Car Battler Joe
 | |
| Developer(s) | Ancient |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | |
| Composer(s) |
Yuzo Koshiro Tomonori Hayashibe |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance |
| Release date(s) |
Wii U Virtual Console
|
| Genre(s) |
Action RPG Vehicular combat |
| Mode(s) | Single-player and multiplayer |
Car Battler Joe (激闘！カーバトラーGO！！ Gekitou! Car Battler Go!!) is a car battling video game for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Ancient and published by Natsume. The game involves using cars to fight opponents in action-styled battles, with role-playing video game game mechanics.[1] It combined vehicular combat with action RPG elements in a similar manner to the earlier 1985 game Autoduel based on Car Wars, and later 2006 MMO game Auto Assault.[2]
Gameplay
The player, taking the role of 16-year-old Joe, must earn money by battling to buy parts for his car to make it stronger. The battles are fought in 16-bit Mode 7-style.
Reception
Car Battler Joe has received above average reception, holding aggregate scores of 77 and 74.11% at Metacritic and GameRankings respectively. This makes it the 195th best Game Boy Advance games and the 4,438th best video game.[3][4] It was well received by Nintendo Power, which called it a "one-of-a-kind adventure" due to its combination of driving challenges and "RPG depth".[3] Pocket Games also enjoyed it, calling it a "charming, original game".[3] Before it was playable, Nix of IGN was excited about its premise, as well as the developer attached to it.[5] In his review, he called its gameplay "hectic" and its controls well-designed. He also enjoyed the Mode 7 graphics. However, he found the sound to be less desirable, calling it "busy" but also "lacking punch".[6] It was the 87th most anticipated game for IGN's readers as of January 3, 2003.[7]
Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the car customization, commenting that without it, it would both mediocre and not as deep.[3] GameSpot's Frank Provo called it "weird and unique", and may not suit some people's tastes. However, he found an abundance of variety and personality to it.[8] In his preview of the game, Pong GamePro's Pong Sifu found the gameplay unique and the graphics "delightful".[9] In his review, Pong Sifu commented that while the story was weak and the concept unoriginal, it was "easily one of the most fun action RPGs on the portable system".[10] RPGFan's Neal Chandran found it fun and worth a shot, noting that even with its flaws, its "charm and heart" won him over.[11] GameSpy's Zach Meston called it "unexpectedly entertaining", praising its customization and music and sound effects. However, he criticized the aiming system and storyline, the latter described as "bare-minum".[12]
References
- ↑ Chi Kong Lui (2003). "Car Battler Joe review". Retrieved December 29, 2007.
- ↑ Kaiser, Joe (July 8, 2005). "Unsung Innovators". Next-Gen.biz. Archived from the original on 2005-10-28. Retrieved 2010-04-02.
- 1 2 3 4 http://apps.metacritic.com/games/platforms/gba/carbattlerjoe
- ↑ http://www.gamerankings.com/gba/563158-car-battler-joe/index.html
- ↑ http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/136/136833p1.html
- ↑ http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/380/380296p2.html
- ↑ http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/381/381458p1.html
- ↑ http://www.gamespot.com/gba/rpg/carbattlerjoe/review.html
- ↑ http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/previews/22726/car-battler-joe/&date=2011-11-30+22:19:30
- ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20091110141758/http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/26869/car-battler-joe/
- ↑ http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/carbattlerjoe/index.html
- ↑ http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/february03/carbattlerjoegba/