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Platform Filters:   All Platforms  Xbox   GameCube   PlayStation 2   PC   Game Boy Advance   Site Sections:   Updates  News   Games   Publishers   Developers   Reviews   Previews   Release Dates   Editorials   Glossary   Contact Us		Review:       6th September 2002: Turok Evolution  It was always going to be difficult to port Turok Evolution to the smaller screen. We find out how Acclaim have handled it. Posted by Marc Hull - GameBoy Advance - UK and Europe When Acclaim announced that Turok Evolution was not only coming to all the next-generation consoles, but also the Game Boy Advance, questions arose about how they would recreate the game on the portable platform. Of course, with first-person-shooters such as Doom and Ecks vs Sever appearing on Nintendo's handheld wonder, there was always the possibility of them trying to do a 3D game along the lines of its larger cousins. However, Turok games have always thrived on jungle-like surroundings to create the right atmosphere, and that would have been nigh-on impossible to recreate with the GBA's limited resources. So, it's probably a good thing then that the handheld title has taken a leap away from the other versions, and become a side-scrolling action platformer instead. The storyline behind the game is pretty similar to those in the PS2, Xbox and GameCube versions. Tal'Set, a leader of the Saquin nation, and Captain Tobias Bruckner of the U.S. Cavalry are preparing to battle one another when a mystical force transports them into the Lost Lands, an existence beyond our own. From then on, you play the part of Tal'Set, or Djunn, a helpful villager, in a constant fight against Bruckner as your fate, and the reason why you were brought to the Lost Lands, unfolds. The story is advanced in-game through static pictures and text, and although some of these cut-scenes seem unnecessary at times, they do their purpose and can give hints as to how to tackle the coming level. When you first start playing the game, you'll immediately notice that the levels look a lot different from those in the next-gen versions. Whereas you might expect mainly jungle-based or swamp-like settings, the GBA game instead starts off in a war-zone with hundreds of soldiers and even tanks standing in your way, and then moves into a subway where there's an excellent train-based level, and finally to the more familiar confines of a jungle, a fortress and eventually the final boss. Gameplay mainly consists of moving from the left to the right, destroying enemies as you go, while the odd platforming and occasional 'find button to open door' section provide some variety. The game is quite strongly based on some of the old 16-bit shooters that appeared on the Genesis and the SNES, so you can expect some large enemies, massive bosses, and the screen to be constantly filled with gunfire. Unfortunately, the difficulty of the old games has also remained, meaning that even the first level will take several goes before you'll get to the exit, and this may make the game inaccessible for some people. However, graphically the title shines. Although it may not try its hand at 3D graphics, it does have some great 2D effects, such as multi-layered parallax scrolling backgrounds, and some screen-fillingly massive enemies. While you start off with a pistol, which although can fire quite quickly is somewhat feeble against the later foes you'll encounter, soon you'll pick up some of the game's many power-ups, and be packing a whole arsenal consisting of rocket-launchers, shotguns, gatling guns and even flame throwers. All the weapons are upgradable too, so even after you've collected the set, you'll still want to find their more powerful counterparts. Aside from extra firepower, there are also other power-ups that will increase your armour, health, or give temporary invincibility. If you find yourself in a tight spot, there's also a final layer of defence you can activate known as your Guardian Angel - these creatures, when summoned, will wipe out the currently displayed enemies, although initially you can only use them once until you find a star that will grant access to this feature again. However, in terms of sound, the game seems somewhat simplistic compared to other Game Boy Advance titles. The background music seems too tinny and digitised, although maybe this is to accompany the title's old-skool theme. For length and gameplay, Turok Evolution is pretty strong, however once again the difficulty level plays a big part. While for accomplished gamers, the challenge that each level poses will provide hours of entertainment, novices may find it a bit too tricky and get stuck early on, missing out some of the great later areas. Another problem is the lack of a save feature, with the game resorting to passwords to allow you to resume where you left off. Fortunately, you only need to remember four alpha-numeric digits to access the level, with an additional ten digit code required to keep any weapons and ammo you've accumulated, but it's still annoying having to find a pen and some paper when you finish a stage, and then have to search for the sheet of paper when it comes to playing the game again. With so many GBA titles having a save feature these days, this seems like a bit of an obvious flaw. Fortunately, the game's developers haven't forgotten the GBA's multiplayer abilities, with a co-operative mode available for those who have bought a link cable, although you need to have two copies of the game. Overall, with many titles trying to force 3D graphics upon the Game Boy and failing in the gameplay department, it's nice to see that Turok has gone back to more traditional methods and provided a solid, old-skool shoot 'em up. However, be warned that the game does have a tough learning curve, and the inability to save your game on the cartridge provides a bit of frustration. Marc Hull		Review Scores:    Graphics:   Sound:   Gameplay:   Length:   Overall: Click here for our Review Score Guidelines.  Review Summary:  Those expecting a fancy 3D first-person-shooter style Turok game on the Game Boy Advance may be disappointed, but this is actually a solid, fun old-skool game. Graphically, the title shines, but sound and no on-cartridge save let it down a bit. Overall, though, well worth a look at.  Related Games:  Turok Evolution for Game Boy Advance  1  Review Click here for All Game Information.
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