Liberty downsized

by ERIK LEIJON

Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 4 was an epic continuation of the popular carjacking criminal hijinks series of games, although in truth the elaborate, cinematic storyline and bustling metropolitan locale are natural extensions of those old hardly mentioned top-down Grand Theft Autos (specifically the first two GTAs). Basically looking like Micro Machines starring ant-sized dudes with guns, GTA I and II actually packed quite a bit of action beneath their simple exteriors, so it’s not surprising Rockstar felt comfortable squishing the mammoth Liberty City onto a single Nintendo DS card. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (DS/Rockstar, Rockstar Leeds) is by no means a bastardized version of the allegedly most expensive game of all time.

Thankfully, Rockstar avoids the issue of compressing such a big universe into a tiny package by building a completely original standalone GTA; it skilfully takes advantage of the Nintendo DS’s unique functionality and doesn’t try to compete with its forefathers. For instance, carjacking previously meant pressing one button to either forcibly remove the driver from a moving vehicle or inelegantly smashing a window. Now, players will compete against the clock, hotwiring cars or toggling ignition switches using the stylus pad. This simple addition provides a new thrill to a familiar part of GTA’s gameplay.

The missions have been simplified and feature more quick action, since long, multi-step missions would simply be too difficult for on-the-move gamers to complete in one sitting. Instead, the missions recall what the old pre-sandbox GTAs did best: driving to places and shooting people. What it loses in immersion it makes up for in being easy to play in short bursts.

Another new feature that feels almost like a satirical nod to the popularity of collecting-type games on portables is the ability to deal drugs. With many suspicious looking dealers scattered across Liberty City (featuring a similar layout to its console brother), main character Huang Lee can make easy and fun money in between missions by buying and selling heroin, coke, ecstasy, acid, weed and pills. One caveat: the cops are usually hiding in the bushes, waiting to take you down. Instead of continuously fleeing law enforcement, Lee has to ram cop cars off the road—similar to Burnout or Road Rash. You’ll actually look forward to chases.

The storyline—about an Asian crime family—packs the necessary emotion and depth despite being told through text. Chinatown Wars may be easier than your typical sandbox romp, yet it stands as one of the best entries in the GTA library.

Re-Pokeducated

As someone who successfully caught the original 150, I feel a certain kindred spirit with the Pokémon series. Pokémon Platinum Edition (DS/Nintendo, Game Freak) is a remix of the Pearl/Diamond Pokémons of 2007, and thus is the most complete Pokemon adventure yet.

Truthfully, the rock-paper-scissors attack type role-playing gameplay has hardly changed since the days of my Gengar carving out foes via game link cable. Still, the sheer number of monsters and special moves available makes Platinum one of the deepest turn-based role-playing games out there.

In a sense, it’s disappointing Pokémon has remained so steadfast in how Pokémon are caught, trained and utilized—the key differences between Platinum and the old 8-bit originals are all cosmetic—but the game was insanely addictive then and continues to be so, even though today I feel like an even bigger wuss professing my adoration for the game.

Hopefully the presentation side could eventually mimic the wacky, convulsion-inducing cartoon show in future versions. There are dozens of exciting directions the game can go to reinvent itself—hopefully Nintendo is willing to take risks with their cash cow.