Top Gear Pocket

Top Gear Pocket is a racing video game where the player drives rally cars through a series of tracks. As the player wins races, new cars and tracks are unlocked.^[2] The game features a total of 14 cars and eight tracks.^[3] Races can take place in cities, savannas, grasslands, and snowy trails.^[3] Both two-wheeled and four-wheeled cars are featured in the game and the handling of each car varies significantly.^[3] The game cartridge features a built-in rumble feature that vibrates when the player crashes into other cars or slides on the track,^[2] but does not feature a battery to save the game progress, so passwords must be used to restore the game to a specific state.^[3] The game also includes a multiplayer mode where two players can race against each other.^[3] The Game Link Cable is required for multiplayer.^[4]

Top Gear Pocket was the first Game Boy Color game to introduce a rumble feature in North America.^[4] In Europe, the game was released as Top Gear Rally.^[9][10] Critical reception for the game was generally mixed.^[5] N64 Magazine criticized it for its lack of challenge and variety, stating that tracks are "either a mixture of looooong straights or fairly simple curves", but highlighted its graphics and sense of speed.^[9] In contrast, Computer and Video Games felt that the game was very challenging, stating that players might get both frustration and joy in equal measure.^[6] IGN remarked that the graphics are sharp and clear and that the game "creates a very realistic feeling of movement".^[3]

The French video game magazine Consoles + praised the game's rumble feature, stating that it enhances the gameplay experience significantly.^[10] The Spanish official Nintendo magazine Nintendo Acción agreed, but criticized the car handling and their small size.^[11]