Preview: TrackMania DS

1:20 PM on 01.16.2009   |   Dale North

16 comments

When we first heard that TrackMania series (check out the series history here) was coming to the DS, I thought isn't that a PC game? And how would that work on the DS?

It all started to come together when Atlus began sending out videos of game play. Wow, this looks good! And the track editor looks pretty slick! 

Yeah, we talk to ourselves often.

Now that we have review copy, we've been plugging away at races, earning medals, sometimes accidentally driving off the side of a track, screaming at the screens, oh... and designing ridiculous courses. Read on for our preview of TrackMania DS.

As we said before, this game looks fantastic for a DS racer. Of course, it's not going to look quite as great as its PC brethren, but we'd dare say you'll be impressed to see this little title in motion. We've raced on cracked-out F1-style courses, got stuck in sand in the desert, and even did the cross-country rally thing, and most of these courses look better than some of the PS1 generation racers I've played.

The game itself is a big "ghost mode" racer, meaning that you're out to beat times. I love that the tracks and races are all bite-sized, letting you jump in and race until you've had your fill. Most of the matches we've tried are about a minute long. Some less. All fun. 

You're out to beat the other cars as well, all while constantly watching the clock, keeping your fingers crossed for at least a bronze medal. Should you mess up (or go off a side of a sky-high track), you can easily hit pause and retry. And when the match is over, the first option is "retry." The perfectionist in me loves that, as I can go back in, armed with a bit more course knowledge each time, hoping to beat my last time.

Game play is as simple as it gets: d-pad for movement, brake and gas buttons, and that's it. Naturally, control varies from car to car, environment to environment, but it's all tight, simple, fun control, all the way around. 

We gave the track editor a spin, too. It's pretty robust, letting you move and view from just about any angle, dropping track pieces just about anywhere you'd like. Holding down the "L" button and using the stylus, you can pan in full 3D, letting you get a full view of where you want to put your next track length. Our first few courses were pretty stupid, but after we got the hang of it, we were able to do some pretty challenging tracks. The "draw" tool lets you sort of free hand your track. The best one we've done so far is an abusive series of quick turns that would probably give you motion sickness if played on a large television. We can't wait to share this one when the game goes live officially.

You'll have to wait for our full review to get the low down, but we'll say now that TrackMania DS is good fun, presented in easy-to-chew doses. It's the perfect game to pick up for a few minutes when you need a break.

I'll say this: I have a lot of DS review code go through here in the office, but TrackMania DS is strategically placed on the corner of the desk, in easy reach. It has been my go-to game when I get tired of the other titles.  

Look for our review in early March.