Since the arrival of Game Boy Advance, the average gamer might think that the original Game Boy has become defunct. Well-that's not true and this is the game that proves it. Lara Croft:Tomb Raider-Curse of The Sword shines more brightly than any other game in recent memory, and improves upon itself in so many ways. First, the graphic prowess of this game is more stunning than last years title(Tomb Raider Starring Lara Croft), Activision, Core and Edois have really worked hard. The backgrounds scroll with more ease and looks a heck of a lot better too. Enemy sprites have improved too-check out the big guard dogs and see what I mean! The game engine is the same, so expect the same Lara animation from the first. Don't think that's a complaint-it is (and was)excellent. It plays identical too. If you have mastered Lara you'll be able to jump and swing with the best of them. The first game was sort of a hackeyed story, now Lara is out to save herself, in a more contemporary setting, and the story progress from there(the second level is intense!). The levels are big and involve switches and keys, but the fun is never absent. This game is simply not to miss. It is also compatible with Game Boy Advance, so if you have that system and are looking for a good game then this is your ticket. And unlike the first, the color is better and it doesn't show up so dark on the GBA screen(that's what I play it on). Tomb Raider-Curse of The Sword is a game that just can't be pass up. It's challenging, involved, and a blast to play. It may enticed younger kids to play but make no mistake, older players will find this Tomb Raider adventure a definate hit.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

David C. Oshel

Collector's items

Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2005

The Tomb Raider franchise has had its ups and downs, so the three forays onto the miniscule Game Boy proscenium are understandably received with eyebrow raised. The first Tomb Raider for Game Boy Color (simply called Tomb Raider) was an immense surprise, since I did not expect to see Lara Croft rendered in such convincing animation. Reviewers seem to give that game high marks, and I have to agree - the game is playable, and actually fun. Then this one, Curse of the Sword, comes along. The animations are nearly as well done as the original, but seem slightly stodgy, as though some of the subtlety has been dropped out in favor of clarity. GBC TR1 sometimes hides items behind the scenery, making them hard to see; GBC TR2 actually blinks the medipaks and other items with a white flash, making cognitive skills hardwon in the first game unnecessary in the second. But what is done well, is done well. By contrast, the Game Boy Advance offering in the series, Prophecy, has bad graphics - Lara Croft is a cartoon who runs like a dork, with unvarying 90 degree leg bends like a swastika. The GBA character is not Lara, but an idea of Lara utterly lacking charm or nuance. The GBC characters, by contrast, transcend their tiny frames with brilliantly conceived animations that actually suggest a human being, or at the very least, the Playstation or Macintosh Lara viewed small. These are all collector's items.

Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2003

I found this game to be almost as enjoyable as the first Tomb Raider game for Gameboy Colour. The action was plentiful, and there were some interesting puzzles to work through in the process of getting through the game.
I have only given it three stars though for two particular reasons.
Firstly, I found it irritating that little prompts kept popping up throughout the game whenever Lara approached an item or a doorway. Perhaps others have found this helpful - I expect it would be to anyone for whom this was their first experience with a Tomb Raider game.
Secondly, and most major: I encountered a major glitch during the sequence when Lara was on the speeding train. Once the train started moving, and Lara begins making her way to the front, you will come across a save diamond. I used this the first time I played the game, and when I had to restart the game due to crashing and burning (I think I actually decapitated Lara that time round), I discovered the graphics were all warped. I don't mean that they were illegible. The graphics appear normal - until Lara starts running across empty spaces, and falls through holes where there doesn't appear to be any holes. You jump her across what you think is the gap between carriages, only to have her fall through an apparently non-existent hole and die.
No matter what I did I could not fix the problem, and I could not reach the front of the train to complete the sequence. Ultimately I had to start over from the beginning again.
I don't know if anyone else has encountered this problem, but to play it safe, use the last available save diamond before talking to the old man and getting on the train. Do not use the diamond that is on the train itself.
That aside, there is a wonderful assortment of scenery in the game. It starts off in a museum, which Lara must escape from in order to pursue the thieves.
From there, after 'defeating' a mini boss on the rooftops of New York, she must negotiate an underground maze of rail tunnels, and then make her way through two hazardous warehouses on the wharf, find her way into an underwater lab filled with zombies and collect and charge all the batteries she needs to operate a mini-sub, which she must negotiate through a dangerous maze underwater. (Hint, save as many of your health packs as you can for this part - you're going to need them)
From this last section, you will jump to the last scenes of the game, set on a distant island.
Some may feel that the final boss is something of a let down compared to the rest of the game, but it all depends on your point of view. It was extraordinarily easy to defeat the boss, but the real fun was in getting to that final battle, not in the battle itself.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Ashley

The first was good, the second is better!

Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2001

I've been a fan of the Tomb Raider games for a while, so naturally I got Tomb Raider: Starring Lara Croft for my Game Boy Color. I loved that game, and it was probably my favorite, but it was really easy and really short. I've already beaten it more then 10 times, and I wanted more challenges. Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword gave me just what I wanted. The levels are more challenging, and the graphics are really fluid. This is an excellent game, and it's well worth the 30 bucks I paid for it!

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Customer

Adventure awaits!

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2001

I'll say this is a great game. i mean it doesn't have to be rated T to be enjoyable. I will say that it is quite challenging but a load of fun. If you like a challenge this is for you!

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Image Unavailable

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - Curse of the Sword

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Product information

Feedback

Videos

Looking for specific info?

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - Curse of the Sword

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Product information

Feedback

Where did you see a lower price?

Videos

Looking for specific info?

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries