Top Gear Pocket 2

Last updated
Top Gear Pocket 2
Top Gear Pocket 2 cover art.jpg
North American box art
Developer(s) Vision Works
Publisher(s)
Series Top Gear
Platform(s) Game Boy Color
Release
  • JP: December 17, 1999
  • NA: January 30, 2000
  • EU: 2000
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Top Gear Pocket 2, [lower-alpha 1] known in Europe as Top Gear Rally 2, is a racing video game developed by Kemco and released for the Game Boy Color handheld console, released on December 17, 1999 in Japan and in 2000 across other regions. It is a sequel to Top Gear Pocket .

Contents

Gameplay

The player tries to overtake a computer-controlled opponent. Top Gear Pocket 2 gameplay.jpg
The player tries to overtake a computer-controlled opponent.

Top Gear Pocket 2 is racing video game where the player drives rally cars through closed-circuit courses. The player starts in the last position and must overtake a number of opponents controlled by the game's artificial intelligence before crossing the finish line on the last lap. [1] Points are awarded to the player depending o the position they finish a course. [1] These can be used to buy or upgrade cars, [2] which have four attributes: acceleration, top speed, handling, and braking. [1] The game also includes a multiplayer mode where two players can race against each other. [1] The Game Link Cable is required for multiplayer. [1]

Development and release

Top Gear Pocket 2 was developed by Kemco as a sequel to Top Gear Pocket . The game uses an enhanced version of its predecessor's engine. [3] Unlike its predecessor, the international version does not feature a built-in rumble feature (though the Japanese version does), but includes a battery which allows players to save their progress. [1] Top Gear Pocket 2 was released on February 1, 2000 in North America. [4] In Europe, the game was released as Top Gear Rally 2. [5] [6]

Reception

Top Gear Pocket 2 received generally favorable reviews from video game publications. At the time of its release, IGN reviewer Craig Harris considered it one of the best racing games on the Game Boy Color, stating that the game had been "tweaked and refined as a quality racing game", and concluding that its increasing difficulty offers a proper challenge as players progress through the game. [1] However, he criticized the multiplayer mode because of its "catch-up" feature, noting that the "only real challenge is trying to keep behind the other person and guess when the final stretch approaches so you can win". [1]

AllGame criticized the car attributes for being unbalanced, noting that the top speed is the only one that has a significant impact on the gameplay, but still considered the game enjoyable to play due to its sensation of speed. [2] The British video game magazine Planet Game Boy highlighted the game's speed and pace, especially as better cars are unlocked, [5] while the Spanish official Nintendo magazine Nintendo Acción praised the graphic improvements over its predecessor, stating that the cars are more detailed and that sharp curves and elevation changes are better animated. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Mario Kart: Super Circuit</i> 2001 kart racing video game

Mario Kart: Super Circuit is a 2001 kart racing game for the Game Boy Advance (GBA). It is the third Mario Kart game and retains its predecessors' gameplay: as a Mario franchise character, the player races opponents around tracks based on locales from the Super Mario platform games. Tracks contain obstacles and power-ups that respectively hamper and aid the player's progress. Super Circuit includes various single-player and multiplayer game modes, including a Grand Prix racing mode and a last man standing battle mode.

Ridge Racer is a racing video game series developed and published for arcade systems and home game consoles by Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Namco. The first game, Ridge Racer (1993), was originally released in arcades for the Namco System 22 hardware, later ported to the PlayStation two years later as a launch title. It was met with several sequels and spin-off games for multiple platforms, the latest being the mobile game Ridge Racer Draw & Drift (2016) with the latest mainline game being Ridge Racer 7 (2006). Gameplay involves the player racing against computer-controlled opponents to be the first to finish in a race. Drifting is a core aspect of the series, and is used to keep speed while turning corners.

<i>Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2</i> 2000 video game

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is a skateboarding video game developed by Neversoft and published by Activision. It is the second installment in the Tony Hawk's series of sports games and was released for the PlayStation in 2000, with subsequent ports to Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Color, and Dreamcast the same year. In 2001, the game was ported to the Mac OS, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 64, and Xbox. The game was later ported to Windows Mobile and Windows Phone devices in 2006 and to iOS devices in 2010.

<i>Cruisn Exotica</i> 1999 video game

Cruis'n Exotica is a 1999 racing game developed for arcades by Midway Games. The game is a sequel to Cruis'n World and is the third entry in the Cruis'n series.

<i>Top Gear Rally</i> 1997 video game

Top Gear Rally is a 1997 racing video game developed by Boss Game Studios and released for the Nintendo 64. A follow-up to Kemco's original Top Gear game, it features a championship mode where a single player must complete six seasons of two to four races, as well as a multiplayer mode where two players may compete against each other via a split-screen display. The game's tracks combine both road and off-road surfaces and can be played in different weather conditions, including night, fog, rain, and snow. Players may customize their car with different tire grips and adjust its suspension stiffness and steering sensitivity. An option that allows players to custom paint their cars is also included.

<i>F1 Race</i> 1984 video game

F1 Race is a racing video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Famicom in 1984. A version was released in 1990 for the Game Boy in Japan and in 1991 in Europe and North America, including the Four Player Adapter for four-player gameplay.

