A new law
has been passed in the game industry. It states that every game console must
launch with a new racer. PSone blew audiences away with Wipeout and Ridge
Racer. Nintendo 64 practically invented a new sub-genre with Wave Race 64.
Game Boy Advance’s launch included over 10 titles, most of which were racing
games.
Nintendo DS,
the portable, dual- and touch-screen version of Nintendo’s 64-bit console,
comes to the market with just one racing game: Asphalt Urban GT. Previously
seen on N-Gage, this gameloft-developed title is filled with eye candy and
several licensed cars to win or purchase.
Playing the
game will give you the same feeling that you’ll get from Mario 64 DS, the
feeling that you’re no longer playing a Game Boy game. While the Nintendo DS
is technically a next-generation Game Boy, Asphalt Urban GT provides much more
than a Game Boy gameplay experience. The tracks are three-dimensional, with
real twists and turns and a true sense of interactivity. The game’s lighting
wasn’t done in real-time, nor were the shadows, but the pre-made effects are
very satisfying. Graphically it can’t compare to the best Nintendo 64 had to
offer, but it looks better than most of the pixelated racing games released
during that era.
The gameplay
is the real clincher though. Remember how you felt the first time you played
Ridge Racer for the PSone? That’s what playing Asphalt Urban GT is like.
This game is not as polished or as technologically advanced as Namco’s title.
However, it has many of the same elements, along with several of its own.
Asphalt
Urban GT is an arcade racer, so you won’t get 100+ licensed vehicles. You
will get 25 though, a decent number for a launch title that was thrown
together so quickly. More important than that is the quality of each
individual cars. No one’s going to be beating down doors to drive the game’s
own concept cars, all of which are variations of real vehicles that were
available at one time or another.
The licensed
cars are much more desirable. From Aston Martin’s Vanquish, a sporty, 460
horsepower sports car, to the tiny-but-easy-to-handle Lotus Exige, Asphalt
Urban GT has great lineup. I loved cruising around in the Audi TT Roadster,
and I couldn’t get enough of the Ford Cobra Concept. This might actually be
the first game I’ve played to feature this concept vehicle. Its’ debut
earlier this year made quite an impression at the auto show. People couldn’t
stop talking about its sleek design, its unique engine, or its impressive
interior. At $150,000+, I’ll be buying one as soon as it hits the streets.
No, really.
Cars are
obtained in the same way that you obtain them in real life: through pink slip
bets. Actually you don’t have to bet your car in this game, but you can win a
new car by acquiring the first-place trophy of each racing circuit. A circuit
can feature multiple races, meaning you could get first place in two of the
races and get third or fourth in the last race and still come out on top.
That’s not exactly the most efficient way to complete the game, but it is
possible. For gamers wanting a more serious challenge, they can push to win
first place in every race. But if you win ’em all every time, you don’t have
to. That slowly changes as you near the end, so you’re not going to want to
zip through too quickly. It’s good to get to know the game and figure out
what you’re doing. That’ll make you a better racer and make the game last a
little longer.
Choose your
vehicle wisely.
Another way
to earn cars is to make money and buy them from their respective dealers.
Money isn’t made in this game by performing job-like tasks. That would be
crazy! Asphalt Urban GT rewards players with money for every first place win,
not just cars. Individual wins mean nothing though – once again it’s the
circuit that counts. Get first place in the circuit and you’ll nab no less
than ten thousand clams. That’s enough for a month’s payment on one of those
concept cars.
There’s no
limit as to how much cash you can earn. Circuits can be raced an infinite
amount of time, and since the easiest circuit has a cash prize of ten
thousand, it’s not that hard to buy all the luxury cars your heart desires.
Doing this does take time though, and it does become repetitive after a
while. Remember that this right here is self-induced repetition. If you were
to play through the game and never once repeat a circuit (which isn’t really
possible due to the monetary demands), the only time the game would seem
repetitive is when you encounter the same course on more than one circuit.
This happens quite often, but I want to stress that it’s not as frustrating as
you’d think. I didn’t mind racing each course more than once. In fact I
usually looked forward to it.
Asphalt
Urban GT’s one and only problem is the controls. They’re acceptable, they get
the job done. That’s not enough anymore. As I turned in and out of tight
corners, I felt myself slowly begin to compensate for whatever the game
lacked. Even the cars with a good turning radius lacked the smoothness and
precision that a next-gen racer should have.
This is a
great first attempt and a must-play launch title. However, the steep cost (MSRP:
$39.99) and short length are two very good reasons not to buy it.
Think long and hard before adding this – or any game besides Mario 64 DS and
Spider-Man 2 – to your Christmas wish list.
|
|
Gameplay: 7.9
Exciting when
turbo boosting and when driving the fastest cars, Asphalt Urban GT is a great
showpiece for the Nintendo DS. Racing fans will love the car lineup, they’ll
appreciate the intricate track designs, and be amazed by some of the visual
effects. Racing fans may be disappointed, however, by the somewhat clunky
controls that lack realism and have very few precise driving mechanics.
Graphics: 8
Gorgeous and
ultra-impressive with its stellar frame rate, Asphalt Urban GT shines brightly
on the Nintendo DS. None of the competing consoles have a game that can touch
this one, not in gameplay or in graphics.
Sound: 8
Generic racing
game sounds, now in high-quality stereo and unprecedented clarity! Two years
from now a game like this would get a 6, but at launch you can’t help but be
amazed by the DS’s sound capabilities. Once again, the competition is nowhere
near the quality of this console.
Difficulty: Easy/Medium
While Asphalt
Urban GT leans more toward the medium end of the spectrum, experienced players
will no doubt find some of the races to be a tad too easy.
Concept: 7
No revolutionary
content here. Both screens are used because Nintendo more or less requires
it, not because the developers had a unique idea that would take advantage of
the system’s innovative features.
Multiplayer: 8
Wireless
multiplayer for you and three of your best buds. Each player is required to
have a copy of the game inserted in their DS, but if that’s an option, you’ll
love what this game has to offer.
Overall: 7.9
Almost a must-buy
launch title, Asphalt Urban GT tries to be the coolest racer on the block. It
just might have been the coolest if the gameplay had a little more polish. I
enjoyed playing this one a lot, but part of that enjoyment came from the fact
that this is a portable game for a brand-new portable system. It wouldn’t
have the same pizzazz on Nintendo GameCube unless the graphics and physics
were improved tenfold.
