Welcome to Modojo, 
Grand Theft Auto Advance Review
Written by Modojo Staff on Monday, January 31, 2005
An all new experience that perfectly fits the license.
You can't save during missions. Wha?!
...Continued From Page 1 GTA Advance's graphics aren't the system's best, but they're certainly passable. Developer Digital Eclipse did a good job faking 3D on the system, as buildings, street lights, and trees rise into the sky. This effect is also seen when you flip cars and make turns. It's not real 3D that you're seeing, but it's a neat effect.
Unfortunately, the people aren't well-detailed, but that'd be impossible given the perspective as well as the Game Boy Advance hardware. However, there are several nice touches, such as Mike's bloody foot prints after he's walked through a massacre, and the splatters of crimson that appear when you run someone over. Also, the cars look great, and you can tell for the most part which real-life vehicles they represent.
While GTA Advance's sound isn't as cool as in San Andreas, the game does a good job immersing you in its world. Different music plays depending on which car you hop into, and while you can't change the stations, the game's soundtrack is fun to listen to. Also, there is a good amount of voice clips in the game, the best of which is the police radio. They'll actually call out the color of your car and where you are. Lastly, I can't talk about sound without mentioning the crunch you hear when running over pedestrians. Sometimes, you won't even need to do anything, as the determined police will plow into a group of innocent bystanders in their relentless pursuit.
Despite its good points, GTA Advance suffers from annoying flaws in its design. For starters, the game occasionally slows down when too much is going on, but it's not horrible and won't really affect the outcome of the missions. However, it's really annoying that you can't save during missions. It's not easy getting back to safe houses (there are three for each city section), and being unable to perform a quick save undermines the purpose of playing a portable game. It also takes you out of the story, because in order to be safe, you need to save after every mission.
Grand Theft Auto Advance is a quality action game packed with most of what makes its console brothers so excellent. It's brutal, bloody, and jacking all of the cars puts it way over the top. It has a couple of nagging flaws, but don't let them stop you from picking this up. It's the perfect companion game for San Andreas, and completes the ultimate two-pack gift for the holidays.
