20 years after his fateful encounter with the user named Flynn, the Tron program has been relegated to a storage acrhive, no longer in frequent use. But when he's unzipped and put back into action with no instructions, he must once again set out on a mission in the electronic world with a Bit at his side. Soon it becomes clear that a corrupting program has started to remake the system in its own image, taking over by infecting other files and viciously attacking any programs who don't immediately succumb. Tron's mission is to stop the infection from spreading and secure the system by any means necessary. (Buena Vista Interactive, 2004)

There's a part of me that's up for relatively complex, sweat-the-details games like Dune 2000 and Starfleet Command and, yes, the PC version of Tron 2.0. There's also a part of me that just likes to pick up a game and be a bit more carefree about it - that's the side of me that still keeps the Atari 2600 and the Odyssey² on hot standby. It's rare that there are two versions of the same game, one for whichever mood I'm in, and Tron 2.0: Killer App for the Game Boy Advance is proof that this doesn't happen nearly enough.

Reformatted into an isometric 3-D view, Killer App has a somewhat smaller "world" that's still nicely decked out in classic Tron style. There's a simple control system whose biggest liability is its reliance on diagonal movement with the Game Boy D-pad, and the sound is stunning - as you gain new abilities or interact with non-player characters, there's a gob of digitized dialogue by Bruce Boxleitner and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos. (Oh, and speaking of Bruce, that's one rather major adjustment to the storyline for this version: rather than playing as Jet Bradley, son of Tron programmer Alan Bradley, you are quite simply Tron himself.)

At various points in the exploratory game, you'll have to commandeer Recognizers, light cycles, and even tanks to get from one place to another. For the Recognizers and tanks, the game shifts to a nifty, fast-moving 3-D blast-o-rama until you either accomplish your goal and reach your destination, or get de-rezzed in the process. Light cycle duels are handled from a somewhat stylized overhead view not unlike the original arcade game. These vehicular adventures can also be played as stand-alone games in "battle mode" - even better with a network of linked Game Boys so you can frag your friends.

And speaking of the original arcade game, possibly the biggest attraction Killer App holds for me is that it includes near-perfect emulated versions of the Tron and Discs Of Tron arcade games. They're accessible at any time in the minigames menu, and they're glorious (this is the first time either game has been officially translated for home play). If I have one gripe, it's that - authenticity aside - the color palette of the original Tron should've been tweaked a bit to help visibility. The dark blues are almost illegible, even on the backlit screen of a GBA SP. There's also some "squishing" of the games' displays to allow them to fit on the GBA's horizontal screen, but I can forgive that because the game play itself is fantastic. The use of the GBA shoulder buttons for aiming takes a little getting used to, but it's a very logical arrangement. Bliss!

Other minigames reveal themselves along the way; I've gotten to where I like the Security minigame - a.k.a. the "hacking" puzzle game incorporated into the main attraction - almost as much as a quick round of the classic arcade games.

Tron 2.0 on the GBA is a great little package combining the best of the old and the best of the new. Highly recommended.

Rating:  A whole dollar - trade it in for more quarters, you'll be playing this game a lot.

Reviewed by Earl Green
theLogBook.com editor/webmaster