As rushed as some of the DS launch titles were, there were enough surprises in the bunch to made buying the system on day number one seem worthwhile. Two racing games made their way into the launch lineup, "Ridge Racer" and "Asphalt Urban GT." While "Ridge Racer" was basically a port, "Asphalt" is an entirely original game and it works far better than the competition.
Offering up fully licensed vehicles, "Asphalt" makes itself accessible to both the die-hard car people and those who still haven't figured out which peddle is the gas. The heart of the game is the Evolution mode, basically some sort of a career mode featuring street races. You'll earn cash to upgrade and buy new cars, also earning new ones by finishing high enough in each series. The upgrades are standard fare, just basic new parts that are simple enough to figure out without a deep knowledge of the vehicles. Arcade offers a standard time attack, free race, and fairly generic cop chase that requires players to lock on to certain cars for a few seconds to "capture" them.
Without an analog stick, Gameloft's developers have constructed a fantastic control scheme that works flawlessly with a D-pad. It feels quite natural (though not particularly realistic) to take a corner and once you've mastered the somewhat necessary drift, you'll own each course. There's no attempt to use the touch screen as a gimmick like "Ridge Racer." It was made specifically for the DS and that's the best thing that could have happened to it. It may take a few moments to get a grip on it all, but patience pays off.
Some of the games pieces do make it feel like a rip-off, from the cop chase to the nitro's. Crashing into objects or barely avoiding traffic adds to a small meter in the lower left corner of the screen ("Burnout" fans are likely rolling their eyes right now). Filling it allows for a short burst of speed and up to five can be stored. These need to be used smartly as your added speed seriously decreases your ability to take the turns like you normally would. The bottom screen comes into play here, providing a solid map to show you the straight sections.
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