| Introduction
Another game based on, or inspired by, a movie for
the GameBoy is hardly original. It appears to have been
the staple diet of our favourite little handheld and,
there's no denying it, a movie tie-in sells, and a good
one can sell lots. Antz was a surprise hit for Dreamworks
a few years ago and this is the second Light & Shadow
Production GBC title to feature the license. The first
was the usual platform romp which was loosely based
on the plot of the movie and now there is this one -
a racing game. It could be fun, it should be fun, but
is it?
GamePlay
Racing games are not thick on plot. They don't have
to be and the object here is simple. Win the race. There
are two modes to choose from - Quick Race which will
randomly pick a track from the many available or 4 Seasons
which is the Championship option. Here you must constantly
come first or second in order to become the best racer
in Ant Land by the end of the year.
The Quick Race option is probably the most fun for
most people. After you've chosen your car and driver
a screen will appear with a calendar whizzing around.
Press 'A' and it will eventually stop. This is the season
and time of year you're racing in. The following screen
will give you the track layout although studying this
doesn't usually help. It's then on with the race and
that's it. Simple, fun and fast. The 4 Seasons option
features all the tracks in the game and has you racing
throughout the year. After each race here you'll be
placed and receive a four digit password so there's
no need to complete the whole game in one sitting.
The way to win at this game is simply to practice.
Every track has secrets, such as shortcuts, which all
the other racers seem to already know but it's up to
you to discover them as well. Choosing the right vehicle
is also important as they all have various strengths.
Crash, or get bumped into, too many times and it's all
over. Finally there are the bonuses which every track
is littered with. Some are speed-ups, some health and
others invincibility. The first is without a doubt the
most useful here and speeding past your opponents is
very satisfying especially when just beating them to
the finish line.
The gamescreen actually packs in a great deal of
information for such a small screen. The top features
your race position and the lap you're currently on,
whilst the bottom features the character you're playing,
the vehicle damage level, the bonus item you currently
carry and pictures of the racers in front of and behind
you. Very comprehensive indeed.
Control
The control system is a little confusing at first
because of the perspective you play the game in. This
does however get a lot easier and, after a few laps
racing and hopefully winning, will become second nature.
The controls are very responsive and all vehicles are
fitted with super tyres as, regardless of the weather
and time of year, you'll stick to the track like glue.
The 'B' button allows you to use any special bonus you
may have picked up. These need to be used at the correct
time during the race as they are often the only reason
why you'll win.
Graphics
The graphics are surprisingly good although this
has always been RFX Interactive's strong point and,
from the initial screens to the in-game graphics, everything
is very pleasing. One visual aspect of the game that
really does stand out is the level screens. These depict
the various seasons you race in and are absolutely outstanding.
Hi-color with no image dropout, they appear to be mini
watercolors on your little handheld. Everything is well
above average, all the characters look identical to
their movie counterparts and the tracks manage to reflect
the season you're racing in. The animation is minimal
but the various modes of transport the ants use are
all very smooth as they fly around the track.
Sound & Music
I seem to be saying this with all GBC titles now
that the Advance has arrived but, yes, once again, we
have one of those annoying upbeat soundtracks. The remedy
is, fortunately, very simple. Turn it off with the options
menu. As for the sound effects, they're limited to engines
whirring and the odd bumping noise when you collide
with a wall or other racer. Certainly not the high point
of this title.
Final Comments
This is a pleasing little title and there's enough
to keep you going here for some time. The tracks are
varied and there are plenty of them. There are better
racers out there on the GBC but most appear from a behind
the car perspective whilst this title is more like the
up and coming Driven for the GBA. It's always fun for
a few laps of mindless racing though and if it' had
included a two player link-up it would have been a lot
more enjoyable.
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