| Introduction
Another day, another GBA Racer. It really does feel
like the racing genre has become as common on the GBA
as platformers were to the Gameboy Color. This isn't
entirely a bad thing, as we've seen some outstanding
examples of how it should be done, and everyone should
either have a V-Rally 3, Mario Kart or Antz Extreme
Racing in their collection. ATV Quad Power Racing, however,
boasts a new 3D engine and Australian developer Tantalus
could be the one to watch if initial impressions of
this title are anything to go by. We've encountered
good-looking titles before though that ended up being
impressive graphical experiments with little or no gameplay.
Let's hope this title is a little different...
GamePlay
ATV Quad Power Racing allows you to tackle the racers
in two different ways: Arcade or Challenge. To start
with, a great deal of the game is locked and the only
way to open up these areas is to be successful in the
available areas. Possibly the best way to do this is
to start with the Challenge Mode and attempt to complete
all the tracks. This will take you through courses featuring
incredibly varied terrain, and you must at least rank
in 3rd place for each of the 2 lap races. Achieving
this opens up new and more powerful Quads and tracks,
which will now be available in the Arcade Mode. It also
allows you to enter the second stage of Challenge Mode,
where you must now rank in 2nd place over 3 laps to
proceed to the next race, which becomes a lot more difficult.
No arcade racer would be complete without Power-Ups
and ATV has a generous handful of these scattered about
the various tracks. You'll find Power-Ups that improve
suspension, traction, speed, etc., although they can't
be stored and are activated immediately. Another important
tip is the fact that they all last around three seconds
and only when you're on the main track. Also, veering
off from the track will not only slow you down, but
will render the Power-Up useless.
Although you don't appear to suffer any damage, collisions
do occur and can be quite tricky to avoid. This is all
dependent on speed, and your Quad will simply bump off
other riders or bounce over smaller objects at under
30 mph. Anything over this will result in some spectacular
crashes, and sometimes while still lying on the floor
at least one other rider will pass right over you. But
you won't be idle for long, and in no time at all will
be back in the race. Finally, the developers have also
provided a password system at just the right level,
involving five racing-inspired symbols that are very
easy to record and input.
Controls
The control of the Quads is surprisingly easy and
mastering the power slide is a must for success. Your
Quad also reacts differently depending on the weather
conditions which always gives the game a far greater
sense of realism, and shows the developers have actually
put some thought into this essential gaming aspect.
Everything else is as you'd expect, with the various
options and menus very easy to navigate, making for
a pleasurable gaming experience.
Graphics
The visuals in this title are excellent and not only
does everything flies by at a fair pace (30 frames per
second), it also has a very solid feel to it. This is
due to the developers' new CRIS 3D engine which owes
a little to the current 'Mode 7' craze, and is the closest
I've seen yet to the wonderful visuals last seen in
V-Rally 3. Obviously this type of engine allows a great
deal more visual freedom and as a result, your Quad
can do just about anything with ease. A final mention
must go to the spot effects such as mud or snow flaking
up from the wheels, and though this is by no means a
monumental achievement, it's the little touches like
these that make a game visually memorable.
Sound & Music
To be honest, the music really isn't too good, but
since it only actually plays during the intro and menu
systems it can't really be considered a gaming factor.
The sound effects, on the other hand, are excellent
and you'll quickly discover that these react to your
Quad's movement. There's the obvious engine noises and
launching from a ramp will cause the engine to rev uncontrollably
from the lack of traction. Get high enough and you'll
also hear the wind rushing past your ears. This is all
topped-off by the actual drivers whooping and generally
celebrating when passing another rider or the finish
line, courtesy of some very clear sound samples.
Final Comments
I can't say I was really looking forward to this
game when it was initially announced in an already flooded
GBA racer market. On actually playing it however, I
was pleasantly surprised as not only does it look good
but also plays incredibly well, and the only thing really
missing is a multiplayer option. There's nothing new
here in the gameplay department though, and if you're
not a real racing fan and already own the likes of Mario
Kart then this title probably isn't for you. Racing
enthusiasts, on the other hand, should give it a closer
look as the visuals alone make it well worth adding
to your collection and it's yet another title which
shows just how far the GBA has come since it's introduction.
|
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