Most games and genres improve over time, even the bad ones. It’s usually a given rule taught in Game Development 101 that as more games are made, the more developers can learn from mistakes a make a better game because of it. ATV Thunder Ridge Riders/Monster Trucks Mayhem is the exception to that fundamental rule.

Technically, this racing package includes two games, so in the review I’ll make separate comments regarding each game; however, most of my criticisms apply equally to both games and will occasionally be directed simultaneously to both ATV and Monster Trucks Mayhem.  Also, the “Overall” score at the end is a reflection of my opinion/recommendation of both games together, since the publishers so chose to make that the product. Now on with the review…

First off, what passes as gameplay in ATV/Monster Truck, is a retrograde of what most racing fans have come to expect from new games. There is no touch-screen mechanics whatsoever, except to advance menus, and the game relies totally on D-pad and buttons, which is fine. I would rather a game not use the touch mechanic than ruin a game by forcing it in. The problem is not in this; rather, the driving mechanics themselves (physics, handling, etc…) are more concurrent with late NES or early SNES games than anything recent. In the ATV game, traversing over the decently rendered 3-D terrain is almost a joke; you can drive right up over hills (and even water!) and back down without any affect on your car’s speed or handling whatsoever. In one of my races, where you can either race against others in Career mode or run a Timed checkpoint race by yourself, I ran straight into a rock, but instead of flipping over or doing something realistic, my ATV robotically bounced off of it like a rubber ball. The Career mode in ATV is the same as Monster Truck, and I will go into that later. The Timed races are merely slalom races around hills, weaving in and out of checkpoints.

The gameplay in Monster Truck is even worse. The steering is laughable, as you have about four different positions that your truck animates. The game is literally inferior both in graphics and gameplay to Mario Kart for the SNES. In MK, the tracks were laid out in a very narrow, strict fashion, on top of a 2D/3D plane. And while the graphics are a tad better here (there are 3D ramps and undulations) the layout is similarly a lazy hybrid of both dimensions. Monster Truck does feature a Crunch Melee mode, which is of course devoid of fun or creativity, where you drive around looking for cars to “crunch;” it’s almost unplayable. The Career mode has a simple upgrade system where you can increase your trucks stats through the money you win or pick up on the track, but it adds only miniscule depth.

The sound in both games is completely generic and features bland rock songs to get your manly testosterone flowing. Again, the sound effects are likewise generic and predictable in both games, with the metal crunch here or the engine revving there.

In both ATV and Monster Truck there is a multi-card multiplayer function, but you would be hard-pressed to find someone with this game anywhere around you.

As I said before, the graphics are just horrible. There is hardly any art direction, and the levels all look identical, depending on which mode you pick; there are merely different track layouts. The only somewhat redeeming quality of ATV is the totally 3D terrain, which you can traverse anywhere at anytime; however, the land all looks the same and has been merely cut and pasted throughout to appear expansive. In both games, the back-drops are blandly drawn paintings that show almost no effort from developers. In ATV, the use of first person is fixed and cannot be changed, which is again a disappointment. Monster Truck is fixed in third person and each truck has about four different animations. The sheer blandness of the game is evident by the fact that the developers didn’t even bother naming the trucks or tracks anything other than “Truck A,” “Truck C,” or “Track 1.” Yeh.

Gameplay: 5.0
Generic and uses the mechanics of three generations ago

Graphics: 4.0
Significantly under-par for what the DS can actually do.

Sound: 5.0
Does the job and nothing more.

Difficulty: Easy
No depth or difficulty

Concept: 3.0
Clichéd and simple.

Multiplayer: 5.0
There is multi-card play, but no wi-fi. Good luck finding friends to play with.

Overall: 4.0
There is little replay value, except for multiplayer. This game is only recommended for the extremely hardcore ATV fan, and anyone craving a fun and challenging racer should look elsewhere.