Minority Report (GBA) (Minority Report (GBA))

Member Name: thole09

Product:	Minority Report (GBA)
Date:	20/05/09 (9 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Audio

Disadvantages: Steep learning curve to gameplay

"Minority Report" is a video game released for the Gameboy Advance console in 2002 by Activision. It is an action game based on the film of the same name. In the United States, the game received a rating of "T" by the ESRB panel which deemed it suitable for teenage years and above due to its violent content.

In this title, players assume the role of John Anderton. He is being framed for murder and must clear his name which involves heavy conflict with police and military personnel. The game is spread over eight levels and requires Anderton to eliminate hostile forces by use of a "targeting" system. The player will cycle through available targets which all can become hostile towards Anderton's presence. However, innocent civilians can also become hostile and the player must avoid killing these bystanders as the player will incur a one life penalty. Targeting is accomplishing by pressing the shoulder buttons "L" and "R" to cycle in the left and right directions respectively. This is all completed in real time and the player will incur several hits as he or she is being fired on by enemies. Also, the number of civilians is high and can become a nuisance as the player will have to cycle through these individuals to reach the bad guys. It is a simple game overall but is made difficult by the game mechanics required to play.

The graphics are presented from a side scrolling perspective which focuses on John Anderton. The characters are all large, bright and well drawn though do nothing to distinguish civilians from criminals. I found many of the civilians and criminals to be nearly identical in their detailing and thus lost many in game lives because of incorrectly shooting them. The background scenes are acceptable and make use of a wide variety of indoor and outdoor settings. The audio is taken directly from the film with compressed musical scores and some digital voice snippets playing throughout.

Overall, Minority Report is difficult to suggest as appropriate for prospective buyers. It is a difficult play due to its steep learning curve in adjusting to the targeting system. It is not something I particularly enjoyed and do not intend to play it again.

Summary: Thumbs down