The story in the GBA version of Operation Surma is pretty basic. As Ethan Hunt, you're sent into a series of missions by the Impossible Mission Force to combat a shadowy organization that has gained the technology to unlock any high-security complex in the world. During your missions, you'll communicate with other IMF agents, including the computer whiz and Ving-Rhames-look-alike Luther Stickell and the disguise master George Spelvin.

The actual gameplay in Operation Surma comes off sort of as a watered-down Metal Gear clone. Ethan has one firearm, the "multipurpose gun," at his disposal, as well as an up-close instant kill move and a bevy of gadgets to solve puzzling problems. Eventually, you'll get used to the way you interact with (and kill) enemies, but until you do, the game will likely try your patience.

The game acts like there's a stealth component involved, but there really isn't, since you spend so much time running around out in the open. Then, in the situations where you try to use your "take-down" move to kill a guard without using a gun, the guard will often open up on you with his own gun and remove a third of your life before you can line up your character and execute the move.

What’s more, the penalties for being "seen" if you unsheathe your gun are almost nonexistent, rendering the stealth component useless. Basically, expect to die a lot on the first mission just getting used to the controls and learning how to manage your ammo and movement without getting killed.

The gadgets you have are vaguely useful but don't really seem all that impressive. Your gun can accept different kinds of bullets, so you can stun or outright kill enemies as the situation demands. You're also able to pick up disguises from some enemies to move around freely without being recognized. There are also a few little whiz-bang devices that help you out from time to time, such as a tracker that lets you follow a "tagged" person’s movements, a scanner that locates key electronic equipment, and a jammer that confuses security systems so you can slip by unnoticed. These gadgets' functions, though, are executed with so little fanfare that they're just not that exciting to use.

Nor are the graphics in Mission: Impossible: Operation Surma particularly exciting, and in fact they’re below average when compared to other recent GBA releases. The Ethan sprite animates pretty smoothly, but that's about the nicest thing you can say about the graphics, since the backgrounds are generic and the enemies look mostly the same. Also, remember the interactions with IMF agents? They’re represented by bland cutscenes that feature static talking heads and text. You'll also get some short, illustrated mission briefings before the actual action. Not a lot going on in terms of presentation here.

The music is also pretty annoying and repetitive, while the sound effects are underwhelming and sometimes hard to notice. The game just doesn't take very good advantage of the Game Boy Advance hardware, which other games have proven is an amazingly capable little machine.

Mission: Impossible: Operation Surma isn't the worst game you'll play on the Game Boy Advance, but it's far from the best. Even those looking for a tactical stealth action game should be wary, since this one is both frustrating to play and not very engaging. GBA owners hungering for a handheld stealth action game would be advised to keep their hunger at bay and wait for Konami to finally make Metal Gear Advance.