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Okay, okay, so morally we possibly shouldn’t like playing these types of games. Video games offer an escape from the world, and let you be something you aren’t. Besides, these games are just plain fun. Which brings me to the game I’m reviewing for you right now, Smugglers Run: Warzones for the GameCube.

Courtesy of Angel Studios and Rockstar Games, we, the proud Gamecube owners, finally get our taste of the dirty side of life. Now it’s not exactly a “new” game, as it's more of an upgraded version of prior PS2 versions, but we do get the best of what the series has to offer. Smugglers Run challenges you to outrun the popo while smuggling contraband across wide-open spaces in remote parts of the world. It offers a large selection of nicely detailed vehicles and great multiplayer action. If you played one of the previous versions of this game you know exactly what to expect, but for everyone else I’ll kick off the breakdown of the game, so strap on your seatbelt and get ready to fly.

Graphics:

First I want to say next to Wreckless on the Xbox this game has some of the best looking vehicles models out there. I’m particularly fond of the ATV myself, as it just seems to make the insane jumps just that much more crazy. All the vehicles look great though, much like their real-life counterparts. The game has a steady frame-rate that keeps the action moving at top speed, which is important in a game like this where you’ll be on the edge of your seat most of the time.

Angel Studios set out to create HUGE worlds in which to drive in, and they have succeeded brilliantly. Some of the levels are so big you'll wonder if you will ever see the other side. Because of the size of the levels, detail can be a little lacking. The water effects do not hold up against other games on the system, but they did toss in some nice environmental effects like snow, fog and rain to keep things interesting. All in all though I’ll gladly take the little hit in detail to have the massive levels. Scattered throughout the maps are small cities, as well as villages with traffic and people. Remember when I said hitting people is fun? The game shows a lot of polish and I give the graphics a nice thumbs up.

Gameplay:

Smugglers Run uses a checkpoint system, sort of like the old Outrun games of the past, just minus the fixed track. You race from the police smuggling contraband over huge areas, from checkpoint to checkpoint, and the punk cops never seem to let up. Lucky for you that your chosen vehicle has countermeasures to keep things fair. Some vehicles have speed boosts, the ability to jump, and some have bombs. Gotta love bombs. The game is easy to master, but it can get pretty friggin’ hard at times. With thirty-six levels to complete you’ll be playing for quite sometime before you beat it.

If the main game wasn’t enough for you, Angel Studios included some damn good multiplayer action for up to four people. You'll get capture-the-flag, checkpoint captures, various races, etc. There’s a lot there for you and your buddies to do. I was quite surprised at how well they adapted the game to multiplayer. If you played previous versions and wished to play with more than 2 people, it’s worth picking up just for this.

Sound:

It’s your typical videogame techno soundtrack. It does its job just fine; with nice thumping backbeats to get you in the driving mood. It’s better than a lame rock soundtrack, and serves its purpose just fine. I hardly noticed it to be honest, with all the rushed driving I was doing, so I guess it did its part.

The sound effects are just there. It doesn’t seem like they put too much effort into making the cars sound great, or the crashes sound real. There’s not much in the way of environmental effects at all. So you get your techno soundtrack to fall back on. Who cares, as you’ll be to busy running from the cops to really notice.

Overall Impressions:

Finally the Gamecube gets its due. We really wanted Grand Theft Auto, but with the exclusive PS2 contract out there now it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen. We’ll gladly take this game any day though, its tons of fun and it involves running from cops and delivering “goods”. You've gotta love that. They really did deliver the best version of the game to the GC and we can be proud of that. If you already owned the previous versions there really isn’t a lot of extra here for you to plop down your hard earned dough. The multiplayer helps, and if you got 3 friends aching to play you won’t be disappointed. We’re kind of in the middle of that waiting period before Mario comes and then the holiday rush. Smugglers Run will fit in just fine until I get a chance at Nintendo’s A+ titles. I say a pretty solid “buy” rating, if not then it's a “definite” rental.