I bomb atomically
As a critic, I value taking a skeptic (nearly cynical) stance before approaching any piece of art. Luckily, the portable port of a franchise loans itself to that stance almost as well as the movie tie-in game. Over and over, great console franchises are sacrificed on the altar of the handheld cash-in: Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty 4, Tomb Raider: Underworld. It's so easy to fall into traps when you're developing for the PSP or DS. Why should GTA be any easier? And no, you can't just say "it's Rockstar."
While Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars isn't the first time developer Rockstar has taken on the portable market, I'm not prepared to say that they have a great track record. While the PSP Stories releases were exceptional entries in Rockstar's premiere series, their earlier efforts (GTAII on the GameBoy Color and GTA: Advance on the GBA platform) were mediocre at best. Simply put, it just seems like it would be harder to convert the magic of GTA from home consoles to the DS than it was to the PSP. Would the chaotic free-form play, the cinematic missions, and the distinct GTA "living city" feeling carry over to the DS?
Tearing up the battle zone
A translation can sometimes capture the emotional resonance of a work just as well as it can the meaning behind the words. Rockstar manages this with a number of the basic game elements in GTA:CW.
Unlike the GBA or GBC Grand Theft Auto releases, Chinatown Wars is a pleasure to look at. There is zero eye strain here. More than passable, it's actually surprisingly appealing. A distinctive color palette combines with a simple design aesthetic for the characters and cars in the world. Taking a cue from classic GTAs, different gangs in the world have different colors associated with them: the purple of Triad boss Hsin's men makes them easily distinguishable from regular pedestrians.
There is some debate about whether GTA games really do bring "cinema" quality narrative to gaming, but there it's much less controversial to praise Rockstar's ability to create well paced cutscenes with memorable characters and clever diaog. The story of Chinatown Wars is unlikely to win any BAFTAs. It's fairly predictable stuff, drawing on 70s-exploitation-meets-90s-Hong-Kong crime drama tropes. The characters fit into these categories too: The slimy private eye, the heir to the throne sociopath, the wealthy student of De Sade. Even if this isn't genre redefining material, it's still fun and engaging.
More than either of those characteristics though, the fun-con-frustration of the console GTA's combat has carried over word for word, so to speak. The weapon system is instantly recognizable. The pistols, shotguns, SMGs, assault rifles, and heavy weapons all feel familiar as you pull their triggers. (Though I do especially like the addition of the dual wielded pistols which fill a previously unfilled fast-rate, low damage role. Chow Yun Fat would be proud.)
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