Racing Gears Advance

by Orbital

Product Features

• Team up with your friends for multiplayer racing action
• Choose from 12 unique characters and race on 25 beautifully detailed tracks
• Mild violence

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0007QN40U
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 5 x 1 inches ; 2.4 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: August 30, 2005
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,194 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Amazon.com

With all the hubbub over the DS, Nintendo's other child – the GBA – isn't getting quite the love that it once did. Thanks to Orbital Media, however, Racing Gears Advance bucks its anonymous name and gives the system a solid, fun experience that isn't quite as throwaway as it seems.

With a multitude of twisty tracks and an isometric view, the game instantly reminds you of the old RC Pro Am racers. Racing Gears, however, adds some depth with its weapons and car upgrades. Armor keeps you from damaging out of races (and saves you on the repair bills), while offensive armaments like rockets are there to sink the seven other cars. Mix these in with the precision needed to perfectly drift around the corners, and this game will grab your attention for a few hours. I'd go so far as to say that the title's difficulty will have you re-racing some of the tracks just to get that perfect line down. Memorizing the courses is almost a must as obstacles and chicanes are thrown in your direction at a pretty fast pace. Things can also get hairy when the eight-car field gets bunched up and you can't even tell which one is yours.

Difficulty aside, I dug this game because of a lot of the little touches: the shadows that fall on the track, the shortcuts, the elevation changes, and the way that every race and lap has some surprises in store (Yes, you can fly off into the ocean!). Just wait till someone unleashes a smoke bomb in your face. The oil slicks that you put down behind you even persist for a few laps, patiently waiting for anyone to foolishly skid over them again. The fact that Orbital has combined this kind of fun with a requisite of moderate racing skill makes for a good combo. Apart from being inherently limiting, Racing Gears does just about all you could ask of it.

Concept:
It's like the old isometric RC Pro Am titles, but with a few wrinkles

Graphics:
The game looks pretty sharp, and I was impressed with the persistent oil slicks

Sound:
There is music for the races, but it's pretty forgettable

Playability:
With the tracks being as complicated as they are, the isometric view can throw you off – but that's the point

Entertainment:
If you don't want brain surgery on the GBA, than this will fit the bill

Replay:
Moderate

Rated: 8 out of 10
Editor: Matthew Kato
Issue: March 2005

2nd Opinion:
I can't recall too many arcade-style racers with this level of approachability, simplicity, and downright fun – handheld or otherwise. Taking the overhead view style first pioneered in early games like Super Sprint to its zenith, Racing Gears Advance offers a surprisingly deep experience through its numerous lengthy tracks, unique individual cars and drivers, and a simple but involving upgrade system for improving your ride. Not only are the courses varied and plentiful, but also excellently designed with jumps, shortcuts and obstacles hidden all over. While certainly not as deep as many console offerings, I'd be hard pressed to name a better racer to take with you on the road.

Rated: 8.25 out of 10
Editor: Matt Miller


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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent lasting impression, November 30, 2006

By 

M. Warren "gamer" (Iowa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Racing Gears Advance (Video Game)

Okay so I just got this game. It's not secret that the GBA is pretty much dying, as far as good games coming out for it (even though evil devolpers are still selling terrible games that are licended by Disney or some other stupid mass marketing place). UNlike most racing games on the DS, this one holds up rather well. In fact, I say that this game is a great racing game, and the graphics are actually good, compared to the pathetic racing games that try to make 3-D.

Instead of making a boring 3-d racer with a road and a simple bacround (look at games like GTA advance to get the idea). THis game is actually deep. FOr starters, they switched to a top down view that works excellent with the game. It means that the devolpers actually made some good tracks that actually look different. IF you were sick of those stupid racetracks, than this game will definitly thrill you. THe game is easier to control, and with a clear view of the road, you can easily see what's going on. They added many thigns like weapons, that make the game more deep as well. IT's a blast to powerslide while racing fast, and the game is great at makihng the racing game seem like an actualy game. SOme of those GBA racing games are so boring, you wouldn't even like to play it for free. This game is not like that. My main point is that this game is really cool, and you should get it. They took advantage of the hardware and made a great polished game. They even trew in some sound effects, bnoithing special, but it's some great effects. The music however, is easily forgettable. But that really doesn't matter.

All in all, the GBA may be dying, but it does have some games that certainly rule. The classic series such as the Zelda and super mario, Super Mario brothers SNES games, Warioware, The Minish Cap, Tetris Worlds. There's many games that will keep the system from dying out. Even though support may be fading, the GBA is cetainly not ready for the game museum.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wicked Good, August 10, 2006

By 

Patricia K. Herdeg (Acton, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Racing Gears Advance (Video Game)

Racing Gears Advance is a great game in all aspects. The game has a bunch of levels (20-30)which are all very interesting and fun to race. The game is presented in an overhead/ isometric view which works really well on the gameboy and the graphics look great. All the courses are very detailed, and the scenery looks bright and crisp- from the palm trees to frozen lakes to gas stations. The sound in the game isn't anything amazing but it certainly isn't bad, the game even has a fair amount of songs to pick from. The gameplay is also very well constructed- the cars are very easy to control and always go where you want them to. The game never gets old either, I've beaten it with almost all the characters and when you complete the entire championship you get to make your own circuit with any of the courses. If you're looking for a realistic driving sim- this isn't it. In the game a hummer can go 200+ and races as well as a sports car, but that's all part of the fun. another great part of the game is all of the diferrent weapons you can use, missiles, oil slicks, mines, smokescreens, etc...

Overall this is a great game that is lots of fun and can be played over and over. Buy it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything I wanted!, June 18, 2010

By 

death gleamer (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Racing Gears Advance (Video Game)

This game is like Sprint and Super Sprint from the arcade days. Gameplay is very fun and the control is excellent, feels like radio control car. The AI is smart and hard. The tracks are big and well designed. There are short cuts and even different routes for some courses and the stages are beautiful. The graphics is GREAT with lots of nice details like driving by the airport, truck stop, houses, bridges, cliffs, etc... Cool sceneries like jungle, desert, beach, town, farm, etc.... wow. There are different weather conditions too like snow, rain, and sun which are all welcomed. Overall presentation is great. Sound effect is good and the music is great, mostly up beat techno and some mellow tracks too. Before each race you play a quick red-yellow-green go light game which determines starting position, its cool and you get to see your reaction time, nice touch here.

There are 12 different cars and drivers each with their personality and unique ability, 6 to unlock. Some can shoot missles faster, accelerate faster, steal money, bump other cars better, etc... There are weapons to buy/use like smokescreen(looks like Rally X), oil slick, missles, nitro, mines, etc... (no 'blow-up' the whole course and zap every car weapons here.) You can upgrades the cars too like buffer engines, turbo, brakes, frame and buy different tires. The only bad thing(s) about this game is a lack of time record. This great game seems to be obscure more people should try it!

Overall this is one of the BEST game for gba and DS too.