Grand Theft Auto gained notoriety on
the Playstation for it's graphic depiction of violence and shocking themes. While the Game
Boy Color version is a fairly accurate representation of the core gameplay, but something
is still missing from this conversion. Mainly, the violence and gore that made it fun in
the first place.The primitive graphical style of GTA is replicated quite well on the small screen, but this does create some problems. Your main character is so small and un-detailed, it's impossible to know which way he's facing. There are numerous moments in the game where you'll find yourself aimlessly wandering in the wrong direction. The road environments copy their bigger counterpart quite well and the cars actually rotate via a primitive rotation effect.
The controls have also taken a hit in the conversion to the small screen. The d-pad turns your character and a button makes him move, but thanks to the above mentioned graphical issues, this is hardly possible. Also, the response time is extremely slow making fire fights a chore.
Beyond the graphical and control issues, the game does remain true to it's source...sort of. Most of the missions have made their way into the cart, but the blood, arguably the most popular aspect of the game, is non-existent. You can still kill anyone, carjack, and commit other violent acts, but the real reason the game was so popular has been removed. The missions are a mixture of drug deals, murder, bombings, and revenge, but it's hard to believe that these events are actually occurring thanks to the graphics department.
The games only interesting feature would be to see how many people actually still find the game fun without the mass violence of bigger brother. The game should seem right at home with the old-school overhead view, but the minimalist graphics ruin any chance this game had. Throw in a lackluster control scheme and you've got yourself a game that never should have been released on this console..
