Car Battler Joe Explained

Car Battler Joe
Developer:Ancient
Publisher:Natsume Inc.
Director:Keisuke Miyanaga
Producer:Koichiro Nakamura
Artist:Ayano Koshiro
Composer:Yuzo Koshiro
Programmer:Kazutoyo Kobayashi
Genre:Vehicular combat
Platforms:Game Boy Advance

is a 2001 vehicular combat game developed by Ancient and published by Natsume Inc. for the Game Boy Advance. The game involves using cars to fight opponents in action-styled battles, with role-playing video game game mechanics. It combined vehicular combat game with action role-playing elements in a similar manner to Autoduel from 1985.[1]

Plot

The player, taking the role of 16-year-old Joe, must earn money by battling to buy parts for his car to make it stronger.

Development

The game was developed by Ancient, with joint publishing by Victor Interactive Software in Japan and Natsume Inc. in the United States.[2] Known in Japan as Car Battler Go, Natsume Inc. secured the North American publishing rights for the game, changing its name and originally scheduled its release in mid-2002.[3] Composer Yuzo Koshiro wrote funk music for the game.[4] It was shown at Nintendo Space World in 2001.[5] In 2015, the game was re-released for the Wii U's Virtual Console.[6]

Reception

Car Battler Joe received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. It was well received by Nintendo Power, which called it a "one-of-a-kind adventure" due to its combination of driving challenges and "RPG depth". Before it was playable, Marc Nix of IGN was excited about its premise, as well as the developer attached to it.[7] In his review, he called its gameplay "hectic" and its controls well-designed. He also enjoyed the Mode 7 graphics. However, he found the sound to be less desirable, calling it "busy" but also "lacking punch". It was the 87th most anticipated game for IGN's readers as of January 3, 2003.[8]

Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the car customization, commenting that without it, it would be both mediocre and not as deep. GameSpot's Frank Provo called it "weird and unique", and may not suit some people's tastes. However, he found an abundance of variety and personality to it. The publication later named it the best Game Boy Advance game of February 2003.[9] In his preview of the game, GamePros Pong Sifu found the gameplay unique and the graphics "delightful".[10] In his review, he commented that while the story was weak and the concept unoriginal, it was "easily one of the most fun action RPGs on the portable system". RPGFan's Neal Chandran found it fun and worth a shot, noting that even with its flaws, its "charm and heart" won him over.[11] GameSpy's Zach Meston called it "unexpectedly entertaining", praising its customization and music and sound effects. However, he criticized the aiming system and storyline, the latter described as "bare-minum".

Retrospectives on Car Battler Joe were also positive towards the game. Outlets such as GamesRadar and Den of Geek listed it as one of the best games for the Game Boy Advance.[12] [13]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Joe Kaiser . July 8, 2005 . Unsung Innovators . . April 2, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20051028224610/http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=336&Itemid=2 . October 28, 2005.
  2. Web site: Car Battler Joe. 1. Nix. IGN. Ziff Davis. December 13, 2002. January 5, 2018.
  3. Web site: Natsume's Lucky Seven. Harris. Craig. IGN. Ziff Davis. December 11, 2001. January 18, 2018.
  4. Web site: Yuzo Koshiro Profile. Greening. Chris. VGMO. March 19, 2013. January 5, 2018.
  5. Web site: Spaceworld 2001: Car Battler Go!. Harris. Craig. IGN. Ziff Davis. August 25, 2001. January 14, 2018.
  6. Web site: Car Battler Joe makes its way to the Virtual Console. Bishop. Samantha. GameZone. September 19, 2015. January 5, 2018.
  7. Web site: Marc Nix . August 8, 2001 . Car Battler GO! . IGN . June 19, 2016.
  8. Web site: IGN staff . January 3, 2003 . The GBA Top 100 . IGN . https://web.archive.org/web/20040223203325/http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/381/381458p1.html . February 23, 2004 . dead . June 19, 2016.
  9. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20050123151422/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/gotm/030803/index.html . GameSpots Month in Review: February 2003 . ((The Editors of GameSpot)) . March 8, 2003 . . January 23, 2005 . dead .
  10. Pong Sifu . April 18, 2002 . Car Battler Joe Hands-On . GamePro . https://web.archive.org/web/20050123215334/http://gamepro.com/nintendo/gameboy_advance/games/previews/22726.shtml . January 23, 2005 . dead . June 19, 2016.
  11. Web site: Neal Chandran. November 17, 2004. Car Battler Joe. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20130201081708/http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/carbattlerjoe/index.html. February 1, 2013. RPGFan.
  12. Web site: The 25 best GBA games of all time. GamesRadar Staff. GamesRadar. Future plc. January 3, 2018. January 14, 2018.
  13. Web site: The 25 Absolute Best Game Boy Advance Games Ever. Freiberg. Chris. Den of Geek!. Dennis Publishing. August 31, 2017. January 17, 2018.