I remember a few summers back when the original Driver was released for Playstation. Well, the game was released, and since I didn’t own that beloved system, I didn’t get a chance to play it right away. Around this time last year, a friend of mine introduced me to both games. I thought that the original was so much fun with the second having the same great gameplay but with more features and game modes. This made me excited when I heard that the sequel was to be released for the Gameboy Advance. The first screenshots made me think, “All right, well, at least we know they’ve got the graphics down, but how is it going to play?”. This question was answered after I played a few missions and dove into a few mini-games here and there. What I found was both innovative for the GBA, but it was also surprising for this veteran gamer.
I just want to say that this game is both similar to and different from the original Playstation version. The “Advance” in its name does not mean that it is better by any means. In fact, there are only two cities in this version: Chicago and Rio de Janeiro, as opposed to the Havana and Las Vegas locations in the PSX version. This is to be expected though; after all, it’s just a one inch-long cart. What you will keep asking yourself while playing this game is, “How did they fit all of this stuff into this small cartridge?”
I am a strong believer that gameplay is everything when it comes to rating a game. The first thing that stuck in my head right away after playing this game was the “Grand Theft Auto” feel to it. You can actually get out of a car if you are avoiding the cops and steal any other car that you wish. This is pretty sweet for those of you waiting for a procrastinated version of GTA 3 for the GBA. I’m still impressed that they put that much depth into a game for a handheld system. I commend Sennari games for this.
The story mode is what the game relies on for its main gameplay. It holds the game together. This story is about an undercover cop that infiltrates a gang/mafia type situation. You play as Tanner, who is given certain tasks like tailing a car, making a delivery, taxiing for criminals, and destroying an enemy car. It’s really all cut and dry when you think about it, but this games simplicity brings an abundance of replay value.
The story mode keeps this game interesting, but what I find myself coming back to is the simple “Take A Ride” mode. This of course was featured in both Playstation versions. All you need to do is take a ride in your car. You can exit your vehicle and steal others whenever you want, unless you are in hot pursuit with the cops. There are a limited number of cars programmed onto this game, so you will see a lot of boxed trucks and “General Lee’s”. It’s understandable, the General Lee does rule, and it’s not a home console we are talking about here. A lack of cars makes sense, besides, I’m not a stickler for car models.
Mini Games can make a bad game look respectable, and a good game great. It also shows that the developers were not stingy on content, and it makes the game have more depth, which is what I look for when I buy a game. The mini-games, although mini, do pack a punch in my overall feeling of this game. I really enjoy Survival,. This is where you are being chased by all cops. They will stop at nothing to destroy your car, so avoid them at all costs. Attempting to beat your high score, although earning you nothing, is still rather fun to pull off. On top of “Survival”, there are such games as Quick Chase, Quick Getaway, Trailblazer, and Checkpoint, all of which explain themselves and are all quite entertaining.
There is also a multi-player option in the game that I did not attempt to play because my friends don’t own a Gameboy Advance. You can play “Free for all”, “Cops ‘n’ Robbers”, “Checkpoint” and “X-Town race” for 2 or more players, each with their own copy of Driver 2 Advance of course.
Driver 2 Advance has very nice looking visuals for a handheld. I have to say that I was quite impressed with how easily this game ran on the Gameboy Advance. There were a few glitches here and there that are common, but are annoying nonetheless. Building becomes a problem when speeding down a street, you will see a light blue “void” for a patch of road up ahead, it usually takes a bit of nit picking to pick that up, but I took notice. Also, overlapping of objects that should have had depth were a little mixed up, but once again, that is no big deal. All in all, I have to say that I was very impressed with the way this game looked. I can honestly say that I am surprised with how they presented this game.
I have to admit, at first, I was not drawn to this game, but I after I saw everything it had, and I started to complete some missions, and I became a slave for Driver. It features a story that I didn’t follow too well, mainly because single-framed CGI Images are not enough to keep me reading; usually I just wanted to skip that so I can progress in the game. There is the addition of mini-games that are always classics and will keep you playing even after the game is beaten. I also enjoy the touch of GTA3 that this game took on.
Overall, this game did satisfy my gaming needs in that it accomplished a task that is mandatory in a videogame. It kept my interest and then gave me some extra’s to nibble on. It certainly is a cut above the rest. Not only was this game graphically epic, featuring two large cities, but it sported a 3D engine that had some flaws, but never failed to turn heads. I’m sure a lot of handheld gamers out there are thanking the people over at Atari for bringing us this one.
