Full Review

One of my favorite games for the NES was called Guerilla War. It was a top-down view shooting game where you controlled a little soldier who ran around shooting and hurling grenades at the bad guys. Medal of Honor Infiltrator takes that same gameplay style and updates it for the Game Boy Advance.

The top-down view for shooting games is nothing new. Berserk for the Atari 2600 used a fairly simple version of the same style of play. One part of the Platoon game for the NES also used it, as well as the previously mentioned Guerilla War and a slew of other 8 and 16-bit titles for many different platforms.

Before even playing the game, I was impressed with the opening sequence because it featured wartime video footage. I was a little bit shocked to see actual video on the GBA, even if it was grainy and in black and white. It adds a nice touch that was always present in previous MOH games for the PC and other consoles.

Not all of the missions utilize the top-down style of play. Some levels resemble the classic NES shooter Operation Wolf. Just like that game, you have to shoot soldiers and vehicles as well as boxes of ammo and health to pick them up. Men throw grenades at you and you have to shoot them before they get to you, then pick off the guys before they throw another. It’s not that easy, but it is fun.

The graphics are very well done for the GBA, though I did notice one small annoyance. You have the inability to walk around a lot of things, so you might be running across a field and find yourself having to sidestep a tree or empty barrel. The programmers should have added something to allow the soldier to slip around these kinds of obstacles. When you are under heavy gunfire, I’m pretty sure most people would not run directly into a tree and just stop.

I thought the sound was pretty well done for a GBA game, including the missile and gun sound effects. The music is on par with most other titles, but it isn’t all that bad. There is some voice work, but it’s mostly just guys yelling single words like, “Ambush!”

MOHI is a tough game and there are no known cheat codes. I looked all over Google and many different gaming sites and nothing offered anything but strategy tips. If you do finish the game and win all silver or gold medals, then you will unlock a couple of new playing modes, but I haven’t been able to do that yet.

I really love playing this game. With 15 total levels, it will keep you busy for a while, and you can always replay the levels to see what you might have missed. This is one of those games that you won’t mind playing over and over again. It is such a great throwback to many of the classic console titles that I loved to play when I was younger, and I still enjoy that style of gaming. It is simplistic compared to all the 3D titles out now, but that doesn’t make MOHI any less fun.