Thanks to its release on multiple consoles, the Grand Theft Auto series remains one of the biggest names in the video game industry. Brought back to life in 2001 with the release of the epic Grand Theft Auto III for the PlayStation 2, the series has been on an incredible upswing, bringing with it plenty of controversy and an insane amount of freeform gameplay not really realized in a game before. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City followed a year later with smashing results, and the forthcoming Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for the PS2 looks to be an even bigger achievement when it arrives next month. But what of the long-rumored Game Boy Advance version that's been in the works for quite awhile? Will it ever see the light of day, or will it simply fade away in the face of the more technological criminal breakthroughs on next-gen systems?

Well, wonder no more, as Grand Theft Auto Advance is preparing to make a smashing debut on the Game Boy Advance SP this fall. The game has been in development for a long time, and it has seemingly paid off, as the game looks to be every bit the classic that the original Grand Theft Auto games were. The game holds a lot of top-down goodness that fans will easily dive into, and they can immerse themselves as they try to take Liberty City as their own.

You're a nameless thug, working in Vice City alongside your mentor and partner-in-crime Vinnie. You've been enlisted to complete a number of jobs for the local mafia in return for getting out of debt and avoiding a hit on your lives. You two are down to one last job to complete, a bank robbery that's supposed to be nice and neat. However, the end result is anything but, and you lose all your stolen money, along with Vinnie, who gets caught in the bloodshed and perishes. Soon, Liberty City's police force begins to sniff out the clues and catches up to you. However, instead of bailing, you feel compelled to bring Vinnie's butcherers to justice, while also making sure that you're covered on your end so you don't go down the river courtesy of the police. So begins your bloody journey toward vengeance...

Rockstar North has teamed up with well-handling Game Boy Advance developers Digital Eclipse to create a grand new world for Grand Theft Auto, one that actually has more to cover than the PS2 edition. The city is twice in size and scope of the city in the PS2 version, although the detail isn't in 3-D. The game uses a top-down presentation similar to that of the first two Grand Theft Auto games on PlayStation, but works in a little more detail so you can make out your character, the vehicles you steal, and the enemies eager to send you to your death. Along with plenty of previously set missions, you can also complete a number of side tasks, with hundreds to choose from, ranging from playing a vigilante bringing criminals to justice to partaking in some vicious street races for a wad of cash. You can even deliver passengers to the airport in a taxi or take on the role of a paramedic and save lives, rather than easily taking them for robbery's sake.

The game sports a huge amount of detail, as well as a wide variety of vehicles to choose from. Whether it's a slick little compact with nice handling ability around turns, a sports car with lots of maneuvering and speed to help you get away from those hasty cop cars, or even a tank to help you blast through crowded city streets and beef up your star ranking to "most wanted", you'll find a lot to choose from here. The game's graphics look pretty solid at this point, representing great old-school GTA while also bringing something new to the table to make this a completely separate game.

Grand Theft Auto Advance has been a long time coming, but it looks like the wait will most certainly be worth it. It looks to be a jam-packed offering for those who can't financially take the dip into Nintendo DS territory, and may end up being one of the most memorable, if also controversial, GBA games around. Look for a full review upon the arrival of this digital handheld criminal epic soon.