Top Gear Pocket
{{Short description|1999 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Top Gear Pocket
| image = Top Gear Pocket cover art.jpg
| caption = North American box art
| developer = Vision Works
| publisher = {{vgrelease|JP/EU|Kemco|NA|Vatical Entertainment}}
| designer =
| composer =
| engine =
| series = Top Gear
| released = {{vgrelease|NA|March 30, 1999{{Cite web |date=March 29, 1999 |title=GameBoy Station - Archives {{!}} March 1999 |url=http://gbstation.com/archives/mar99.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020605004526/http://gbstation.com/archives/mar99.html |archive-date=June 5, 2002 |access-date=January 7, 2024 |website=Game Boy Station}}|JP|April 23, 1999|EU|1999}}
| platforms = Game Boy Color
| genre = Racing
| modes = Single-player, multiplayer
}}
{{nihongo foot|Top Gear Pocket,|トップギア・ポケット|Toppu Gia poketto|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} 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.
Gameplay
File:Top_Gear_Rally_gameplay.png
Top Gear Pocket is a racing video game where the player drives rally cars through a series of tracks. As the player wins races, new cars and tracks are unlocked. The game features a total of 14 cars and eight tracks.{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/1999/06/12/top-gear-pocket |title=Top Gear Pocket |accessdate=May 25, 2017 |website=IGN |last=Jones |first=Tim |date=June 11, 1999 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161212101912/http://www.ign.com/articles/1999/06/12/top-gear-pocket |archivedate=December 12, 2016 |url-status=live}} Races can take place in cities, savannas, grasslands, and snowy trails. Both two-wheeled and four-wheeled cars are featured in the game and the handling of each car varies significantly. The game cartridge features a built-in rumble feature that vibrates when the player crashes into other cars or slides on the track,{{cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=17959&tab=review |accessdate=May 25, 2017 |title=Top Gear Pocket - Review |website=AllGame |last=Woods |first=Nick |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116092431/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=17959&tab=review |archivedate=November 16, 2014 |url-status=dead}} but does not feature a battery to save the game progress, so passwords must be used to restore the game to a specific state. The game also includes a multiplayer mode where two players can race against each other. The Game Link Cable is required for multiplayer.{{cite magazine |title=Top Gear Pocket |magazine=Nintendo Power |issue=120 |date=May 1999 |page=129}}
Release and reception
{{Video game reviews
| GI = 6/10{{cite magazine |title=Top Gear Pocket |magazine=Game Informer |issue=73 |date=May 1999}}
| GSpot = 5.3/10{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/top-gear-pocket-review/1900-2536213/ |accessdate=May 25, 2017 |title=Top Gear Pocket Review |website=GameSpot |last=Davis |first=Cameron |date=January 28, 2000 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630191023/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/top-gear-pocket-review/1900-2536213/ |archivedate=June 30, 2019 |url-status=live}}
| rev1 = Consoles +
| rev2 = Nintendo Acción
}}
Top Gear Pocket was the first Game Boy Color game to introduce a rumble feature in North America. In Europe, the game was released as Top Gear Rally. Critical reception for the game was generally mixed.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/gbc/199068-top-gear-pocket/index.html |accessdate=May 25, 2017 |title=Top Gear Pocket |website=GameRankings |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128135730/https://www.gamerankings.com/gbc/199068-top-gear-pocket/index.html |archivedate=January 28, 2019 |url-status=live}} N64 Magazine criticized it for its lack of challenge and variety, stating that tracks are "either a mixture of looooong straights or fairly simple curves", but highlighted its graphics and sense of speed.{{cite magazine |title=Top Gear Rally |magazine=N64 Magazine |issue=30 |date=July 1999 |page=39}} In contrast, Computer and Video Games felt that the game was very challenging, stating that players might get both frustration and joy in equal measure.{{Cite magazine |title=Top Gear Rally |magazine=Computer and Video Games |publisher=EMAP |page=41 |issue=212 |date=July 1999}} IGN remarked that the graphics are sharp and clear and that the game "creates a very realistic feeling of movement".
The French video game magazine Consoles + praised the game's rumble feature, stating that it enhances the gameplay experience significantly.{{Cite magazine |title=Top Gear Rally |magazine=Consoles + |publisher=M.E.R.7 |issue=89 |page=140 |date=June 1999 |language=French}} The Spanish official Nintendo magazine Nintendo Acción agreed, but criticized the car handling and their small size.{{Cite magazine |title=Top Gear Rally |magazine=Nintendo Acción |publisher=Hobby Press |page=59 |date=August 1999 |issue=81 |language=Spanish}}
References
;Notes
{{notelist}}
;Citation
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{moby game|id=/gameboy-color/top-gear-pocket|name=Top Gear Pocket}}
{{Top Gear series}}
Category:Game Boy Color-only games
Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games
Category:Off-road racing video games
Category:Top Gear (video game series)
Category:Vatical Entertainment games