Although I was raised with an NES controller in my hand, the fondest memories I have with racing games were on the SNES and Nintendo 64. Arcade-style off-road games with huge air and packed with nitro boosts were amazing during that generation, and they seemed to have disappeared over the past several years. Then in 2011 Renegade Kid steps in and delivers ATV Wild Ride as a retail game on the Nintendo DS. It was the destination for arcade off-road gaming on the DS. Now, they have delivered again with a re-mastered version at a bargain price on the 3DS eShop. Can this be one of the definitive racers on the 3DS?
ATV Wild Ride 3D packs in six tracks, each with four variations (for a total of 24 different track layouts), 12 unlockable racers and quads, and three different modes of play. World Tour is your single-player destination for unlocking new characters and vehicles. While it starts off incredibly easy, it quickly ramps up the challenge. The goal of the game is simply: do tricks, earn nitro, get more speed, stay at the front of the pack. One of the biggest barriers to entry is the mastery of track layout and timing of tricks. Many times, the biggest rewards come with the biggest risk, as huge jumps will be followed up immediately by steep cliffsides, leading to your being respawned back onto the track and effectively killing your chances for victory.
Very few arcade racers have me reaching for the Brake button like ATV Wild Ride 3D. This also means that track memorization is key. The bottom screen has a full course map, so you can always predict the next turns, but it would have been nice to be able to predict jumps as well. There is also an elimination mode that drops the player in last place for each lap, as well as a Freestyle mode if you want to see how high of a score you can get for performing tricks.
Wild Ride 3D looks far sharper than the DS original. Textures are cleaner and clearer than in the DS original, and everything from the user interface to the riders themselves benefit from the upgrade to the 3DS. Where the game really shines is in the use of full 3D. Crank the 3D slider all the way to max and the game feels far more immersive. While the graphics aren’t the most impressive the 3DS has to offer, they do manage to feel sharp and alive thanks to the power of 3D. There were a few graphical glitches, sometimes allowing me to pass through what appeared to be solid objects, and other times, I would re-spawn for what appeared to be just hitting a wall too hard.
The sound is somewhat of a mixed bag. The music fits the game perfectly. This is an extreme, adrenaline pumping ATV racer, and the punk rock soundtrack works well with the genre. The game also features voices for the characters. I just kinda laughed whenever my guy would scream “Awesome!”, but I could see how it could easily become grating on the ears for others, and thankfully, Renegade Kid has allowed the option to turn off the voices completely. In fact, players have complete control over volume, with separate sliders for music and sound effects.
The real redeeming quality in this arcade-style racer is the fact that it has online multiplayer and leaderboards. The online was smooth and I didn’t experience any lag or disconnections over the course of twenty or so races online. It would be great to be able to send pre-made messages to other players letting them know your plans. My one wish here is that Freestyle mode could be played online. I loved Freestyle mode almost as much as the racing itself.
Personally, I really enjoyed the game. The track design requires you to learn every jump and curve and master the timing of tricks. It may not be as accessible as, well, say Mario Kart 7, however it certainly is a solid enough racing entry on the Nintendo 3DS. As long as the game can keep a thriving online community, this game could definitely have some legs. The price of the game makes it a no-brainer purchase for those looking for a quick arcade racer fix on the go.
Release Date: Mar 7, 2013
No. of Players:up to 4 players
Category: Sports, Racing
Publisher:Renegade Kid
Developer:Renegade Kid
Price:$7.99
ESRB: E Everyone
WEBSITE
http://nintendodude.com/atv-wild-ride-3d-review/
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