Asphalt: Urban GT

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.