Trackmania (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

Firebrand have already managed to impress gamers with their two Race Driver titles from Codemasters and the quality of those games, plus the fact that you could edit and create your own tracks, made them firm favorites of the gaming community. It was no surprise then when they were selected to convert racing classic Track Mania to the DS platform and, after what seemed like forever, it's finally arrived. The DS however is hardly short of racing titles, so is this game going to bring anything different to an already crowded circuit?

Gameplay

Trackmania begins with a rather bland and uninspiring menu and two obvious racing modes available: Solo and Multiplayer. Opting for the Solo Mode throws you straight into the bizarre world of Trackmania where planning permission is simply not a requirement for racetracks. Only the Race option is available initially with three separate environments available. Of these the Stadium, which puts you in centre of a rather surreal track full of loops, turns and extreme jumps, and the more traditional Rally are the best. The Desert option is simply too difficult to be seen as a straight racer because the constant barriers and gaping holes in the road surface force you to restart far too often. The objective is to complete all the tracks within the allotted time and the quicker you complete them, the more credits you'll receive which can then be spent in the shop.

Once you've dealt with the Race section you'll open up the Platform section, which requires much more skill, where you'll find yourself misjudging jumps and falling off bends many times before you eventually master a track. The Puzzle Mode is more of a building challenge with a start and finish and a set number of track components and you must figure out how to put them all together. There's also a Multiplayer option although you will require a copy of the game each to enjoy this mode but, before you ask, there's no on-line.

Controls

There's no sign of any experimental stylus control system here; instead it's all left to the traditional controls. Some racing fans will also be pleased that Track Mania in no way attempts to be realistic. The physics here lean towards the arcade side of things, as your cars can fly through the air and will bounce around the tracks should you manage to reach even an average speed.

Graphics

Firebrand have done it again. Not only are the various tracks wonderfully designed, with impressive modeling and textures, but also it runs at a truly impressive frame rate. There are blue skies with clouds slowly drifting across and the tracks are designed so there are absolutely no pop-ups. In fact most of the tracks can be viewed in their entirety from the start line. Elsewhere the cars are well modeled with some impressive lighting effects as you race around the tracks.

Sound

As with many DS titles the audio will either delight or completely irritate you, the engine noises aren't bad though.

Dual screen

You'll only really require your stylus when you enter the track creation mode and, like the other Firebrand 'Create and Race' titles, this works very well. It is simply a case of drag and drop. You start out with the basic building blocks but you can purchase a a huge variety of others simply by visiting the shop and spending your hard earned credits, which you've won in the various races. The completed tracks can then be swapped with friends over the wi-fi network and this is a huge bonus, especially once you have completed the tracks provided with the game.

Final comments

Trackmania is possibly one of the most entertaining racers available on the DS and the ability to construct and even swap your own tracks means that the gameplay possibilities are endless. In addition the actual racing is very satisfying indeed, with perfectly pitched controls and enough challenging tracks to keep you coming back repeatedly. The only real downside is the lack of on-line play but the quality of this latest Firebrand title more than makes up for this sadly overlooked option. Petrol heads should buy it now!

Pro: A Wonderful Mixture of Racing and Creating.
Con: The Annoying Desert Mode.
Final score: 8.2

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