Atlantis: The Lost Empire - GBA

Disney’s latest hit blockbuster movie release, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, is not only set for Hollywood stardom, but for video game stardom as well. Published by THQ, The Lost Empire is now making its way into the handheld console market with a release on the acclaimed Game Boy Advance.

The typically Disney storyline goes something like this: You are on a journey to discover the lost civilisation of Atlantis, a land shrouded in mystery for thousands of years. But the city is controlled and maintained by a mighty crystal that, if it fell into the hands of evil, could destroy everything, including Atlantis. Your task is to find the crystal and keep it safe.

So it’s simple then. Retrieve the crystal and save the world. But it’s not as easy as it sounds. 18 levels of challenging gameplay and tough bosses stand between you and the end of the game.

Visually, The Lost Empire looks quite lovely. The environments are based upon those seen in the film, and the look and feel is reminiscent of classic games such as Flashback and Out of this World from the 16-bit era.

Whether you’re running, jumping or fighting, each obstacle poses something new to challenge its player. And while many sections of this game force the player to adopt a ‘trial and error’ strategy, its so-o-o-o satisfying to beat the computer and progress to the next, harder stage of the game.

At the end of the day, Atlantis: The Lost Empire is a challenging game, interspersed with a classic Disney storyline, and that’s fine with us. more