Car Battler Joe

"I don't really care for customizing my weapons, but blowing up other cars really makes up for it"

I bought this game because I needed a new Game Boy game, having beaten DragonBall Z. I heard this game was good, so I decided to buy it. Though it isn't as addictive as Metroid Fusion or A Link to the Past, it is still an awesome game worth purchase. Let's go over the details.

Graphics 9/10
They are great. I first noticed early on how well they did facial expressions. When Joe wakes up in the morning his mouth is wide open in an Anime style of sleeping. When he is asked a question, he shakes or nods his head (yeah I know that's nothing to get excited about, but I noticed it and thought it was cool). In town the buildings look great and the backgrounds are very detailed. While on the road bullets and explosions don't catch your eyes, but they are very detailed, as well as the scenery.

Sound 7/10
There's no voice acting so I can't judge that. The music in the game is good, but not great. There are no catchy tunes you constantly hum, but the music is nowhere near annoying, and that's a good thing.

Gameplay 8/10
Shooting other cars is just FUN! A is drive, B and up or down uses an ability, R fires, and the D-pad moves you. It's that simple. While doing one of the various jobs, you can follow the path and shoot all the cars on the way there. You can customize the weapons on your vehicle to your liking, which is a nice feature. However, some weapons are hard to use. An example is the rear-flamethrower. It is a powerful weapon to use, but the opponent HAS to be behind you, not in front of you. You also may repeatedly click R hoping to kill someone wondering why all your shots are missing. But, just watching a car blow up and collecting the loot it leaves is VERY satisfying. The dual levels are fun, too, but there isn't too much to say about it.

Multiplayer N/A
This game wasn't hyped very much, so none of my friends are likely to buy it. It sounds fun, though. I'd like to try it.

Overall: 8/10
This game is very satisfying and fun. The story may be corny, but as I said before, blowing up stuff more than makes up for it. It's isn't addictive, so you will probably pull it out a couple of times a day and play it for 5 minutes rather than hours on end. That isn't a bad thing, because save stations are everywhere. So, in conclusion, this is an underrated game that everyone should play. Buy it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/06/03, Updated 03/06/03