Before this review commences, be forewarned. If you’re looking for Gran Turismo for the Gameboy Advance, read no further. This isn’t it. Sure, it’s got lots of fully licensed cars, but the track detail, physics, and general nuances of GT are simply not here. That said, Advance GTA is a solid racing title for Nintendo’s new handheld machine, great for on-the-go racing.

Advance GT is the first title of MTO’s that I’m familiar with, and it’s a stunner. The sprites used in the title are incredibly detailed: the cars (all licensed from real-life vehicles) are very accurate, albeit, shrunk down for the format. The attention to detail is crystal clear when you receive your body-kit upgrade, improving the appearance (as well as the handling and top speed) of your ride. Unfortunately, the effect is quickly spoiled when you hit the track. The same detail you get in your car models has been neglected in the track designs. The tracks are rather plain, flat, and uninspired. It’s a disappointment in an otherwise excellent design.

Oddly enough, the clarity and crispness of the display fooled the developers into thinking that they could use a smaller font than was acceptable. Much of the text in the game is incredibly hard to read, something that will hopefully be rectified in the domestic release.

Fans of the ultra-realistic Gran Turismo are likely to be disappointed in another matter, Advance GTA’s physics engine. Simply put, rather than a four-point physics engine as in GT, Advance GTA uses a less-realistic single point physics design, where the cars turn from the exact middle of the vehicle. However, for a pick up and play title, this works well … it makes for fast races and little learning curve. Winning races means mastering the powerslide, and figuring out when you can cut a corner without penalty.

Audibly, the cars sound rough, tires squeak instead of squeal, and the music is weak. The AI is simplistic, and once you’ve earned your cars (through winning races), there’s little replay value left. The computer controlled cars are staggered along the start of the track, so the game is reduced to a game of catch-up, making sure you find the tight lines needed to pass the competition.

Despite the game’s flaws, Advance GTA is a solid racer, with enough variety to keep the racing jones of the mobile racer sated. However, it is not a replacement for the outstanding Gran Turismo series. It looks good, plays well, but simply doesn’t have the depth that gamers expect from a GT game. Still, Advance GTA is a great first racing effort on GBA, and a teriffic way to pass the time.