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Stealth action on the GBA! Splinter Cell has hit the handhelds.
After the spectacular Gamecube, PS2, Xbox and PC versions, Ubi Soft has brought the game to Nintendo’s moneymaker. If you think this game is going to be nothing more than bad license use, you’re pretty much wrong since Splinter Cell is still very impressive as a 2D game.
The story is the same it has always been. You take the role of Sam Fisher and you must use stealth to sneak into various places without being detected. If you are caught, the CIA will deny any knowledge of you. You are Sam Fisher. You are a Splinter Cell.
Everything we loved about the console and PC versions of the game are found here. You still have your trusty weapon, lock pick, night vision goggles, thermal goggles, etc. While most of the levels are straight forward, there is some times where you need to think about what you are doing. You must still sneak up on guards and make sure cameras don’t detect you, although the sticky camera lets you see where the camera is pointing and its range of sight. If you are a very hardcore gamer, you’ll go through the game rather easily. The actual gameplay though, isn’t that easy. I died quite a few times or had to restart because I set off an alarm and didn’t turn it off in time. Splinter Cell GBA isn’t as deep as the other versions but it is still a very respectable entry in the handheld market. If you own the Gamecube version and you beat it, you can unlock even more levels in your GBA cart.
Although obviously limited in 2D, there are still several stealth elements in Splinter Cell. The levels have quite a few rooms that are designed for you to move back into and be covered by the darkness. A simple button press on these locations moves Sam’s back against the wall and he’ll turn darker. As you can expect, guards won’t find you in there. If you alarmed a guard though, you can’t hide there until they are relaxed again. The light meter from the console versions is added, although to a lesser extent.
The lock pick scenes are also back, this time around. There are two different kinds of them. One has you moving three gears around until they snap in place and another has you moving a level left, right, down and up to match what they want you to get. Both of them are timed and if failed, trip an alarm.
As with Rayman 3, Ubi Soft has once again used the GC-GBA link cable very well. If you own the Gamecube version, you can connect your GBA and it will function as radar for you. You don’t need the GBA version of the game for that though. If you beat the Gamecube version and connect your GBA version, you unlock five exclusive levels on the GBA version.
If you have played or heard of Splinter Cell, you know that it set new heights for graphics, more specifically lighting in videogames. While this 2D version doesn’t shatter glass like the console ones, it looks very well for a handheld game. Lighting in this game is done very well, as expected, and you can use it to advance through the story. The levels, although 2D, are multi-layered. You’ll notice guards behind rooms that will hit the alarm if they see you. They scatter out of the background and into the action. The characters also look very well. Sam Fisher looks exceptionally well and animates wonderfully. All of his moves look perfect on the GBA.
If you own the GBASP, you’ll be surprised at how much better the game looks. The shadows and lighting stand out more on the backlit screen and makes for a more enjoyable experience.
The background music in the game is also done very well. The music sets the mood of the game from the very beginning and stays equally great throughout the game. There are also plenty of sound effects. From Sam’s groans to the environment sounds, everything sounds great. The only thing missing is Sam’s voice, which characterized him in the other versions.
Splinter Cell was a great game on the consoles and PC and remains a great game on the GBA. The graphics and sound are awesome and will remind you of the other versions. The gameplay is very similar as well and this is the best it could have been done. If you have a GBASP, you’ll enjoy the graphics even more. If you own the Gamecube version, you’ll get even more levels. Overall, for a measly $29.99 you get a great game. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- May 13, 2003
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