Wipeout- ATV Quad Kings Review

On Nintendo’s portable, racing games are measured on a scale of zero to Mario Kart DS. In the four years since the beloved game has been released, no cartridge has been able to surmount the title’s graceful beauty or graphical polish. Despite the uninterrupted stream of competitors attempting to dethrone the reigning racer, Mario Kart DS remains a commercial and critical favorite, effortlessly outstripping all challengers.

The latest contender for the crown is ATV Quad Kings, an adaptation of the off-road Wii title, which we evaluated last August. In our review, we found the racing to be distressingly middling; the game’s sole challenge was steering the four wheeled vehicles around the track. Quad Kings for the DS doesn’t alter that formula- jumps are still landed without any player intervention. Yet, arguably the title’s simplicity is better suited for a portable title. It’s too bad this adaptation leaves out a few significant elements.

While ATV Quad Kings offers three gameplay variants, each feels distressingly similar. World Tour tasks players with creating a virtual racer, and then earning a spot on the podium through a series of four championship series, each containing six to twelve individual races. Arcade mode allows players to perfect their racing chops, and also pick up money icons which are littered across the track. Collected currency permits gamers to expand their garages, purchasing nine additional ATVs and a handful of dune buggies. Time Trial is similar to Arcade but removes the coinage, rendering the mode irrelevant.

Actual all-terrain competitions are known for the vehicle’s gravity-defying hang times, as racers are catapulted through the air. Quad Kings takes a decidedly more terrestrial approach, presenting mild grades in lieu of steep ramps. As such, the title generally forgoes of archetypal element of tricking, smartly focusing on the racing. With three difficulty levels and precise steering model, competitions are gratifying, although the title suffers by not offering any Wi-Fi, or even local contests.

Visually, ATV Quad Kings is competent if never impressive. One of the frequent difficulties with most DS racers in the inability to foresee what’s in front of you; a combination of a small screen and short draw distances has been the Achilles’ of many portable driving games. Between Quad Kings unexceptional sense of speed and the game’s uncomplicated track designs, players will not encounter any visual limitations- a mixed blessing. With the exception of minimal slowdown when a pack of riders sludge through water, the game’s framerate remains consonantly stable, never quite reaching the fluidity displayed my Mario Kart DS. Aurally, Quad Kings disappoints- the game’s engine noises are regretfully underpowered and drone on, while the title’s music consists of repetitive rock loops.

ATV Quad Kings is a game with some serious omissions. Between the lack of any multiplayer component and any compelling racing mechanics, the title comes across as an anemic effort. While the single player matches are slightly gratifying, they do little to evoke an off-road experience, and feel like another pedestrian entry into the DS’s racing library. Even the most adamant ATV enthusiast should probably steer clear of Quad Kings.