GT Advance Championship Racing

Infobox VG
title = GT Advance Championship Racing


developer = MTO [http://www.gamespot.com/gba/driving/gtadvancechampionshipracing/tech_info.html GT Advance Championship Racing Tech Info] . GameSpot. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.] [http://gameboy.ign.com/objects/016/016299.html GT Advance Championship Racing] . IGN. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.]
publisher = THQ
designer = Hiroshi KitayamaHarris, Craig (May 11, 2001). [http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/094/094430p1.html Interview with MTO] . IGN. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.]
engine =
released = vgrelease|Japan|JPN|March 21, 2001 [cite web|title=アドバンスGTA| language=Japanese
publisher = Nintendo |url=http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/software/ag7j/index.html|accessdate=February 14]
vgrelease|United States of America|USA|June 11, 2001
vgrelease|PAL Region|PAL|June 15, 2001
genre = Racing
modes = Single player, multiplayer
ratings = ESRB: Everyone (E)
platforms = Game Boy Advance
media = Cartridge
requirements =

"GT Advance Championship Racing" (known as "Advance GTA" in Japan) is a racing game developed by MTO and published by THQ. It was a launch title for the Game Boy Advance,Harris, Craig (April 10, 2001). [http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/093/093324p1.html THQ grabs Advance GTA] . IGN. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.] Shahed, Ahmed (April 11, 2001). [http://www.gamespot.com/gba/driving/gtadvancechampionshipracing/news.html?sid=2707140 GT Advance confirmed for the North American GBA] . GameSpot. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.] and was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, and in Europe on June 15, 2001. The game's sequel, "", was released on June 30, 2002 in North America. [http://www.gamespot.com/gba/driving/gtadvance2rallyracing/tech_info.html GT Advance 2: Rally Racing Tech Information] . GameSpot. Retrieved on February 3, 2008.]

"GT Advance" features forty-five Japanese cars and places the player in races on thirty-two tracks.Harris, Craig (June 14, 2001). [http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/166/166299p1.html GT Advance Championship Racing Review] . IGN. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.] Due to positive reaction to the game in Japan, THQ purchased publishing rights for the North American and European releases to the game after a reported bidding war,Harris, Craig (March 30, 2001). [http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/092/092984p1.html First Impressions: Advance GTA] . IGN. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.] and added in a controversial password save system into the game to cut costs.Ajami, Amer (June 7, 2001). [http://www.gamespot.com/gba/driving/gtadvancechampionshipracing/review.html GT Advance Championship Racing Review] . GameSpot. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.]

The game was received with mostly positive reviews from critics that praised the game for its fun gameplay, [http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/gba/gtadvancechampionship GT Advance Championship Racing Reviews] . Metacritic. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.] [http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/471246.asp GT Advance Championship Racing Reviews] . Game Rankings. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.] but THQ was criticized by most reviewers for adding passwords to the game when the Japanese version had a normal one.Bramwell, Tom (June 12, 2001). [http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=1692 GT Advance Championship Racing Review] . Eurogamer. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.]

Gameplay

"GT Advance Championship Racing" is a customizable experience, including 48 cars from 8 car manufacturers, and 32 courses. Some of the cars featured in the game are exclusively found in Asia, such as the Nissan Cube. The courses vary between paved and dirt roads, requiring the player to adapt their driving to meet the conditions of the course they're driving on.

The game's championship mode features four levels of play, three cups of varying levels, and an unlockable "kart racing mode". Upgrades earned through gameplay can be added to the player's car, and in some cases, they can change the physical appearance of the vehicle. The game contains multiplayer support, allowing two people to play against each other using a link cable.

Controls are simple, with the A and B buttons controlling the player's gas and brakes respectively. The R and L buttons shift the car up or down a gear in manual control, and the D-Pad controls the car's steering. The game requires the player to master the powerslide technique to skid around corners and to reduce their lap time.

Graphics

in the game.

ave System

The Japanese version of the game, "Advance GTA", had save support. However, THQ pulled the battery RAM out of the North American and European releases of the game, and utilized passwords to save data instead. The system forces players of the North American and European releases to enter a sixteen digit code consisting of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols into the game to retrieve their data. Many critics blamed THQ for what was perceived to be a cost-cutting measure. It was the only major change from the Japanese version of the game.

Development

MTO began development on "GT Advance Championship Racing" about a year before the release of the game in Japan. The game was first announced on August 18, 2000, under the name of "Pocket GT Advance".Sato, Yukiyoshi Ike (August 18, 2000). [http://www.gamespot.com/gba/driving/gtadvancechampionshipracing/news.html?sid=2617380 Pocket GT for GBA Announced] . GameSpot. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.] With the exception of a new password save system, tweaking was kept to a minimum for the North American version of the game. The choice was made in the Japanese version to use mostly English in the game so it would be playable outside of Japan.

The Japanese version of the game, "Advance GTA", was praised by critics and the anticipation for the North American and European releases of the game grew.Harris, Craig (April 11, 2001). [http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/136/136299p1.html GT Advance Championship Racing Preview] . IGN. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.] [http://www.gamershell.com/news/788.html GT Advance announced] . GamersHell.com. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.] Gerstmann, Jeff (March 13, 2001). [http://www.gamespot.com/gba/driving/gtadvancechampionshipracing/news.html?sid=2700394 GTA Advance Championship Racing Preview] . GameSpot. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.] A reported bidding war between United States publishing companies to release the game in the US began after the positive feedback from the Japanese version. It was reported a month afterwards that THQ had gained the publishing rights for the game's North American and European releases.

Reception

VG Reviews
NP = 4 of 5 [http://www.gamespot.com/gba/driving/gtadvancechampionshipracing/review.html GT Advance Championship Racing Reviews] . GameSpot. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.]
GSpot = 7.3 of 10
EuroG = 7 of 10
IGN = 8 of 10
GamePro = 4 of 5Nihei, Wes (June 12, 2001). [http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/gameboy_advance/games/reviews/14523.shtml Review: GT Advance Championship Racing] . GamePro. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.] |
rev1 = Allgame
rev1Score = 3/5 [ [http://www.allgame.com/cg/agg.dll?p=agg&sql=1:34594 GT Advance Championship Racing Overview] . Allgame. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.] |
compilation = yes|
MC = 82%
GR = 78%

"GT Advance Championship Racing" garnered praise from critics for its overall gameplay, but the inclusion of a password save system by THQ into the North American and European releases of the game was heavily criticized. IGN's Craig Harris praised the high quality graphics engine and the entertaining powerslide system, but observed that with regards to the password system, "... some players (myself included) just might throw their hands up in disgust with what THQ has done to the game." GameSpot observed that, "GT Advance" is, at its core, a very robust and graphically impressive racing game." Despite praising the gameplay, however, GameSpot recommended that players buy a Japanese import version of the game instead, since it was in English and included a battery save feature. Eurogamer wrote that even though "GT Advance" was hampered by passwords, "... you should definitely own GT Advance one way or another, as current gripe excepted; it's a sterling example of handheld racing done properly."

Responding to criticisms of the password save system, THQ later re-instated the battery save feature into the two sequels of the game, "GT Advance 2: Rally Racing", and "". [Harris, Craig (June 18, 2002). [http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/362/362569p1.html GT Advance 2 Races to Shelves] . IGN. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.] [Harris, Craig (November 26, 2002). [http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/378/378760p1.html GT Advance 3] . IGN. Retrieved on February 13, 2008.]

References

External links

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* " [http://www.mobygames.com/game/gameboy-advance/gt-advance-championship-racing GT Advance Championship Racing] " at MobyGames