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Driving
Quad Bikes through mud is definitely going to be fun; however
it’s also not going to be that safe. Thankfully the invention of
the videogame means that we can experience the fun of driving
really fast on a two-stroke death-trap without fear of mud, crashes
and a messy operation. The MX
Vs. ATV series is undoubtedly the king of off-road racing
but it is not Rainbow Studios that brings ATV action to the
NintendoDS, but rather Skyworks Technologies, with ATV: Quad
Frenzy.
Being
a budget title, you would not expect spectacular presentation from
this game, but the Menu System in ATV: Quad Frenzy can’t
even be considered as adequate. The Menus are arranged in a very
inconvenient manner in which the A and B Buttons change the Menu
Screen and lacklustre Touch Screen support determines your choices.
There is never any real sense of direction in the options and many
players may be stumped as to how to even start a race.
Championships have little continuity and there does not seem to be
any kind of Points Table or Medal System, meaning that the only
real reward for playing the Championship Mode is to unlock other
Tracks. Suffice to say ATV: Quad Frenzy does not make a good
first impression. Having been built alongside Monster Trucks DS,
it’s quite clear to see that many of the same disappointing
elements have been included, or overlooked, depending on your
perception of videogame development.
Unfortunately
it seems that the poor quality of the Menu Screens is continued
into the actual gameplay. The Tracks available are bland and
formulaic and it would seem that each of the environments were
designed and then the tracks were hastily added after. Although
whilst on the ground the ATVs are fairly easy to drive and
occasionally fun, any jumps will highlight the unrealistic gravity
and the ease of crashing. Although it’s clear that the emphasis
of the racing is to keep yourself on the ATV and illustrate the
difficulty of driving over such varied terrain, it is more often
than not a frustrating experience and not one that many casual
gamers will take to. There are also problems with Collision
Detection and Camera angles, and the HUD - displayed on the bottom
screen - is particularly useless, as it features a vague Map and a
pointer that apparently shows you which direction you need to go,
but is not particularly accurate. The AI of your opponents is also
dire as they seem to have little aerial control of their vehicles,
meaning that races are frequently won not by who drove the best,
but rather the driver that fell foul of the game’s problems the
least, hardly a compelling reason to continue playing after the
first few attempts.
The
Multi-Player aspect of the title is decidedly average. Requiring
four Game Cards to breath full life into the title, it handles well
with very little Slow Down. However, should you ever find yourself
in the situation with four Game Cards and four NintendoDS consoles
present, it’s highly unlikely that ATV: Quad Frenzy would
be the title to draw you in the face of competition from the likes
of Metroid Prime: Hunters, Mario KartDS, Animal
Crossing: Wild World, Tony Hawk’s American Sk8land and
even Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training: How Old IS Your Brain?.
Although
never groundbreaking, ATV: Quad Frenzy manages to get some
decent 3D graphics out of the modest NintendoDS hardware. Although
the Draw Distance is fairly limited, it does not interfere with
gameplay as  the Tracks tend to feature more corners than straights.
The animation of the drivers and ATV’s is also nice, although
there is no environmental animation such as mud spray etc. Sound
effects are on par with most third-party NintendoDS releases but
the music is more often than not just a noise to remove silence.
Although
initially ATV: Quad Frenzy seems quite playable, the lack of
any comprehensive Championship Mode, together with the countless
bugs in the actual game, mean that this title will quickly become
boring. Although the actual driving, whilst on the ground anyway,
is quite realistic and the graphics are better than the budget
price point or poor Menu System would suggest, ATV: Quad Frenzy
is not a game you will lament not owning. Fans of the genre may
find some enjoyment here but considering the offering to the fans
available on the PSP - MX Vs. ATV: On The Edge - and the wealth of great
NintendoDS exclusive titles available, including the fantastic
off-beat racing of Mario KartDS and the forthcoming Diddy
Kong Racing; most gamers should avoid ATV: Quad Frenzy.
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