MI6 chatted to Associate Producer Erin Turner from EA earlier this week, about squeezing all the big adventure and action onto the a handheld console in great style for "Everything or Nothing" - the latest Bond outing on Game Boy Advanced...

EA Interview - Erin Turner
8th November 2003

MI6 chatted to Associate Producer Erin Turner from EA earlier this week, about squeezing all the big adventure and action onto the a handheld console in great style for "Everything or Nothing" - the latest Bond outing on Game Boy Advanced...

Breaking It Down..


Above: GBA cover art
 

Can you explain a little about the parallel storylines?
We've designed this year's Bond for Game Boy Advance to be the perfect compliment to its big brother version on the consoles (Xbox, PS2, NGC). We wanted to build on the star cast and the exciting storyline written for the console, but at the same time, we didn't want to spin our wheels trying to port gameplay that isn't replicable on a handheld.

So, we took the same storyline and characters, but developed an original set of missions and maps. We also adapted the best of hand-to-hand combat, rappelling, driving, and stealth mechanics to create a Bond experience that's fun for the GBA.

Want can we expect from the cut scenes on the GBA?
The cutscenes on Bond GBA are frames taken from the console cinematics. They tell the story of James Bond, the world's greatest secret agent, fighting to save the world from a diabolical madman: former KGB agent Nikolai Diavolo. Armed with metal-eating nanotech, his private army will steamroll the forces of the free world-unless Bond and CIA agent Mya Starling can come through, combating Diavolo's forces in Egypt, Peru and New Orleans, culminating in a to-the-death battle beneath Red Square!

Different Beats... Ah..

How was the music done, is it the same as the console/ Sean Callery's/THX involvement?
I am really pleased with the music composition for the GBA. It is always a challenge to create compelling in-game music with the limited memory available on this platform, so we worked with a composer who specializes in GBA titles, Ian Stocker, and had him write original in-game themes. We also incorporated a few pieces from the console to add a sense of continuity.

Nintendo Game Boy Advance
UK - MI6 Price: £24.99
USA - MI6 Price: $29.99

 
Above: Willem Dafoe as Nikolai Diavolo
MI6 Nikolai Diavolo Profile

Is there anything which is a first for GBA platform/ how does it stretch the technology?
We pushed the limits of the platform in several ways. First, we made every effort to get this 2D world to look deep. That means that every texture and every NPC was fully rendered in 3D before being imported into the game and then sized and lit properly. Second, we did some new things with the game engine in order to combine both third person action and isometric driving into a single game. Finally, we created a new mechanic for rappelling in a 3rd person isometric environment. Creating satisfying vertical movement in this perspective was a challenge, but the result is a lot of fun.


Above: GBA SP
 

How will gamers be rewarded for Bond style action?
The Style points system is a unique feature in the GBA game that is not a part of the console version. Any time a player completes a bonus objective in a clever way or uses stealth, he or she earns Style Points. In between missions, he can visit the Q-Lab and use Style points to unlock gadgets & equipment upgrades. This is yet another player can choose how he or she will approach the game. (For example, players can choose a weighted handle gun if they want to shoot their way through, or super quiet shoes if they prefer stealth.) Choosing your strategy adds a lot of replayability to the game - you can try to beat each level with multiple tactics. Finally, with a high score, players can also unlock a blackjack mini-game.

Many thanks to Erin Turner.
Images courtesy EA and Amazon Associates.

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