Catwoman (Game Boy Advance) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

For those of you old enough to remember Catwoman has graced the Nintendo handheld arena before, although it was on the GBC and as the film was some years off, based on the comic book. This was given something of a panning by gamers and critics alike and if you've played it you'll know why. Fast forward then to 2004 and the feline super hero is still getting something of a public beating with the movie and console versions proving that not all big screen comic adaptations are good. This took Warner Brothers by surprise as the likes of X-Men, Spiderman and even The Hulk (yes, we questioned that one too) all gained healthy receipts at the box office. Clearly the natural progression from big screen outing is to small and large screen console thus all of the aforementioned titles have made an appearance on the GBA. It's Catwoman's turn this time so let's hope she fares better here than at the movies.

Gameplay

The initial stages of Catwoman are all about getting from 'A' to 'B' whilst trying to track down your cat. Unfortunately you can't use the same route as your cat, meaning you must utilize your newfound skills in order to scale walls and jump across seemingly impossible gaps. This is interspersed with the odd fight and while henchmen start out incredibly dumb they do eventually fight back and usually have to be defeated so running away just won't do. You'll also have to solve some simple puzzles en route although the majority of these are blatantly oblivious because of the visual hint system. This includes everything from marked 'secret' passages to the camera flipping across to show you which door you've just activated with your newly discovered key card. There are plenty of bonus items to pick up along the way too but these do little to enhance the gameplay and with no multiplayer or bonus stage the first play through really is the only play through.

Controls

As it's an isometric game you probably already know what I'm about to say; introducing a platformer to this confusing environment always causes the same problem: frustration. This arises from the gamer not being able to judge one platform in relation to another causing the odd leap of faith and more commonly a rather large fall to their death. You can overcome this to a certain extent but it does make things a little tense initially. Outside of this your main character is incredibly agile and not only can she run up and across walls, she's also pretty handy with a whip too. Hand-to-hand combat is a little simpler with the majority of enemies disposed of by rapidly pressing the 'B' button. There are more skilled moves at your disposal but with something as simple as this working you're unlikely to pull out the show stopping moves on many occasions.

Graphics

I think I've mentioned before just how much I admire developer Magic Pockets' visual output but they've really outdone themselves here. The first things I have to point out are the lighting effects where the developers have added subtle changes to the various sprites as they move from one area to another. This was indicated in the earlier stages of development but the effect works so well we're likely to see it in future projects. All this takes place in a beautifully designed and rendered world with little replication. Finally the animation and all the characters (and Catwoman in particular) move with the standard of fluidity that you'd generally see on a console with far greater processing power. Overall the whole thing is a visual treat with the French proving again just how far the humble GBA can be pushed.

Sound

The developers have gathered a subtle mix of sound effects and music to create just the right atmosphere meaning that Catwoman not only looks wonderful but sounds good too. As a bonus Catwoman actually purrs at appropriate times during the game and while this may seen a little insignificant to some gamers, sampled dialogue of any description is becoming a rarity in today's movie tie-in's.

Final comments

For once the GBA version is actually better than the one that appeared on its more powerful cousins. The main reason for this is depth of gameplay with the PS2, GameCube and X-Box versions pushing a rather shallow gaming concept just a little too far. To a certain extent the same is true here but it doesn't seem to matter as much in miniaturized form. On the plus side the whole thing looks wonderful with Magic Pockets not only creating a wonderful Gotham-like environment but also pulling off some truly memorable animation with the main character. The outcome is not great but certainly entertaining while it lasts although the lack of any unlockables or bonus items unfortunately banish any notion of replaying the adventure.

Pro: Looks Wonderful
Con: Not Much Variety
Final score: 6.2

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