]

Setting and characters[]

The game is set in 2000 within Liberty City, the same setting used in Grand Theft Auto III. As the setting had to be recreated for the Game Boy Advance, much of it was noticeably changed in its conversion, including elements that were impossible to interpret to from the game's top-view perspective. As a result of these changes, players familiar with the original setting have to explore it afresh in Grand Theft Auto Advance.

As a prequel to Grand Theft Auto III, the game features both new and returning characters. The protagonist is an original character named Mike, who in his quest to avenge the supposed death of his partner, Vinnie, crosses paths with several prominent criminals that offer him assistance. These include explosives expert and firearms trader 8-Ball, Yardies leader King Courtney, and Yakuza co-leader Asuka Kasen, all previously featured in Grand Theft Auto III, although their characters received significant changes in appearance and lifestyle to reflect who they were one year prior.

Plot[]

Small-time criminal Mike works for the more connected criminal Vinnie in hopes of leaving Liberty City with him and retiring from their life of crime. Vinnie convinces Mike to do work for the Mafia in order to achieve this goal. However, after several jobs, Vinnie is seemingly killed in a car bomb explosion, which also destroys all their money. Mike vows revenge, and quickly falls out with the Mafia as he investigates Vinnie's murder. After carrying out some jobs for 8-Ball, an explosives expert and old acquaintance of Vinnie's, he points Mike to a bartender named Jonnie, who maintains connections with the city's criminal underworld and might help him find the answers he seeks. Jonnie hires Mike for several jobs while they investigate Vinnie's murder together, until the former is suddenly killed midway through the investigation.

While searching for the killer, Mike spots some Yardies leaving Jonnie's bar in a rush, and follows them to their leader, King Courtney. Courtney denies any involvement in Jonnie's murder, claiming that his men were only sent to collect money Jonnie owed to him, and offers to help find the true culprit. After carrying out some jobs for him, Courtney points Mike to Colombian Cartel leader Cisco. When Mike confronts Cisco, however, he quickly realizes that the man is innocent, and that Courteny has been using him all along to eliminate his rivals. Mike then begins working separately for the Cartel and their main rivals, the Yakuza, led by Asuka Kasen, in hopes either gang will aid his investigation. After Cisco is suddenly killed, Mike pursues the murderer, and is shocked to find a still-living Vinnie, who reveals that he faked his own death to flee Liberty City with their money, and killed both Jonnie and Cisco to ensure Mike never learned the truth. Enraged at his former partner's betrayal, Mike kills Vinnie after fighting him and steals his money, despite Vinnie's warnings that every criminal in the city will now target him for his wealth (which Mike ignores).

While meeting with 8-Ball to tell him how his investigation ended, Mike is attacked by the Cartel, who assumed that he had killed Cisco. Although Mike escapes the attack, 8-Ball is injured during the shootout and subsequently arrested by the police. After dealing with the Cartel's new leader, Mike learns Courtney is after his money and meets with Asuka one final time to plan an ambush. However, the Yakuza fail to show up for the attack, leaving Mike to face Courtney on his own. Mike gravely injures Courtney but before he can finish him off, the police raid Courtney's hideout, forcing Mike to make his escape. After evading the police, he goes to the airport and leaves Liberty City in Cisco's private plane, heading to Colombia to start a new life with his wealth.

Reception[]

Grand Theft Auto Advance received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[3]

The graphics of the game received mixed to positive commentary from critics, who likened it to other Game Boy Advance games. Craig Harris of IGN said that the game "does a good job of looking like the old GTA games."[6] Loki of Game Chronicles said that the game uses "plenty of tricks" to give it a "3D feel," and that there's a "real sense of depth and perspective as you gaze down upon Liberty City."[7] Conversely, 1UP staff said that the game has "flat visuals" that are a "poor leap" compared to previous games in the Grand Theft Auto series.[8]

The game's music received mixed reactions. IGN's Craig Harris said that the songs on the radio stations in the vehicles are "pretty repetitive and aren't so great."[6] 1UP.com's Scott Sharkey stated that the music is "pretty bad," and named the radio tracks "very short and repetitive."[9] Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot commented on the camera movements whilst driving, and that it "doesn't zoom out far enough to give you a good view of the road."[5]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Rockstar North. "Grand Theft Auto Advance". Rockstar Games. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  2. ^ Gerstmann, Jeff (26 October 2004). "Grand Theft Auto review". GameSpot. Retrieved 28 April 2007.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Grand Theft Auto for Game Boy Advance Reviews". Metacritic.
  4. ^ Game Informer review, Jan 2005, p.148
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Gerstmann, Jeff (26 October 2004). "Grand Theft Auto Advance Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 24 June 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Grand Theft Auto – Game Boy Advance". IGN. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2007.
  7. ^ Loki (8 January 2005). "Review". Game Chronicles. Archived from the original on 5 April 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  8. ^ 1UP Staff (6 February 2005). "GTA Advance Review for GBA from 1UP.com". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  9. ^ Sharkey, Scott (10 November 2004). "GTA Advance Review for GBA from 1UP.com". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.

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