Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (18)

Nintendo DS
Verdict: Robbing on the run
If there’s one series people love to vilify it’s Grand Theft Auto. Granted that the game’s central conceit lies within behaving badly, naysayers’ focus often overlooks the artistic merits of the game. To see it born afresh on the Nintendo DS must be a shock, and a victory for mature gamers everywhere.
Rockstar have taken a risk and created a game for grown-ups on a console typified as ‘for kids’, simultaneously delivering a story of Triads and tribulation, packed full of innovative gameplay and wit, while pushing the DS’ humble hardware to new heights.
Set in the same Liberty City (minus one island) as GTA IV, the series is reborn through a new isometric viewpoint, reminiscent of the PS1 original, and seen through the eyes of Huang Lee, a playboy Triad hunting his father’s murderer.
Incredibly, the entire city is as explorable as ever, with the usual variety of missions and car jacking fun of its bigger brothers.
This time it’s all supplemented by snappy microgames, that introduce non-intrusive touchscreen elements to a variety of activities, and make car jacking just that little more tense when you’re on the run from the cops.
The amount of detail in GTA:CW is impressive too, with radio stations left relatively intact and witty comic book style stills necessarily replacing cut-scenes.
Rockstar have also made fantastic use of the dual/touch screen setup, allowing for instant GPS navigation through quick stylus taps, linking mission co-ordinates and dealers to the minimap with ease.
To survive in the city, money needs to be made, and can be made quickly through the buying and selling of illicit substances.
Playing off against a city of dealers, and introducing a new side quest to the series that fits beautifully into the DS’ quick-fix ethos, Rockstar have introduced a killer feature. Whether it fits into the DS’ image is another thing entirely.
9/10