Rockstar to release GTA GBA in autumn

Grand Theft Auto will appear on Game Boy Advance this autumn according to release date information exposed in Take-Two's recent financial filings. The game is described simply as "an extension of the Grand Theft Auto franchise for the [GBA]."

Although GTA had been in development for the Game Boy Advance at one point, proposed publisher Zoo Digital reportedly canned the game towards the end of 2003, offering no explanation for its decision.

Whatever this new GTA GBA turns out to be, it's sure to be on the most popular games on the system this year, and hopefully it will live up to Rockstar's other recent handheld title Max Payne, which surprised a lot of reviewers by harnessing the original's slow motion shoot-'em-up and graphic novel stylings surprising well in an isometric setting.

The developer responsible, Mobius Entertainment, was subsequently bought up by Rockstar Games and became Rockstar Leeds. Whether Rockstar Leeds is handling the GTA GBA title remains to be seen, although we rather hope the Yorkshire firm is doing Rockstar-related things on the PSP, which the developer decided to focus on along with the GBA shortly before Rockstar became interested.

Other GBA titles mentioned in Take-Two's financials include Dragon Tales, Codename: Kids Next Door and Dora The Explorer: Super Star Adventures, all due from the 'Global Star' over the next few months and all presumably gunning for a slightly younger demographic.