Kill Switch (GBA)

This entry is part of 2 in the series Kill.Switch

• Kill Switch (GBA)
• Kill Switch

The Game Boy Advance was home to some interesting technical experiments that pushed beyond the idea of what the hardware was capable of. Some of these inlcluded Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, Super Monkey Ball Jr., Driver 3, and a few others. However, nestled within the GBA’s library lies one game in particular that, much like its brethren, pushed past the limits of what seemed possible. That game is the handheld port (or demake as many like to call it) of Kill.Switch.

Releasing Kill.Switch on the GBA sounds odd in retrospect, especially considering that third-person shooters were never the platform’s strongest asset, nor was there any huge demand for them. Still, Namco had another say and decided to take a massive risk with this gamble regardless. Launched first in Europe on August 27, 2004 according to Wikipedia, the port was developed by Visual Impact with little involvement from the original creators. The studio could have easily gone for a top-down shooter or a more cost-effective 2D iteration, but instead chose to pursue an ambitious 3D conversion of a forgotten classic.

The story is identical to the original game. Players once again take control of Nick Bishop, who is instructed to participate in missions designed to incite a global war, orchestrated by a profiteer named Archer, to sell neural technology. Little do you realise that you are merely a pawn in a convoluted web of events.

Most of the fundamental gameplay mechanics established in the original release - blind-fire, offensive cover, peek-and-shoot, and dodging - all exist  in this port, though the way they are implemented differs considerably from the console version. While much of the game resembles the original, it also differs in several ways. For starters, the controls are completely different. You shoot with the A button instead of the shoulder trigger, while the left and right shoulder buttons are used to rotate the camera. Pressing both simultaneously allows Nick to stand and aim. Meanwhile, Weapon switching is assigned to the Select button.

Unfortunately, the controls are not casual-friendly. Since aiming is handled with the D-Pad while camera movement relies on the shoulder buttons, you will often find yourself stopping in place just to line up accurate shots, which makes the entire experience feel slow and clunky. The blind-fire system also remains as inconsistent as it was in the original game. Sometimes it works well, and sometimes it doesn’t.

Naturally, as expected from a handheld like the GBA, numerous compromises had to be made. One of the biggest is the heavily pixelated presentation, which looks jarring. When compared to titles like Driver 3, which is arguably twice as ambitious in scale, kill.switch does not hold up particularly well visually. Everything from the level geometry to Nick Bishop’s texture work and enemy models look ugly.

Still, where the port falters in visuals and sluggish movement, it somewhat redeems itself with serviceable level design. Most stages consist of running through samey maze-like corridors, shooting enemies, taking cover, picking up weapons and keys. Rinse and repeat. Several levels were redesigned from scratch and even include a few additions absent from the console release. One of these additions is the inclusion of boss fights, which range from tanks to heavily armed soldiers who never seem to know when to stop firing. For the most part, however, these bosses are not particularly difficult. Give them a few seconds, and you will likely memorize their patterns in no time. Regular enemies are equally easy, and the game is fairly generous with health pick-ups. Although the enemy AI can be a bit aggressive,  It’s quite rare to face the game over screen.

There is also a grading system at the end of each level. Finishing stages quickly, avoiding damage, and maintaining accurate aim rewards you with ranks ranging from A to D. These ranks do not add anything meaningful to the gameplay, nor do they unlock any additional content, but they at least provide some incentive to get better at the game. However, two additional modes unlock after finishing a stage. The first is a “Time Limited” challenge, where the objective is exactly what you would expect: clear the level as quickly as possible. The second mode, “Zombie Mode”, is a bit more tricky. You are given unlimited ammunition, but defeated enemies continuously rise from the dead every few seconds.

For a GBA game, Kill.Switch is fairly short and can be completed in roughly an hour. There are just over five levels to play through, excluding the tutorial. While that is a fair length for a handheld title, there is unfortunately little replay value. Once the credits roll, there is not much reason to revisit it.

That is not to say Kill.Switch is terrible in any way, shape, or form. Quite the opposite, actually; it is surprisingly fun for what it is. Aiming with the D-Pad takes some getting used to, as do the inconsistent framerates, but the game remains an interesting technical achievement nonetheless. When compared to other third-person shooters on the system, such as Driver 3, Kill.switch sadly falls behind. Even so, both Visual Impact and Namco deserve credit for attempting something this ambitious on the GBA. Had the game arrived a year or two later, it perhaps would have found a far more suitable home on the PSP. As it stands, though, Kill.Switch is a fun little one-and-done experience: you beat it once, then never look back.