Max Payne

"Payne on the go!"

Scoot over Duke Nukem, Max Payne is here! The new badass in the video game world. He is kicking ass and taking names. He's hit both the Xbox and PS2 twice and now he's decided to hit the GBA. And this is just as good as the consoles! In reality this is a downgraded port of the first console Payne. But, it is not all that bad. If your a Gamecube owner with no other consoles than this is your only way to feel the Payne(with the Gameboy Player)!

What is it?
Its a 3rd person shooter. You look from an angled(why oh why!) top view and control your character. Max Payne was the first game to feature ''Bullet time'' and it makes a good transition to GBA. 3rd person games usually dont do well with me on GBA but I loved this game.

Graphics 8/10-
This game has surprisingly good graphics. All of the characters are in full 3D. Im surprised a GBA can even handle these graphics. When you shoot, and hit, blood splatters everywhere(hence the M rating). It even goes as far as splattering on the walls. It looks really good and there is no frame rate slowdown in sight.

Sound 10/10-
This is what makes the game shine. The audio in this game rocks! And, whats this? It has voice acting! And it sounds good too! The voice acting in this game is truly amazing. I didnt even know the GBA could handle this much voice acting before this game! And all of the voices help make the plot, without voices the game wouldnt be nearly as good.

Control 6/10-
This is the games downfall. I just couldnt get used to these awkward controls! For some strange reason they decided to go with an angled view, so up isnt going up, its going to the side. I hate this kind of camera. The control wasnt bad enough to ruin the entire game for me but it came close. Everything else felt smooth though. A to shoot, B to jump, Left shoulder to do bullet time and select to use your painkillers.

Overall 8/10-
This game has changed the way I look at GBA games. This game has outstanding sound, great graphics, and, well, we can forget about the controls now cant we? If you own a PS2 or Xbox then your better off saving $10 and getting the console version. However, this is a great alternative to anyone who missed the first round of Payne![I now take my leave, so no more stupid Payne jokes!]

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/17/04