Grand Theft Auto Overview
Grand Theft Auto for the Game Boy Color is a top-down crime game where the player controls an aspiring criminal across three distinct urban environments. These cities, modeled after New York, San Francisco, and Miami, are large, open areas for exploration and contain various hidden items and vehicles.
Progression is tied to achieving a target score within each of the game's six levels. Points are accumulated through general acts of vehicular theft and destruction, but the most significant gains come from undertaking specific missions for criminal organizations. These assignments, received via phone or marked vehicle, range from disposing of stolen cars to aiding in robberies and carrying out hits.
Law enforcement responds to criminal acts with escalating force, from a single pursuing car to coordinated squads and roadblocks. Evading this attention requires finding and paying for a respray, which reduces the player's score. The game provides several lives, and being arrested or killed results in the loss of weapons and a penalty to the score multiplier rather than an immediate end.
Gameplay involves navigating the city in a wide variety of vehicles, each with unique handling. Scattered crates contain weapons, armor, and utility items like police bribes or items that protect assets upon arrest. The camera zooms out dynamically when driving at speed to provide a broader view of the action.