I first encountered this game when it was bundled with a gaming mag. The CD has become unusable since then, but at least I can own a digital copy now.

Some aspects of the game resemble a more cartoonish, somewhat family-friendly GTA: you're main goal is to commit crimes (burglary), and there is a big (or at least it was big when the game came out) city you can explore without restrictions.

What is good:

-Various types of levels. The main goal is usually the same (get a defined amount of worth of loot), but the level design is unique enough everywhere, so it doesn't feel repetitive.

-Good burglary system. You are actually recording you're actions (somewhat like Rainbow Six) and it is easy to learn and master the control, even if you're commanding a large group.

-The city. Can be confusing first, but when you find the places you need (the best fence, the best partners), and learn to rely on taxis, it can be quite fun to cruise around after a job or two.

-Good build-up. You can access some of the better equipment if you're willing to search the city, but otherwise the game offers the exact tools, people and cars you need to complete the appropiate set of jobs. The game is quite balanced this way.

What is not so goos:

-Sounds. Especially that dog. You're gonna hate that dog and it's barking which can be heard on the opposite site of the city. But the sound effects are altogether vary between very bad and somewhat sufferable.

-If you're on foot, it is easy to get lost, because the map is really flawed. It is better to learn the city. Or rely on taxis and walkthroughs on where to find important people and places.

-Sometimes a recording breaks at an unknown point and the characters get stuck. And it can't be solved by editing a plan, a new plan has to be constructed from scratch. This can be frustrating at later levels, when it is not uncommon to spend an hour designing a plan.

-That dog. I know I mentioned it before, but that mutt is really that annoying.

I finally found this game on this site after searching for days and bought it instantly knowing it from my childhood. I absolutely love this game for its unique type of game play. You have to plan each robbery in a camcorder kind of way. You can rewind or fast forward to change any plans. When you're finished you finally "play" the recorded robbery and hope you planned it all right. It does get a bit repetitive but you do have to accommodate for weight, how many people to bring and stuff like that. I definitely recommend this game to anybody who enjoys having to think in a game and has enough patience to sometimes plan a robbery for over an hour.

This game is built around a very clever idea, and the business of doing a heist is well-executed and fun. The business of wandering around town recruiting party members turns out to be boring and frustrating, and when the game crashed after I hadn't saved for 2 hours (no autosave) I didn't pick it up again.

If you're a collector, then this game is different enough to everything else that it's worthwhile. If you're not, don't bother.