V-Rally 3

"The best driving game on the gba!"

V-Rally 3

The gameboy color (gbc) didn’t have a single driving game that was a worthy buy. The gbc incarnation of V-Rally was way to easy, Top Gear Rally was a joke when it came to speed and excitement and it became obvious that the gbc could’t handle the genre. When the gba arrived and racers like F-Zero and Mario Kart showed that it could handle pheduso 3D games, all driving fans expected the game GT Advance Championship Racing to finally deliver the goods. But the worst password-system ever seen prevented it from living up to its potential and the gaming world mourned. Now, a game called V-Rally 3 has arrived, promising great looks and lots of cars and tracks. Can it manage to live up to the hype? Let’s find out.

Graphics: The game’s biggest selling point, and it does not disappoint. It looks remarkably realistic for a gba game and there is a great variation in the landscapes. It is a crying shame you don’t have time to admire the scenery, as it looks really awesome. But it is not perfect, as there are some ugly glitches in the game, like being able to see your rival drivers through a wall when you’re in a sharp corner. But that is nit-picking on a game that at times looks like a PSX game.
9/10

Sound/Music: The engine noise sounds like it should, so do the sound effects. It has to mentioned that the some crowd cheering noises sounds terrible though. The music is mediocre and something you don’t pay attention to when playing. Overall it’s not much more you can say about the sound, as it is insignificant to your experience of the game.
6,5/10

Gameplay: Really good with several options for you to chose from. The main part of the game is the V-rally mode where you pick a team and race through several different countries for points and unlock more teams to drive for. You don’t race directly against other cars, it’s more like a time-trial where you have to get the fastest time to obtain points, and the driver with the best overall time for the five tracks in each country wins. Your car can also take damage in this mode, affecting the steering and speed among other things. Fortunately you can repair your car between the races. In V-Rally Cross you race three other cars, and here only victory is good enough for opening access to new cars. There is also the usual time-trail in here, were you drive to beat your own best lap time. The control is good and there is a big difference from driving in asphalted France to the dusty Kenya. You also have the ability to change tyres, which is often crucial to your success in a race. The driving conditions vary from sunset and night driving to snow and rain. The game is also fast, really fast in fact, and without any slowdown to spoil your fun. And do not worry, the save system is on-cart (take that GT Advance Championchip Racing).
8,5/10

Replayability/Lifespan: You come back for more, both to beat your best lap record, and to finish the V-rally Mode with another team. You still play this game several weeks after beating it, even though it is a pretty easy game.
8/10

To Rent or to Buy?
I think you should buy this game, unless you really hate rally games. It is great to finally see a driving game on a gameboy that is worth the money you pay for it, and means we can finally put the quality racer-less gbc area behind us. It is the best driving game on the gba and a worthy purchase for driving fans.

Overall:8/10  

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/26/02, Updated 12/04/02