known in Europe as ''Top Gear Rally 2'', is a

racing In sports, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific g ...

video game developed by

Kemco , from Kotobuki Engineering & Manufacturing Co., Ltd., is a Japanese video game developer and publisher established in 1984. It is headquartered in Kure, Hiroshima. Its best known franchises are the '' Kid Klown'' and ''Top Gear'' series, the ...

and released for the

Game Boy Color The (GBC or CGB) is an 8-bit handheld game console developed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1998, and to international markets that November. Compared to the original Game Boy, the Game Boy Color features a color TFT scre ...

handheld console, released on December 17, 1999 in Japan and in 2000 across other regions. It is a sequel to '' Top Gear Pocket''.

Gameplay

''Top Gear Pocket 2'' is

racing video game Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic raci ...

where the player drives

rally Rally or rallye may refer to: Gatherings * Political demonstration, a political rally, a political demonstration of support or protest, march, or parade * Pep rally, an event held at a North American school or college sporting event Sport ...

cars through closed-circuit courses. The player starts in the last position and must overtake a number of opponents controlled by the game's

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...

before crossing the finish line on the last lap. Points are awarded to the player depending o the position they finish a course. These can be used to buy or upgrade cars, which have four attributes: acceleration, top speed, handling, and braking. The game also includes a

multiplayer A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...

mode where two players can race against each other. The

Game Link Cable The also known as ''Video Link'' in early versions, is an accessory for the Game Boy line of handheld consoles. Introduced in 1989 alongside the original Game Boy, it was revised over four generations with varying degrees of backward compatibil ...

is required for multiplayer.

Development and release

''Top Gear Pocket 2'' was developed by

as a sequel to '' Top Gear Pocket''. The game uses an enhanced version of its predecessor's

engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ge ...

. Unlike its predecessor, the international version does not feature a built-in rumble feature (though the Japanese version does), but includes a battery which allows players to save their progress. ''Top Gear Pocket 2'' was released on February 1, 2000 in North America. In Europe, the game was released as ''Top Gear Rally 2''.

Reception

''Top Gear Pocket 2'' received generally favorable reviews from video game publications. At the time of its release, ''

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

'' reviewer Craig Harris considered it one of the best racing games on the Game Boy Color, stating that the game had been "tweaked and refined as a quality racing game", and concluding that its increasing difficulty offers a proper challenge as players progress through the game. However, he criticized the multiplayer mode because of its "catch-up" feature, noting that the "only real challenge is trying to keep behind the other person and guess when the final stretch approaches so you can win". ''

AllGame RhythmOne , a subsidiary of Nexxen, is an American digital advertising technology company that owns and operates the web properties AllMusic, AllMovie, and SideReel. Blinkx was founded in 2004, went public on the Alternative Investment Market, ...

'' criticized the car attributes for being unbalanced, noting that the top speed is the only one that has a significant impact on the gameplay, but still considered the game enjoyable to play due to its sensation of speed. The British video game magazine ''Planet Game Boy'' highlighted the game's speed and pace, especially as better cars are unlocked, while the Spanish official Nintendo magazine ''

Nintendo Acción ''Revista Oficial Nintendo'' (formerly ''Nintendo Acción'') was a Spanish magazine about Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both ...

'' praised the graphic improvements over its predecessor, stating that the cars are more detailed and that sharp curves and elevation changes are better animated.

References

;Notes ;Citation

External links

* {{Top Gear series 1999 video games Game Boy Color games Game Boy Color-only games Kemco games Multiplayer and single-player video games Off-road racing video games Top Gear (video game series) Vatical Entertainment games Video game sequels Video games developed in Japan Vision Works games