Editorial Reviews
Game Informer Review
who hasn't wished to be a spy? I know I sure have. Of course, when I was a kid, my spy missions mostly involved trying to successfully sneak past the neighbor's dog. Fortunately, Rex was old and couldn't run very fast. Even more fortunately, spy games now have some more challenging tasks, thanks to Pandora Tomorrow. This handheld version of Sam Fisher's latest adventure stays true to the solid formula of the first GBA Splinter Cell, and features the plot of the new console version.
In this new iteration, players must guide Sam through side-scrolling levels filled with guards, civilians, security cameras, and spotlights. Stealth is his greatest weapon, and he can press up against walls, crouch behind bushes, and climb drainpipes to avoid being seen. It goes without saying that this release isn't as deep as the console version, but it's still one of the most complex side-scrollers out there. Several minigames are incorporated into the quest, including rappelling, computer hacking, and lock picking. These segments add a lot of atmosphere to the game and keep things diverse.
While the simple controls work well and the missions are mostly enjoyable, the frustration level is pretty high. The enemy AI is unpredictable; at some times they appear blind and deaf, while at others they seem to have eyes on the back of their heads. Since many missions end after a single alarm sounds, be prepared to play the same sections over and over. Certain enemies must not be killed in order to get information from them, but these foes sadly look the same as everyone else. Several times my mission ended simply because I punched the wrong guy. Obviously, I found this hugely annoying.
While this title did make me swear like a sailor on several occasions, there is still much to praise. The environments are a little on the plain side, but character animation is simply stunning. The first time Sam grabs a hapless guard and shoves his face into a retinal scanner, you can't help but marvel at the fluid motions. Each move in Sam's deep repertoire looks great, and lends a realism to the game that helps it feel like a mature spy thriller. And although neither the sound effects or music is all that impressive, the voiceovers from the guards make up for that They may only shout "hey," but it's still refreshing to hear actual voices on the GBA.
Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow is much like how I imagine real espionage (that doesn't involve sneaking past elderly canines) must be: often it's frustrating, but overall it's a worthwhile experience that's unlike anything else.
Concept:
Sam Fisher's latest adventure is recast as a 2D side-scrolling handheld title
Graphics:
Character animations are easily some of the best to ever appear on the GBA
Sound:
Like the recent Max Payne, it features actual voices on the GBA!
Playability:
Sam's move set gets a lot of mileage out of the GBA's small button selection
Entertainment:
Alternately engaging and supremely frustrating, Pandora Tomorrow is a fun, yet mixed experience
Replay:
Low
Rated:8 out of 10
Editor:Jeremy Zoss
Issue:May 2004
2nd Opinion:
I wouldn't want to be in Sam Fisher's shoes. "Don't kill this guy. No alarms." Too much structure in his world. Similarly, the title's exacting stealth operations weren't that exciting even if the gameplay capabilities of this pint-sized agent (like being able to pick locks, move bodies, and flatten along walls) were cool. Without the amazing light and shadow effects of the console, this side-scroller leaves you with an unsophisticated stealth experience which is just inherent in 2D, handheld gameplay. The combat was also basic. I'll leave the NSA dirty business to Sam Fisher, while I search for more patently exciting fare.
Rated:7 out of 10
Editor:Matthew Kato
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
Simply amazing
By Mike Ishigaki
Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow combines awesome and detailed graphics with great gameplay. You name it, he does it. In this game you use tactics such as crawling, jumping, shooting, climbing, and breaking people's necks.
Splinter Cell, however, does become slightly frusterating. You have to play and play and play to get to an area where you can save. If you're going to play it, make sure your gameboy has a full battery.
This is the best Gameboy Advanced game I have yet to play.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Would have been great, but why so few checkpoints?
By D. Mok
Stealth games tend to carry a high level of frustration, and this game's no exception.
Luckily, the gameplay in the Gameboy Advance version of Splinter Cell is smooth enough to keep you coming back. But a large chunk of the enjoyment is eliminated by the poor game-save system. You could plow through six or seven different parts, hanging on to your health by a thread, and then miss one step and get blasted back several steps in the game. Some repeat gameplay is necessary for this genre, but this one goes too far.
The graphics are unexceptional but acceptable. The idea of having multiple puzzles to solve (for example, when you upload top-secret files to your superiors, the game gives you a twisty maze puzzle to solve) is a great one and adds to the scope of the game. However, they really should have added a much more comprehensive tutorial to the Training level of this game. While the puzzles tend to be very intuitive, the in-game obstacles are not. How about actually telling us that our rifle is silenced and that you can shoot cameras out without alarming the guards? Or how to get around an automatic gun turret without being seen? No One Lives Forever did a great job in this department, training you in the use of gadgets and various in-game activities before you're thrown out into the missions, preventing unnecessary replays just to figure out what to do.
I do play this game quite a bit, despite the high frustration factor, but by the time I'm forced to replay certain boneheaded parts of a mission the 30th time just because of one super-tough obstacle at the end, the enjoyment's sucked dry. They should have added more checkpoints along the missions. As it stands, this is a good game, but if you're only a casual game player like me instead of a thumb wizard, you better be prepared for multiple repetitive, eventually tiring replays.
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