As Santa checks his list twice this year, he defiantly won’t be putting the kiddies who ask for Grand Theft Auto Advance in the nice category. First, those youngsters have no business trying to get GTA as it’s an M-Rated game, second the goal of GTA is to steal cars, kill people, pick-up hookers and be an all around rotten egg. How could you ever get naughtier than that? Well just ask Rockstar Games who put out this supposed port of the game that kicked off the popular series. This claim alone is a reason to leave coal in their stockings as the GBA version ends up a disappointing mess of a remake.

• Grand Theft Auto Advance Review – Game Boy Advance
• Play the true GTA for free on your PC courtesy of your Computer Action Games Guide
• Review of the first blockbuster hit in the series - Grand Theft Auto 3

Packshot © Rockstar Games

Two weeks ago I posted that the Enchanted: Once Upon Andalusia GBA game scheduled to release alongside its Nintendo DS counterpart never ended up hitting store shelves on its intended release date. Well it has finally…and quietly…surfaced, but instead of being the wide release it was announced to be, the game has ended up a Target Exclusive.

Although Target’s selection of Game Boy titles are limited to sparse offering in the electronics section and a rack of budget title impulse items, it’s surprising that they made this unannounced Game Boy exclusive deal with Disney. The release of Enchanted: Once Upon Andalusia confirms it, but there is another newly released Target GBA Exclusive from Disney, High School Musical: Livin’ the Dream.

The Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation versions of High School Musical: Livin’ the Dream got a full roll out, the Game Boy version can only be purchased through Target and their partners. With such a quiet and limited outlets, it’s no surprise that Disney never bothered announcing the releases, nor sent out copies to be reviewed. I’ll see if I can track ‘em down and let you know if these two exclusives from the house of the mouse are worth your holiday change.

• Enchanted: Once Upon Andalusia – Basic Facts
• High School Musical: Livin’ the Dream – Basic Facts
• Official Disney Interactive website.

One of the things I’m constantly preaching on this site is how gamers can be more environmentally friendly with their Game Boys by using rechargeable batteries, solar powered chargers and other alternative energy sources. It was to my utter dismay that I discovered Nintendo ranked at the very bottom of the Bad list in Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics, with a zero score in the criteria that Greenpeace uses to measure how environmentally conscious is an electronics manufacturer. Nintendo shares the Bad list with Xbox makers Microsoft who have poor policies regarding toxic chemicals elimination. PlayStation 3 and PSP owners out there should be proud to know that Sony is ranked third from the top of the Good list scoring a 7.3 out of 10.

With the low Greenpeace ranking aside, Nintendo does have some environmentally conscious programs, mostly surrounding recycling. They use at least 80% recycled paper in their shipping packaging, all of the manuals are printed on recycled paper, they use only recyclable plastics in their accessory packaging, did away with Styrofoam in Game Boy packaging and offer rechargeable batteries for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS and Will Controllers. It’s great that they are doing all of this, but not anything exceptional. Recycling and reusable batteries are just a start.

If you want Nintendo to start cleaning up their environmentally unfriendly act you should send them an e-mail and let them know you want to see a change!

• Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics
• Top 4 Products for the Game Boy Environmentalist
• Nintendo' Stance On The Environment

The fish out of water story Enchanted was a huge hit at the box office this past weekend. The story of a fairytale prince and princess transported to modern day New York is not just a major feature film, but is also the a highly anticipated Game Boy Advance game, Enchanted: Once Upon Andalasia...but mysteriously the game has yet to ship. Several months ago Disney Interactive announced the game, which is a prequel to the film, taking place in the fairytale land of Andalasia, they’ve released a packshot, some screenshots and even dedicated a page to it on their website. Originally the game was scheduled to release alongside the film, but never made it to retailers, plus the game's official website has had the Game Boy Advance logo removed from it, leaving only the Nintendo DS version which released last week. Keep checking back for updates as to when and if the the game will grace our Game Boys.

• Enchanted: Once Upon Andalasia - Basic Facts.
• Enchanted's Official GBA Webpage.
• Disney Princess Royal Adventure Review - Game Boy Advance.

In the year 2762 Earth has been united under a single government dedicated to piece and exploration, until the Kleptoid Empire is discovered. Now evil invading Kleptoid fleets are bent on conquering all civilized planets. You are the Universes’ only hope as you join an elite Military Patrol where you hold the secret to their greatest weapon!

This may all sound like a Star Trek movie but believe it or not it's actually the storyline to the first game in the GXB Interactive and TOMMY line of Edutainment titles for the Game Boy Advance, Math Patrol: The Kleptoid Threat. That secret weapon by the way, is your math skills.

With the exception of a few EC – Early Childhood games and puzzle titles there have been very few educational games available on the Game Boy Advance, and with the extent, depth and age range GXB and TOMMY are targeting it’s enough peak both parents and children’s interests.

The innovative feature here is how parents are encouraged to provide positive reinforcements. Part of the games features are on the GXB website where players login and post their game’s latest high scores. Parents then can track their child’s progress on the website and reward them when they’ve improved their math skills.

