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Platform: GameBoy
Advance
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Max PayneScore: 8.0 / 10 |
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Pros: - Captures that Max Payne magic - Lots of actual voice-overs - Action on the go
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Cons: - Unintuitive control scheme - Difficulty suddenly hits the roof on the last level
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Related Links: Review: Max Payne 2 - The Fall of Max Payne (PC)
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"Bullet-time, shoot dodging, the weapons… not much has been changed from the source, except your point-of-view of the action."
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Every once in a while a game comes along that gets me thinking, “How did they do that?” Max Payne (MP) is one of those games. I’ve played and replayed the original Max Payne on PC and XB more times than I’d like to admit, so it blows me away that a handheld version can so capture a game that was originally made for much more powerful hardware. This doesn’t automatically make MP the best game available for GameBoy Advance but it does make for a solid action game.
For those of you unfamiliar with MP, you play the titular Max Payne who, after is family is brutally killed, becomes embroiled in a plot involving the Mafia, a secret society, and a mysterious hitwoman. Cap it with the worst snowstorm ever to hit New York and you have all the ingredients for some heavy action. Bullet-time, shoot dodging, the weapons… not much has been changed from the source, except your point-of-view of the action. Instead of viewing the game directly behind Max, the GBA version utilizes an isometric view that forces you to come to grips with an unintuitive control scheme.
I
use the term “unintuitive” because it takes some learning before you
become comfortable with it. Pressing
“up” on the control pad will move Max diagonally toward the top
right corner of the screen. To
get him moving straight to the top you have to hold down “up” and
“left”. It takes some
getting used to and on narrow ledges I always found myself stopping to
think for a second to avoid any necessary plunges.
However, to its credit, you can adjust the controls making it far
more intuitive (“up” actually moves Max “up”), although it does
bugger you up when you have to move diagonally across pipes or catwalks.
No other complaints – accessing Max’s arsenal is simple,
targeting enemies is quick and responsive, the bullet-time and shoot
dodging becomes second nature. The
save game system works quite well.
You can’t save anywhere, but the game saves your progress
between levels and you get four lives at the start of each level.
Most of the game is actually pretty easy until you reach the last
level. Maybe I’m in the
minority but finishing the last game should give you a random code that
can be sent to Rockstar for a “I Finished Max Payne on GBA!” badge.
The levels themselves are pulled directly from MP’s original
form (obviously with some exceptions) and look good. On
the topic of looks, MP manages to be animated quite well even if it is
so small. When
MP was originally released one the criticisms were that it was too
short. For GBA it’s even
shorter as entire sections have been removed – including the trips to
Max’s unconscious mind. (“Somewhere the baby was crying.”)
This doesn’t do anything to harm the story progression and it
could be argued that it actually makes the story better.
Incredibly
enough all the graphic novel cutscenes feature full voice-overs of the
overwrought dialogue and descriptions.
Granted it’s scratchy, but it still comes through as
understandable. The game
also features plenty of good tunes, including the melancholy theme,
which will forever evoke lines like, “The sun went down with practiced
bravado.” There’s
no doubt that MP earns it’s “M” rating with lots of pixelized
blood and mature subject matter. So,
parents, don’t buy this game for your kids!
I know it’s a GameBoy game, but don’t!” In
the end, Max Payne’s GBA iteration is a solid action title – not
without blemish but still good. - Omni (January
19, 2004)
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