|
Preview  Top Gear GT Championship
- By Travis Coats
E3 2001 Impressions
After spending some time with this game I have truly come to appreciate the power and capabilities of the Game Boy Advance. This game was my first true hands on with the machine and I am certainly impressed.
Top Gear itself has a fast paced feel to it that adds to the realism depicted by the in game graphics. This is an impressive acheivement as all the GBA is really doing to convey motion of the cars is to simply move the ground. The entire experience can be likenend (not suprisingly) to the old Top Gear games for the SNES. While the technology is different the gameplay remains the same.
However despite that, not all of the levels were available to play so I didn't see any neat weather effects, which is unfortunate as I am a sucker for them. Also the only drawback to this game that I could find was the horizon. It just stood out (in a bad way) for some reason which stuck me as odd considering F-Zero: Maximum Velocity uses the same principles of motion. Perhaps it was just a side effect of staring at the tiny screen for so long, who knows.
Despite those minor flaws, this game is just as fun as I had expected it to be and I will certainly purchase a copy when it is available.
-Travis 05.18.2001
The Game Boy Advance is shaping up to be a racing fan’s dream. Already there have been multiple racing titles announced such as F-Zero: Maximum Velocity and Mario Kart: Super Circuit. Both titles are sure to be must haves, and if the system had no other racing games besides those two, many fans of the genre would be satisfied enough. However these gems are just the tip of the iceberg.
Either at or shortly after the new Game Boy’s launch, Kemco will release Top Gear GT Championship. Whereas Mario Kart and F-Zero are fantasy racing of a sort, GT Championship will be pure realism. The game appears to have it all. Everything from fully licensed and customizable vehicles, to weather effects and a four-player mode are included. Amazing as it might sound there is even a track editor. Very few racing games give the player the ability to create and race on a custom track. Finding one on a home console is hard enough, but for a portable system it is practically unheard of. As if that wasn’t enough the visuals on this game are excellent. It appears the sprite rendering power of the GBA is really being put to good use. The tracks are simple yet colorful, and the cars themselves are so finely detailed that it almost appears as they were miniaturized and driven right onto the screen.
Top Gear GT Championship Racing should make an excellent addition to Game Boy Advance line up. The game’s departure from the cuter side of racing should help distinguish it from the crowd, while its amazing visuals and GT style gameplay will keep players hooked. If games such as this are a preview of things to come then racing fans everywhere have reason to rejoice. The future of portable racing is looking very bright indeed.
-05.01.2001
- 5.18.2001 |
 |
|
Ghost mode.
Weather effects.
A crowded turn.
Customizing your car.
The track editor.
|
INFO |
Developer: Kemco
Publisher: Kemco
Number of Players: 1-4
Rumble Pak: No
Expansion Pak: No
Memory Pak: No
Transfer Pak: No
ESRB Rating: E
Release Date:
06.11.2001
|
|
|
