As one of the first racing titles on the Nintendo 3DS, does Asphalt 3D have enough to take pole position for the burgeoning handheld?
Asphalt 3D has suffered the ignominy in recent weeks as being declared the worst Nintendo 3DS launch game, primarily by online posters that hadn’t actually played the racer. One such comment even claimed that the title Asphalt derives from the fact that the ‘game plays like ass, and it’s [publisher] Gameloft’s fault!’
You can imagine then, that we slotted our Asphalt 3D cartridge into our 3DS with a sense of trepidation. A couple of hours passed and yet we hadn’t flung our console against the wall, cursed into the 3DS’ mic or cried manly tears of frustration. Quite the contrary – it was actually good fun.
For newcomers that haven’t heard of the Gameloft series, Asphalt began on the Nokia N-Gage mobile device and Nintendo DS, before gaining fame on Apple iOS devices as a paid app.
With Asphalt 6: Adrenaline sitting in the App Store right now for €3.99 and offering a near-identical list of features, many have asked why they should bother stumping up the cash for a full price 3DS release?
It’s a fair point, to which all we can respond with is that 3D makes a huge difference when it comes to racing titles and secondly, €3.99 for Asphalt 6 is a bloody great deal.
As you can see above, the on-screen HUD really helps the 3D pop out mid-race
For the uninitiated, Asphalt plays like a cross between the takedown carnage of the Burnout series mixed with the police outrunning of Need for Speed: Most Wanted. During each race players can also collect dollar icons to earn cash for upgrades and new cars, while N20 icons fill their nitro gauge for temporary speed boosts .
Eight game types are available, ranging from simple races and time trials to elimination style ‘Leader of the Pack’ challenges to ‘High Speed Chase’ police pursuits, duels, drift challenges and ‘Vigilante’ missions that allow you to chase down law-breakers.
There’s plenty of variety between the play styles of each mode, while 16 in-game achievements, 17 locations and an array of high performance vehicles (everything from Ferraris to Bugattis) to keep you busy.
Presentation woes
As for Asphalt’s presentation, unfortunately the game suffers from a triple threat of occasional slowdown, poor loading times and outdated visuals. We even noticed slight loading in the vehicle selection menus, while pop-up backgrounds also rear their ugly head.
Considering the game’s blistering speed and severe penalties for head-on collisions, shoddy design means that it’s more difficult to assess your oncoming traffic than it should be. The oversized icons that appear amid races can be a hindrace also, as their size and positioning (typically three behind one another) leads you to driving blindly for a few seconds.
Another gripe is Asphalt’s steering, which has no interest in power sliding and wrestling with your steering wheel. Instead, car control appears to be held together as if by a rubber band, sometimes snapping your vehicle back into position if you’re in danger of careening too far from your desired direction. 
With plenty of content and an enjoyable, throwaway feel to proceedings, Asphalt 3D shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand despite these reservations. As with our playtime with Ridge Racer 3D, the Nintendo 3DS lends racers a gorgeous sense of involvement, as the focused nature of racing titles helps draw players in like never before.
Ultimately, Asphalt 3D is a solid but flawed title that can’t fully justify its asking price. While we won’t suggest racing fans turn their noses up at the arcade thrills it provides, those looking for a more polished experience may wish to hold out until this title boasts a more wallet-friendly price point.
Format: Nintendo 3DS; Developer: Gameloft
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