Grand Theft Auto Advance

Grand Theft Auto Advance (also marketed as Grand Theft Auto) is a 2004 action-adventure game developed by Digital Eclipse and published by Rockstar Games. The eighth instalment in the Grand Theft Auto series, it was released for the Game Boy Advance on 26 October 2004 (the same day Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was released for the PlayStation 2).[1] Set within the fictional Liberty City (loosely based on New York City) in the year 2000, the game is a prequel to Grand Theft Auto III and follows a new protagonist, small-time criminal Mike, who becomes entangled in a world of organised crime, gang warfare, and corruption while investigating his partner's apparent death.

Grand Theft Auto Advance
Developer(s)Digital Eclipse
Publisher(s)Rockstar Games
Director(s)Michael Mika Sr.
Producer(s)
  • James Stanley
  • William S. Schmitt
Programmer(s)Cathryn Mataga
Artist(s)
  • Boyd Burggrabe
  • Daniel Shallock
Writer(s)James Stanley
SeriesGrand Theft Auto
Platform(s)Game Boy Advance
Release26 October 2004[1]
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

The game is played from a top-down perspective, similar to the style used in Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2. Despite this, it is part of the same "3D universe" canon as the previous three instalments in the series, continuing plot threads established in said games. Several gameplay elements from the 3D games also return, including vehicle-based side-missions, the style of the heads-up display, most weapons, and the use of safe houses. Upon release, Grand Theft Auto Advance received mixed reviews from critics. The next instalment in the series, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, was released in 2005.

Gameplay
Title screen
Game cartridge

Grand Theft Auto Advance is an action-adventure game set in an open world environment and played from a top-down perspective. The game had to be adapted to the Game Boy Advance's hardware limitations. As a result, it does not have animated cutscenes, nor does it have Grand Theft Auto III's much-lauded pedestrian dialogue. All cutscenes are text-only with hand-drawn pictures of the characters' faces, with a thematic backdrop behind. The art style is consistent with that used for the cover and loading art of the three-dimensional releases in the series. Replacing the pedestrian dialogue, some soundbites taken from Grand Theft Auto III are played when the player hits someone's car. Short police radio voiceovers will announce the player's location and vehicle type when the player commits a crime.

The game does not feature radio channels. Like the Game Boy Color ports of Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2, each car has one fixed tune that is constantly repeated and cannot be changed. These include parts of some familiar Grand Theft Auto, Grand Theft Auto 2 and Grand Theft Auto III tunes, in instrumental versions. Despite this, billboards for the radio stations featured in Grand Theft Auto III can be seen throughout Liberty City.[2]

Synopsis

Setting

The game is set in 2000 within Liberty City, the same setting used in Grand Theft Auto III. As the setting had to be recreated for the Game Boy Advance, much of it was noticeably changed in its conversion, including elements that were impossible to interpret to from the game's top-view perspective. As a result of these changes, players familiar with the original setting have to explore it afresh in Grand Theft Auto Advance.

Plot

Small-time criminal Mike works for the more connected criminal Vinnie in hopes of leaving Liberty City with him and retiring from their life of crime. Vinnie convinces Mike to do work for the Mafia in order to achieve this goal. However, after several jobs, Vinnie is seemingly killed in a car bomb explosion, which also destroys all their money. Mike vows revenge, and quickly falls out with the Mafia as he seeks out the truth behind Vinnie's murder. Meeting with explosives expert 8-Ball, Mike carries out several jobs for him while he investigates Vinnie's death. 8-Ball eventually points Mike to bartender Jonnie, who maintains connections with the city's criminal underworld. While working for him, Mike comes closer to uncovering the truth, only for Jonnie to be killed midway through his investigation.

Searching for the killer, Mike confronts King Courtney, the leader of the Yardies, as some of his men were seen leaving Jonnie's bar shortly after the murder. Denying any involvement and claiming that his men were sent to collect money Jonnie owed to him, Courtney offers to help find the true culprit. After carrying out some jobs for him, Courtney points Mike to Colombian Cartel leader Cisco, only for the latter to plead innocence. Realizing that Courtney was only using him to eliminate his rivals, Mike cuts all ties with him, and begins working for Cisco. During this time, he is approached by Yakuza leader Asuka Kasen, who, unware of his affiliation with the Cartel, also enlists his assistance with several jobs.

After working for both gangs and coming no closer to uncovering the truth behind Vinnie and Jonnie's deaths, Mike returns to Cisco, only to find that he too has been murdered. Pursuing the killer, Mike is shocked to find a still-living Vinnie, who admits to faking his own death in order to flee Liberty City with their money, and to killing both Jonnie and Cisco to prevent Mike from uncovering the truth. Enraged at his former partner's betrayal, Mike mortally wounds Vinnie in a shootout, who warns him that every criminal in the city will target him for his wealth before dying.

While meeting with 8-Ball to tell him how his investigation ended, Mike is attacked by the Cartel, who assumed that he had killed Cisco. Although Mike escapes the attack, 8-Ball is injured during the shootout and subsequently arrested by the police. After dealing with the Cartel's new leader, Mike learns Courtney is after his money and meets with Asuka to plan an ambush. However, the Yakuza fail to show up for the attack, leaving Mike to face Courtney on his own. Before he can finish him off, the police raid Courtney's hideout, forcing Mike to make his escape. After evading the police, he boards Cisco's private plane at the airport and finally leaves Liberty City, heading to Colombia to start a new life with his wealth.

Reception

Grand Theft Auto Advance received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[3]

The graphics of the game received mixed to positive commentary from critics, who likened it to other Game Boy Advance games. Craig Harris of IGN said that the game "does a good job of looking like the old GTA games."[6] Loki of Game Chronicles said that the game uses "plenty of tricks" to give it a "3D feel," and that there's a "real sense of depth and perspective as you gaze down upon Liberty City."[7] Conversely, 1UP staff said that the game has "flat visuals" that are a "poor leap" compared to previous games in the Grand Theft Auto series.[8]

The game's music received mixed reactions. IGN's Craig Harris said that the songs on the radio stations in the vehicles are "pretty repetitive and aren't so great."[6] 1UP.com's Scott Sharkey stated that the music is "pretty bad," and named the radio tracks "very short and repetitive."[9] Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot commented on the camera movements whilst driving, and that it "doesn't zoom out far enough to give you a good view of the road."[5]

References
  1. Rockstar North. "Grand Theft Auto Advance". Rockstar Games. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  2. Gerstmann, Jeff (26 October 2004). "Grand Theft Auto review". GameSpot. Retrieved 28 April 2007.
  3. "Grand Theft Auto for Game Boy Advance Reviews". Metacritic.
  4. Game Informer review, Jan 2005, p.148
  5. Gerstmann, Jeff (26 October 2004). "Grand Theft Auto Advance Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 24 June 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  6. "Grand Theft Auto – Game Boy Advance". IGN. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2007.
  7. Loki (8 January 2005). "Review". Game Chronicles. Archived from the original on 5 April 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  8. 1UP Staff (6 February 2005). "GTA Advance Review for GBA from 1UP.com". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  9. Sharkey, Scott (10 November 2004). "GTA Advance Review for GBA from 1UP.com". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
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