| Introduction
This is the game Nintendo said couldn't be done.
When the spec was first released for the GameBoy Advance
there was great excitement as everything pointed towards
the possibility of 3D games. Obviously after Nintendo's
denial that the GBA was capable of this we were all
looking forward to really good 2D games instead. But,
here it is, the first First Person Shooter. I say the
first because a selection of FPSs are to be released
before Christmas including Dark Arena, Doom and Eck's
vs. Sever. The question is, should you hang on or is
this the one to go for?
GamePlay
Backtrack, as with most FPSs, has an incredibly unbelievable
plot but it really doesn't need a good one. Even when
these type of games have a well thought out storyline
nobody really cares because what you're really interested
in is shooting things and Backtrack has lots of that.
Set on a huge moon base you play the part of Jim Track
on a mission to destroy Domingoaniax and his army of
androids. For months humans have been abducted and assimilated
into droids. It's your mission to free the humans, beam
them back to Earth and destroy the base.
The single player mode is set over 12 huge levels
and there are hours of gameplay here. There are also
multiplayer and deathmatch modes and as a real bonus
you'll only require one copy of the game to enjoy these.
There are other elements that have become standard fare
in an FPS game and Backtrack has its share of these.
There are secret passages and rooms to discover, switches
which operate locks on other levels and keys aplenty.
This not only adds a puzzle element to the game but
also gives a short break from mowing down everything
in sight with your laser gun.
The gamescreen is of classic design for an FPS, all
the stats are at the base of the screen and there is
also a handy compass in the top corner. Your health
and ammo are very clear but just above these are the
keys and cards collected icons which are so small that
I didn't actually notice them until I read in the instructions
that they were meant to be there. The plus side is that
if it's all getting too much you can save the game with
a battery backup although as there's only one slot make
sure you're doing well.
Controls
These are incredibly simple for an FPS. Backtrack
contains none of the advanced controls such as crouch
and jump that you'd expect on a PC version. It does,
however, have a strafe mode which is controlled by the
shoulder buttons and is essential to avoid enemies incoming
fire. Another option is the inclusion of a map mode
which you'll flip between on a regular basis because
of the similar environments you'll encounter and which
would have been a lot more useful with the ability to
scroll around.
Graphics
After an impressive FMV intro everything goes downhill
a little. The problem is that most of the environments
look the same so without the use of the map you really
could get very lost. It's not as ambitious as it could
be and the graphics lend themselves more to the original
Wolfenstein than Quake. The frame rate however is impressive
and everything speeds along regardless of how many sprites
are on screen. The actual androids themselves are neither
well designed nor animated but let's face it they're
only to shoot at. One valuable feature is the contrast
which allows you to lighten the graphics and is an option
that all developers should be including on GBA titles.
Sound & Music
The music here is fine in a kind of '1970's kitsch
Sci-Fi TV movie' way. On the plus side some of the samples
are excellent and add a great deal to the atmosphere.
These include lifts, gunshots, injured crew members
and androids groaning 'join us' at you which really
is quite spooky. As usual though if it's all getting
a little irritating, you can turn it off at the options.
Final Comments
One of the few reasons we can see for this title
getting less than flattering remarks from other reviewers
is the lack of any recognisable license. If it was wrapped
around a movie or comic book character then odds are
it would have scored much higher marks. It's not perfect
by any stretch but it is a competent FPS for the GameBoy
Advance which is exciting and fun to play, especially
as a link-up game. This is, however, one of many that
will be released before Christmas of 2001 so our advice
is wait until they are all out and ask your local shop
for a demo.
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