Need for Speed Carbon (Game Boy Advance) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

Another year, another Need for Speed, and with EA claiming the number one Christmas spot for the past three years there's little doubt that they are confident that this will do the same. The game itself was originally developed in 1994 by Distinctive Software of Canada, which was later acquired by EA. They have certainly embraced the series producing over a dozen versions in little over a decade. What separates this from other racing games is a matter of debate in gaming circles but the question has to be asked; 'will Carbon be EA's fourth number one?'

Gameplay

Unusually, Carbon, or to give it its full title 'Own the City' actually has a plot and, while this is a complete waste of time the developers have seen fit to put it there anyway. It seems that after a rather nasty accident (which had you hospitalized) you've been out of the game and have chosen now to take your rightful place on the roads. This involves you attempting to regain your 'turf' and once you enter an area a number of challenges are laid out before you. After beating the majority of an area's crew you'll be able to challenge their leader. The races themselves range from a simple 'A to B' sprint to a Chase HQ inspired 'Takedown' and everything in-between. The nice thing is that you can select the event you are strongest in and the order you wish to attack them and you're not required to complete all the events in all areas before you can successfully 'own' one.

You also have at your disposal a variety of 'wingmen' who can be called upon when you are losing sight of pole position. Their usefulness varies however and although you can select two, they are not available for all challenges. Our favorite was definitely the 'Brawler' who simply takes out the opposition by ramming them off the track but there are other, more subtle ones, available. A 'Drafter', for example, appears out of nowhere and allows you to ride in their slipstream and thus gain a much-needed boost although others give a less significant or occasionally non-existent helping hand.

One drawback of this GBA version is the lack of multiplayer and while this is something of an oversight on the developer's part it's not unusual these days as the focus is clearly on the DS version. The GBA does have shortcuts though and plenty of them, so if you can manage to keep one eye on the map whilst also concentrating on the road you'll discover many junctions that allow you to go in not one but two directions and crashing through barriers, or even what might appear to be a solid wall, will occasionally put you ahead of the current leader.

Controls

The key question with most racers is generally related to the control: is it arcade or simulation? With most handheld titles the answer is usually somewhere in the middle and Carbon is no exception. That's not to say that the various licensed cars don't handle differently, they do but not as realistically as some gamers who favor simulation might have liked. Fortunately this is on the GBA where the majority of users probably prefer a petrol-driven arcade fest so there's not really much to complain about.

Graphics

While the visuals are perfectly acceptable and never really dip from their impressive frame rate there is a problem with the textures: they're huge. You could be forgiven for thinking this was the latest version of Micro Machines on occasions but, rest assured, it isn't. Everything else is perfectly acceptable but it's the speed the gameplay maintains that is most impressive and for this alone developer Pocketeers should be applauded.

Sound

If the DS has problems with cartridge space for the sizeable audio, it's even more noticeable on the GBA with only a single 'real' track playing over the various menus. Once you're actually in the game racing around, the music is almost indistinguishable from the engine and other incidental noises and overall is certainly not a selling point.

Final comments

As with the latest DS outing for the Need for Speed franchise, Carbon is significantly better than last year's Most Wanted. The GBA at last has an entertaining Need for Speed title, as long as you prefer an arcade-style racer. Developers Pocketeers clearly demonstrate their expertise in getting the best 3D engine out of the GBA's limited horsepower with each chapter of this never-ending franchise better than the last. They only really come unstuck when introducing new features and while the wingmen are a great idea they don't always work very well. That said, Carbon is still an entertaining little racer and even with the absence of any multiplayer it's still one of the better racing titles available today.

Pro: Solid Arcade Action, Discovering the Shortcuts.
Con: No Multiplayer, Bland Textures.
Final score: 7.3

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