Hands-On: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow

You probably wouldn't expect an immersive, fully 3D game like Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (or its upcoming sequel, Pandora Tomorrow) to translate well to portable, side-scrolling 2D format. However, that didn't stop Ubisoft from giving it the old college try last year. While the Game Boy Advance (and N-Gage) version of Splinter Cell remained true to the spirit of the original stealth action game, it faltered a bit in the execution. Namely, the core stealth gameplay just didn't work that well in 2D. You, as Sam Fisher, were mostly relegated to running up behind bad guys and bopping them on the head, and waiting for security cameras to look the other way while you slinked by. The result was pretty good, but it wasn't great. Not content to settle for that, Ubisoft has gone back to the drawing board and has evidently refined the side-scrolling Splinter Cell formula quite a bit in the upcoming Pandora Tomorrow.

Like its predecessor, the GBA version of Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow combines traditional side-scrolling 2D action with some stealth elements--only this time, the stealth is more fully realized. Fisher still has binoculars, available at the touch of the right trigger, which allows you to scroll the display in any direction to take a look at what's coming up ahead. But now, in addition to that, there's an onscreen radar showing patrolling guards as little red blips. This is mighty useful and helps the pacing of the action, whereas in the previous game, you often needed to stop and use the binoculars. It doesn't take away from the game's challenge, though, since you can't tell from the radar blips whether the guards are looking away from you or straight at you, for example.

In the first Splinter Cell GBA game, all Fisher could do was knock enemies on the head with his elbow, shoot them with a tranquilizing gun, or incapacitate them with a smoke grenade. Disappointingly, he never got to use his signature SC20K experimental assault rifle in any of the game's standard missions. Pandora Tomorrow makes many improvements in this regard. For one thing, even from the get-go, Fisher is sporting his special gun. He can use it not just to kill enemy guards (which isn't always permissible, mind you), but also, thankfully, to take out security cameras. Just press up while shooting, and you'll take those pesky buggers out. As an alternate firing mode, the SC20K can also launch flashbang grenades, which temporarily blind any nearby foes, allowing you to take them out easily.

Of course, Fisher can still physically beat up anyone who gets in his way, or better yet, now he can sneak up behind an enemy and put him in a choke hold, just like in the console versions of Splinter Cell. Not only does this move feature a slick, new animation, but in some cases, Fisher can then force his new friend to use a nearby retinal scanner to gain access to new areas. Also, guards will become alerted to danger when they happen upon the fallen bodies of their friends, so it's fortunate that you can drag your victims out of sight--another new addition to Pandora Tomorrow's gameplay. Now you can also flatten your back against most walls, which often allows you to move while hiding from patrolling guards, not to mention pop up behind them and let them have it. The highly mobile Sam Fisher can once again climb vertical and horizontal pipes and such, and he can fire his sidearm while hanging. He's even got his forward roll maneuver now, executed by double-tapping forward from a crouched position. The roll lets Fisher move quickly while keeping a low profile.

That's a lot of moves! As a result of all this, not only does Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow for the GBA feature more potential for variety and more types of gameplay than its predecessor, but it does a better job of capturing the feel of the console versions' gameplay. When we played the previous Splinter Cell GBA game, we were left skeptical about whether anyone could pull off stealth action successfully in a 2D format, but now, we're almost ready to start eating crow.

Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow for the GBA is missing any sort of multiplayer component, such as the one found in the N-Gage version of its predecessor, which is ironic since the console versions of Pandora Tomorrow do have multiplayer, whereas the original Splinter Cell game did not. However, even judging by the very first mission--a multilayered affair that requires you to break into an embassy, rescue a hostage, find a data storage device, disable a security system, and more--this looks like it's going to be a substantial game. It's also looking to be quite challenging. That same first mission forces you to be very careful; one thrown alarm or one killed guard means an automatic game over, though fortunately, you'll automatically restart the level from the last area you entered.

The upcoming portable version of Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow will be released simultaneously with the Xbox and PC versions of the game later this month, and it looks as though it's captured the stealthy, tension-filled feel of its big brothers--as well as their slick graphics--better than you'd probably figure.