This is just the beginning for GXB, with four more Learning Series titles scheduled to release before the Holidays. The only slightly misleading feature is their came that the game is available for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. Its really only available for Game Boy Advance; but yes, technically it can be played on both systems, but that’s because the Nintendo DS can play Game Boy Advance games. There is no second screen or anything of the kind as part of the game.

• Math Patrol: The Kleptoid Threat - Basic Facts
• GXB Interactive Website features the game progress tracking and a downloadable version of the game’s manual.
• Top 8 Game Boy Early Childhood Games.
• Parents Guide to the ESRB Ratings System.

Celebrate the Day of the Dead with a review of Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare for the Game Boy Color

Halloween is finally here! The day that we all dress up as our favorite ghoul, ghost or monster and play Game Boy! What? You’d rather go trick-or-treating or to a Halloween party than spend Halloween playing video games? Well, I guess I can’t blame you, but once you’ve brought home your candy haul and drying off from bobbing for apples, there is nothing better to end the spookiest night of the year than with a Game Boy Horror Game!

In honor of the occasion we bring to you a review of the most ambitious survival horror game released for any Game Boy system, Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare for the Game Boy Color.

The Alone in the Dark started in 1992 as one of the first survival horror games which spawned several sequels. In 2001 publishers Infogrames reinvented the franchise with Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare, with versions for all the major systems at the time, including the Game Boy Color. Instead of making a cheapie handheld knock-off of the console game, The New Nightmare is a richly designed high quality title that pushes the limits of the system. Unfortunately making a game this deep and rich, some sacrifices had to be made, and in this case it was gameplay.

Welcome to the House of Game Boy Horror. Read a review and play a game…if you dare!

• Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare Review – Game Boy Color
• E306 X360 Screenshot Gallery 1 - Includes two shots from the next Alone in the Dark game for the Xbox 360
• "Alone in the Dark" Movie Trailer.

They’re Creepy and their kooky; Mysterious and spooky; Their all together ookey, and they’re the only 60s sitcom to be made into a Game Boy Game. As a matter of fact, The Addams Family are so video game friendly that they've starred in 20 games for various Computers, Consoles and Game Boys! Heck, The Musters don’t even come close, having only put out two games, both for early 8-bit computers.

The Addams’ first got their gig in gaming in 1989 with Fester’s Quest for the Nintendo Entertainment System, over 22 years after the show went off the air. In the follwing two years The Addams Family feature film was a big hit in theaters, opening up a hoard of ghoulish delights to video game systems. That’s when the Family’s first hasndheld game for the Game Boy Classic was released, simply as The Addams Family, a disapointing test of patience and frustration. Two years later, when the exceptional Addams Family cartoon haunted Saturday Mornings, and their next Game Boy Classic title released, The Addams Family: Pugsley’s Scavenger Hunt, an extremely creative platformer that captures the world of the Addams Family with fun and creative gameplay.

• The Addams Family Review –Game Boy Classic
• The Addams Family: Pugsley’s Scavenger Hunt Review – Game Boy Classic
• From Game Boy to the Casino – Check Out the Addams Family Slot Machines

Welcome to my favorite month of the year, October! Not only do I get a break from the Los Angeles Summer heat but the tenth month of the year also happens to be home to my very favorite holiday of them all HALLOWEEN!!!

Yep, time to pull out the 'ole paper skeleton, pumpkin carver, horror movies and Game Boy MONSTER GAMES! In honor of October I'll be posting features on all sorts of Game Boy titles staring monsters, ghouls and ghosts!

First up is a spin-off of the arcade shooter, House of the Dead, and one of the most bizarre takes on Zombies and pinball, yes you heard me “PINBALL”! It’s Pinball of the Dead, where you do battle with hordes of Zombies with their most deadly weakness…pinball. For good measure I included in the review a bit of history on Zombie video games. Can you handle the terror of the Pinball of the Dead Review?!!!

• Pinball of the Dead Review – Game Boy Advance
• Resident Evil Gaiden Review – Game Boy Color
• The Castlevania Adventure Review – Game Boy Classic

Packshot © Sega of America

Alright, I know I’ve been shelling out a lot of news on the kiddy games for the Game Boy, so it’s about time we break out into some explosive action with Guest Guide Kristy Conn delivering her latest review of Gunstar Super Heroes, sequel to the Sega Genesis classic, Gunstar Heroes! Gunstar Super Heroes is so good in graphics, gameplay and action that it also took the #1 spot in our picks for the Top Action Games for the Game Boy Advance.

• Gunstar Super Heroes - Game Boy Advance Review
• Top 10 Action Games for the Game Boy Advance
• E3 2006 Part 2: Game Boy Action Games

Packshot © Sega of America Inc.

The pet revolution will not be televised, it'll be on your Game Boy Advance! This year there have been more pet sims games for the GBA than any other I can remember. Most of them have been in the Petz game series, but now Activision has just shipped out their first Puppy Luv game for the GBA titled Puppy Luv: Spa & Resort. While the original Puppy Luv game was for the PC and a full on pet sim game, Resort & Spa is more of a business sim where you have more hands on in the day-to-day work of taking care of the pooches and kitties.

• Puppy Luv - Spa & Resort for the Game Boy Advance - Basic Facts
• Hamsterz Life 2 for the Game Boy Advance
• Horsez for the Game Boy Advance
• Dogz 2 Virtual Petz