| Top Gear Pocket | |
| Developer: | Vision Works |
| Series: | Top Gear |
| Platforms: | Game Boy Color |
| Genre: | Racing |
| Modes: | Single-player, multiplayer |
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.
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.[1] Races can take place in cities, savannas, grasslands, and snowy trails.[1] Both two-wheeled and four-wheeled cars are featured in the game and the handling of each car varies significantly.[1] The game cartridge features a built-in rumble feature that vibrates when the player crashes into other cars or slides on the track,[2] but does not feature a battery to save the game progress, so passwords must be used to restore the game to a specific state.[1] The game also includes a multiplayer mode where two players can race against each other.[1] The Game Link Cable is required for multiplayer.[3]
Top Gear Pocket was the first Game Boy Color game to introduce a rumble feature in North America.[3] In Europe, the game was released as Top Gear Rally. Critical reception for the game was generally mixed.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6] IGN remarked that the graphics are sharp and clear and that the game "creates a very realistic feeling of movement".[1]
The French video game magazine Consoles + praised the game's rumble feature, stating that it enhances the gameplay experience significantly.[7] The Spanish official Nintendo magazine Nintendo Acción agreed, but criticized the car handling and their small size.[8]