Dead to Rights (Game Boy Advance) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

Unlike the recent GBA release Kill.Switch (which we've also reviewed) I?ve actually played the GameCube version of Dead to Rights and while it hardly set the gaming community alight it was certainly an enjoyable romp. This move to convert console and PC titles to the GBA is a risky and often unsuccessful one but this is yet to deter anyone in the gaming world. This is not just (as you'd expect) hardware limitation but also the developer?s lack of any real imagination in converting the various gameplay elements. The original press release for the console game reads: 'Dead To Rights TM is an intense, hard-hitting, action-thriller game in which police officer Jack Slate discovers and unravels a conspiracy that threatens not only himself, but the city he has sworn to protect, Grant City. Jack Slate's adventure has him progressing through various game chapters by taking out hostile threats, solving challenging puzzles and mini-games, and defeating sinister bosses'. Whether or not that sounds entertaining, the concern here is how all that can be crammed into a tiny cart. Did Torus manage it then or were they left over with a big box of unused parts? Read on and see...

Gameplay

So you've read the introduction, which is actually very similar to the text on the game?s packaging, and you're ready to see a renegade cop and his dog right in the middle of the action. Well so were we, but unfortunately Dead to Rights is a simply matter of traveling from 'A' to 'B' and shooting people with the minimum amount of fuss or obstruction. The AI is almost none existent and almost everyone stands around as you gun them down. You can also set your dog loose to attack enemies and retrieve weapons but here this feels more like a gimmick whereas in the console version it's occasionally essential. The puzzles are kept to the bare minimum with a simple spinning lock device opening doors and starting vehicles. This is a real missed opportunity as arguably this is the one aspect that set Dead to Rights apart from other similar titles. To add insult to injury saving is via the dreaded password and, although its only four digits, you would expect a battery backups as a matter of course and not just a financial decision.

Controls

I suspect that one thing that has to be explored before a developer even considers converting a console game to the GBA is how to simplify a complicated control system to accommodate the lack of buttons on Nintendo's handheld. Most developers overcome this by using a front-end tutorial or 'pop-ups'. Torus have chosen the latter with dialogue boxes explaining every new move, weapon switch and even how to utilize your trusty K9. This actually works quite well for the shooting but you will find your character less than adequately equipped when it comes to hand-to-hand combat where he will occasionally appear to be dancing in front of the opponent rather than engaged in any real fighting.

Graphics

Considering what we now know the GBA can produce, the visuals here are very poor indeed. If you didn't know better you'd swear you were actually looking at GBC screens. This may work well in some games but you do get the feeling here that this game has been thrown together in the hope that the license, rather than its quality, will sell the title. There are cut screens lifted from the console version, which push along the story nicely but they are surrounded by such bland presentation that it almost cancels them out. Graphics like this may have been passable in first generation games but at this stage in the GBA lifecycle it simply isn't good enough

Sound

The audio appears to have taken one look at the visuals and simply given up. Both the sound affects and music feel generic and added simply because that?s what?s expected rather than appropriate. Again, just not good enough.

Final comments

I started out this review by stating just how difficult console to GBA conversion is and the developers appear to have completely proven my point by delivering a game that doesn't appear to work on any level, least of all as entertainment. It has bad sound, terrible graphics and, more important, no real design or thought behind the gameplay. Torus have previously produced some excellent games for both the GBA and GBC and whether it was time or money that stopped them producing a half decent game here is anyone?s guess. You can bet they had more than a box of unused parts left over. Avoid at all cost.

Pro: Er... Nothing Really.
Con: Appalling Visuals.
Final score: 1.8

Share on Twitter or Facebook

Comments