<i>V-Rally</i> (video game) 1997 video game

V-Rally is a racing video game developed by Infogrames Multimedia and released for the PlayStation console in 1997. The first game in the V-Rally series, it is based on the 1997 and 1998 World Rally Championship seasons, and features officially licensed cars and tracks inspired by real locations of rally events. Players drive rally cars through a series of stages spread over eight different locations, ranging from European countries like England, Spain or Sweden, to island countries such as Indonesia and New Zealand. As a simulation game, V-Rally places a strong emphasis on replicating the behavior physics of real cars and generally requires more practice than arcade-style racers.

<i>Mickeys Racing Adventure</i> 1999 video game

Mickey's Racing Adventure is a racing video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color in 1999. It was followed by Mickey's Speedway USA in 2001.

<i>Tony Hawks Downhill Jam</i> 2006 video game

Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam is a skateboarding video game in the Tony Hawk's series. The game, named after the level "Downhill Jam" from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, was published by Activision in 2006 as a timed Nintendo exclusive for the Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and Wii. In 2007, it was published for the PlayStation 2. It is a spin-off in which accompanies the release of Tony Hawk's Project 8, which is conversely available on non-Nintendo systems.

<i>GT Advance Championship Racing</i> 2001 video game

GT Advance Championship Racing, known in Japan as Advance GTA, is a racing game developed by MTO and published by THQ. It was a launch title for the Game Boy Advance. The game's sequel, GT Advance 2: Rally Racing, was released on June 30, 2002 in North America.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past</i> and <i>Four Swords</i> 2002 video game

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords is a compilation of two action-adventure games co-developed by Nintendo EAD and Capcom and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The game was released in December 2002 in North America and in March 2003 in Japan and Europe. The cartridge contains a modified port of A Link to the Past, originally released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991, and an original multiplayer-only game titled Four Swords, which serves as the 9th installment in The Legend of Zelda series.

<i>Top Gear Rally 2</i> 1999 video game

Top Gear Rally 2 is a racing video game developed by Saffire and released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999. It is a sequel to Top Gear Rally.

<i>Top Gear 2</i> 1993 video game

Top Gear 2 is a racer video game developed and published by Gremlin Interactive. A direct sequel to the 1992 game Top Gear, it was first released by Kemco for the SNES in North America on August 8, 1993, and then the Super Famicom in Japan on December 22. It was later ported to the Amiga on May 24, 1994 by Gremlin Interactive, and to the Sega Genesis on June 2 by Vic Tokai. While more realistic than its predecessor, Top Gear 2 maintained the arcade-style gameplay the series is known for.

<i>Racing Gears Advance</i> 2004 video game

Racing Gears Advance is a combat racing game for the Game Boy Advance system released in 2004 and includes licensed vehicles from GM, Dodge, Mitsubishi and Lotus Cars.

<i>Cruisn Velocity</i> 2001 video game

Cruis'n Velocity is a racing game and the fourth game in the Cruis'n series. The game was developed by Graphic State and released by Midway for the Game Boy Advance in 2001. It is the only game in the series not to be preceded by an arcade release and features slightly different gameplay from its predecessors. The game uses the same engine as Dark Arena, a first-person shooter game also developed by Graphic State, to achieve a pseudo-3D effect. This approach garnered the game mixed reviews.

<i>Boss Rally</i> 1999 video game

Boss Rally is a 1999 racing game developed by Boss Game Studios and published by SouthPeak Interactive for Microsoft Windows. It is essentially a port of the Nintendo 64 game Top Gear Rally, with extra features such as more cars and tracks and a multiplayer mode that supports up to eight players.

<i>Top Gear Pocket</i> 1999 video game

Top Gear Pocket, known in Europe as Top Gear Rally, is a racing video game developed by Kemco and released for the Game Boy Color handheld console in 1999. A sequel, Top Gear Pocket 2, was released in 2000.

<i>Top Gear Rally</i> (2003 video game) 2003 video game

Top Gear Rally, known in Japan as Top Gear Rally SP, is a racing video game developed by Tantalus Interactive and released for the Game Boy Advance in 2003.

<i>The World Is Not Enough</i> (Game Boy Color video game) 2001 action-adventure game

The World Is Not Enough is a 2001 action-adventure game developed by 2n Productions and published by Electronic Arts for the Game Boy Color. The game was the final release of the video games based on the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough starring Pierce Brosnan, following The World Is Not Enough and The World Is Not Enough (PlayStation).

Top Gear is a racing video game series published by Kemco. It is unrelated to the BBC TV series of the same name.

References

Notes
  1. Japanese: トップギア・ポケット2, Hepburn: Toppu Gia poketto Tsū
Citation
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Harris, Craig (February 19, 2000). "Top Gear Pocket 2". IGN . Archived from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Knight, Kyle. "Top Gear Pocket 2 - Review". AllGame . Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  3. Harris, Craig (November 16, 1999). "Top Gear Pocket 2". IGN . Archived from the original on August 25, 2019. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  4. "Pocket Sequel for 2000". IGN . December 24, 1999. Archived from the original on August 25, 2019. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 "TG Rally 2". Planet Game Boy. No. 3. Future Publishing. Summer 2000. p. 50.
  6. 1 2 3 "Top Gear Rally 2". Nintendo Acción (in Spanish). No. 91. Hobby Press. June 2000. p. 42.
  7. "Top Gear Pocket 2". Nintendo Power . No. 127. December 1999. p. 166.