Top Gear Pocket

"How can you find a racing game worse than this?"

This game has to be one of the worse racing games I've ever played. The only redeeming point is the rumbling pack, although that makes it one of the largest eyesores ever in a Gameboy Advance. The gamepack sticks a full two and a half inches out of the top of the Gameboy. It’s about six times the volume of a GBA pack, and has to have a triple-A battery to power itself. It’s rated E, for excrutiating.

Graphics: You drive a little car, normally centered on the center of the screen. There's a plastered generic background on the back, and it's the same repeating colors, and occasionally some trees that you ''whiz'' by. I’ve seen more colors when the TV messes up playing a black and white movie. The cars consist of about 5 regular frames of animation, straight, slight left, heavy left, and slight right, hard right. Occasionally, this game pulls out all the stops and spins your car around! Whoo! 4/10

Gameplay: Races consist of you starting in last, and over a frustrating three minutes, slowly passing everyone in an exercise that requires no skill. There's no shortcuts, no strategy. Don't run off the road, and hold down the A button as long as you can. You win..... yeah. You can’t hit another car to pass it, you slow down, and probably spin, while they speed merrily on their way. Did I mention that even with the largest gameboy cart in history, there's no battery saving, even though you have to cram in a triple-A battery? Passcodes baby. 2/10

Sound: A seemingly random tune plays as you start the game, but the real fun starts when the race begins..... when there is no music at all. The only sound you hear are a stunningly repetitive engine sound, and your own muttered curses at yourself for shelling out $30 for this game. 2/10

Other Stuff: The Rumble Pack is actually fun. I wish Nintendo had considered a rumble in the gameboy advance, it does add a lot to an otherwise lackluster game. Aside from that, there's no redeeming value. The link mode is available if you sucker a friend to take the fall with you, but even that simply involves seeing who gets ahead first, because once you’re in the lead, you’ve really got to try to lose. Pick up a copy of Gran Turismo 1 for 5 bucks and get a PS1. You'll have more fun, and who knows, it might cost less than this. Overall Grade: 3/10

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 05/20/02, Updated 05/20/02