| Introduction
Robot Wars has been a firm favourite across Europe
for some time now and has the benefit of being released
sometime before Comedy Central's BattleBots. We reviewed
the GBC version some months ago which went on to be
a huge seller and actually was a very enjoyable title.
The BBC have brought in UK developer Crawfish for the
GBA version of this hit TV show so are they up to the
challenge of squeezing the excitement of battling robots
into this tiny cart?
GamePlay
For anyone who just wants a quick fix you'll find
the 'quick start option allows you to jump straight
into the action. This selects two random robots with
the winner being the player who's managed to inflict
the most damage on their opposition in a given time
period. The unique feature of Robot Wars though has
always been the belief that you could build the biggest
and best robot and so become supreme champion and this
is all done in the workshop section.
Designing your DIY robot is not as simple as it first
appears though, as while a well-armoured robot may be
tougher, it will also be slower so you may lose a battle
simply because you can't escape. Everything you want
is here to construct your metal killing machine, from
hydraulic systems to the all important weapons and once
you've built your robot you can even name it. All this
is saved with the handy battery backup so that challenging
other players with your new creation is a simple as
plugging in your link cable and an extra copy of the
game for everyone.
In the absence of other people to play with there's
always the option to take on some of the many house
robots. There are a variety of arenas and gaming styles
to choose from, which should cater for everyone's needs,
including some lifted directly from the TV show. Firstly
the Mayhem Mode has you battling it out against 21 robots
in an arena, although only four at any one time. You
could opt for Vengeance Battle Mode which is another
one-on-one game or Championship Mode. This is by far
the most immersive of all the options as here you must
battle it out over 7 rounds to become the best of the
best.
Controls
The control system is actually a little complicated
when you first get into the game and although they can't
be changed to your own specifications there are three
different sets that can be selected. With a little practice
however it does become a lot easier and escaping other
robots who wish to cut you in half with a chain saw
becomes second nature as well as essential.
Graphics
Crawfish have done an amazing job here and have utilised
the GBA's advanced scaling techniques to create a 3D
feel to both the robots and arenas. The other graphics
throughout the game have also carefully constructed,
the menu systems are easily navigated and the robot
workshop is incredibly easy to use so, most importantly,
you do actually end up with a robot which resembles
the one you've just constructed.
Sound & Music
Although the funky TV inspired music is good the
real highlight is the sampled speech from the master
of ceremonies which sets up each bout perfectly. The
music also plays through the battles but as with all
quality titles there is the option to turn it all off
so if you're having a multi player game you may want
to consider this.
Final Comments
Although Metal Mayhem doesn't contain as many game
modes as the GBC version there's still more than enough
battling fun to satisfy most gamers. The biggest change
here is in the overall quality of the game and it looks,
feels and plays a great deal better obviously tapping
into the power of the GBA. If you're a fan of this type
of game get it now and if you have a few friends to
hook up with even better.
|
Hardware
Reviews 
Game
Title
