Video Game Review
Asphalt GT 4
Nintendo DSiWare
2009
Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Gameloft

It’s not that the idea of a racing sim on the DS is impossible but it doesn’t seem likely due to the limited control options and the underpowered hardware. Asphalt GT 4 tries to rethink that idea but other than some early promise, the game falls flat. Every bit of potential is squandered and playing through the game feels very uninspiring.

Asphalt GT 4 has several modes of play with the career mode taking center stage. The game offers a limited selection of name-brand automobiles to choose from but the cars available are quite interesting since it’s not a given that a racing title will have Ferrari brand cars (in a downloadable title, nonetheless). You can only select from a few cars at the beginning and have a few tune-up options. The career mode allows you to race in several cities although some are closed off until later on in the game. There are different race modes within each city such as a traditional race, beat ‘em all (which requires you to knockout a preset number of cars), duel (which is a one-on-one against the computer), cash grab (which isn’t really a race except you need to get as much money as possible during the race), and cop chase (where your sole objective is to knockout the computer-controlled car in the lead position). As you make your way through the game, you gain cash which allows you to buy more cars and tune-up parts as they become available. The easiest way to gain cash is by winning races and knocking out opponents although you can also gain cash by performing long drifts and jumps, causing urban havoc, as well as running into dollar signs littered on the race track. Performing well will also cause you to level up which opens up access to new cities and race modes within previous open cities. Leveling up also grants access to new cars and parts as well. There’s also a feature that allows you to take pictures of yourself or other things and put them into the game. It’s a cute feature but doesn’t really add anything to the experience. There’s also a multiplayer component to the game but it’s only local; no online. The problem is that you to play multiplayer, you need to be playing against someone who also has a copy of the game. Good luck with that.

Controls are simple although they are customizable if you decide you don’t like the default setup. One button represents the gas, another the break, and one more is for a nitro boost. The nitro can be used as long as you have fuel in your nitro tank represented by a bar at the lower left portion of the screen. You can steer using the d-pad or you can try steering using the touch screen (by running your finger to the left or the right along a displayed steering wheel). The d-pad is the way to go even though the touch-screen does provide for better control. The two problems with the touch-screen as a means to steer is that it’s awkward to use and it does have a steep learning curve. Even though it’s not as realistic, the d-pad does the job. It doesn’t give you the driving simulation experience but it handles just fine for a racing game.

The game plays more like an arcade racer than a simulation even though on quick glance it feels like it should fall into the latter category. Drifting is a skill that is required to do well in the game and win some of the more difficult challenges. The drifting mechanic feels too floaty to be realistic and some of the things you can do with your automobile (like controlling your cars position while in mid-air) are not representative of a sim. The learning curve of the controls is a bit broken because once you learn how to drift properly and time your nitro boost use just right, it really doesn’t matter which car you have because you’ll dominate any race. The opponents don’t get harder so once you learn how to drive properly; it’s mostly your race to lose. The only opposition is the tracks which get more complicated as they open up. However, since there is a limited amount of tracks and you have to do four events per course, you’ll know the maps very well by the end.

There’s also a feature that allows you to take pictures of yourself or other things and put them into the game. It’s a cute feature but doesn’t really add anything to the experience. There’s also a multiplayer component to the game but it’s only local; no online. The problem is that you to play multiplayer, you need to be playing against someone who also has a copy of the game. Good luck with that.

The RPG element of the game where you rank up after winning and scoring cash is bizarre. At the beginning, you’ll be screaming up the ranks which nets you more courses to run through and more cars and parts to buy. The problem is as you get closer towards the end of the game, winning a race no longer guarantees raising your level ranking. In fact, you may have to do a couple of races to raise your ranking. This wouldn’t be an issue if there were tons of things to do but there are a limited number of races so there’s a chance you’ll have completed all the courses and challenges available to you at the time and you’re stuck in this rut waiting for more things to open up. It really kills the game. Also, there appears to be no ending in that once you reach the highest ranking and win every last race, nothing happens. There are no credits or congratulatory screen. Games don’t need complicated send-offs but it is still nice to know that you’ve accomplished something.

Asphalt GT feels like a very unpolished game. The racing is not bad and in short spurts it’s adequate. However, if you’re craving an intense racing experience on the DS, you’re going to be very disappointed. Some might argue that since it is DSiWare and carries a very low price that the game shouldn’t be held up to high standards. However, considering the hardware power of the DS and that there are other racing games on the system that run well (like Grid or TrackMania), there’s no excuse for such a lame product. Download if you’re flush with money and have gone through every other racing game in the DS library. Otherwise, don’t bother.

☆☆