Moto Racer DS (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

There are plenty of racers on the DS, not only do Electronic Arts wheel out a Need for Speed every year but we not also have Codemasters with their visually impressive Race Driver series. Motorbikes are a little different though and these two wheeled thrill machines have been almost ignored on the platform. It was a bit of a surprise then when publisher Nobilis announced Moto Racer for the DS, a game that has shifted some seven million copies worldwide on just about every conceivable format. It's the type of high-end brands that often bypasses the handheld market, so with the previews of the game incredibly favorable we couldn't wait to get our hands on the final version.

Gameplay

The first thing you'll notice about Moto Racer is the number of racing modes, although fans of the series will most likely head for the Moto GP section first. This is probably the most straightforward of all the different options with the objective being to win each race although there are a variety of different ways in which to do this. You can opt for a championship, which challenges you to gain the most points over a handful of tracks, a time trial or even a single race. Then there's the Dirt Bike based Supercross which features the same modes as the Moto Racer. Both of these feature a multiplayer option for up to eight players. Best of all though is the Traffic section where that the whole game is transferred to the real world, with each track not only set in a different location but also mission based. You can jump on a moped and attempt to deliver a number of pizzas against the clock, complete a slalom section and there's even one track where you must complete a lengthy wheelie whilst finishing the lap within the time limit. You can also simply race around the city streets but the missions are really one of the game's highlights and each mission could be a game in its own right, especially the pizza delivery section.

Controls

The traditional controls are available and you'll be pleased to know that everything works just fine but given the amount of time and effort the developers have put into the touch-screen control, you should probably give that a go too.

Graphics

Developers Artefacts have managed to pull off an impressive 3D engine and everything from the bikes to the numerous environments look fantastic. There's even been a great deal of attention paid to the interface and navigating around the game and the various modes is simplicity itself.

Sound

There's not a lot you can do with a racing game other than attach suitable engine noises and a heart pumping soundtrack. Unfortunately the developers appear to have skipped over both and while the sound effects are passable, the music is instantly forgettable.

Dual screen

The developers have managed to pull off a responsive and incredibly intuitive control system, which actually adds to the games enjoyment. This involves you using the stylus as a kind of throttle and steering mechanism at the same time, pushing up makes you go faster whilst dragging the stylus to the base of the screen slows you down. The same is true of the steering where pushing left or right will send you in that direction.

Final comments

Moto Racer certainly lives up to its initial promise and if you are a racing fan or indeed a follower of the original, then this games can't really be recommended enough. The game play is entertaining whilst the amount of different tracks, bikes and racing modes and very impressive indeed. It also looks great and the 3D engine is smooth and full of detailed modeling and textures and the touch-screen control system isn't bad either. The only downside is that the initial tracks are a little too easy but rest assured you'll be put to the test in no time at all.

Pro: Great Touch-screen Interface, Lots of Variety, Impressive 3D Engine.
Con: Easy Tracks not Challenging Enough, Poor Audio
Final score: 8.7

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