Knowing developer Renegade Kid is a little like going into woods; I'm a little scared, and I honestly don't know what to expect next. Those familiar with the developer’s work might see this as a reasonable statement, considering Renegade Kid’s penchant for creating genuinely unnerving horror titles like Moon and the Dementium franchise. Color me surprised when I found out that the DS savvy developer was working on an arcade racer known as ATV Wild Ride for Nintendo’s portable. So it got me thinking. Dementium II is easily the most impressive FPS ever to grace the Nintendo DS (sorry, Metroid Prime: Hunters). Would Renegade Kid be able do for the arcade racer what it did for the portable first person shooter?
It’s a sad fact, but the racing genre has always intimidated me; well that and Tetris (those shifty blocks are just so gosh darn, unpredictable). But given how much I enjoyed nail’d last year, I’ve wanted to experience something just as exhilarating and mindlessly amusing but on a much smaller screen. And ATV Wild Ride not only delivers on the fun factor, it makes me appreciate the genre a whole lot more than I ever would have imagined. The key to this change of heart lies in Renegade Kid’s no-frills approach to the arcade racer.
Wild Ride’s main catch is its World Tour Mode, a collection of racing tours that spans a myriad of locales across 24 competitive tracks. From the Great White North of Canada to the sunny Mexico, Wild Ride doesn’t skimp on the location variety. Unlike most racers I’ve picked and quickly set aside due to an utter sense of failure, ATV Wild Ride begins at a degree of difficulty that this racing game detractor was easily able to settle into it. The game does get noticeably difficult as your race through World Tour but it never becomes too frustrating. Maybe I’m just a better racer than I give myself credit for, but I hardly ever found myself wanting to bite through my DS; I guess I was busy having too much fun.
From a controls standpoint, ATV Wild Ride handles beautifully. The game comes packed with a pair of button configurations, Type 1 and Type 2. The Type 1 layout maps all your ATV's basic controls to your face buttons and reserves the L and R triggers for those oh-so-sweet tricks you'll be pulling off once you start defying gravity. Type 2 on the other hand, reverses this control scheme altogether. While I can see how some players will favor one option over the other, both handled pretty well for me, so I generally found myself sticking with the default option. There is a giggle inducing sense of satisfaction that comes with a title that runs so smoothly. I found myself effortlessly pulling off all sorts of stunts and sticking my landings like a pro.
For a simple arcade racer, ATV Wild Ride sure is packed with a decent amount of content. Aside from World Tour Mode, the arcade racer also sports a number of gameplay modes for gamers to sit back and enjoy during an otherwise unbearable traffic jam. For those who want to enjoy the game in short bursts, a Quick Race Mode is available to dive right into the action or practice the game’s trick mechanics. There is also a Freestyle and Time-Trial Mode for those looking for that extra bit of challenge. A Multiplayer Mode is available (local-only, I’m afraid) for players who want to pit their ATV skills against their friends. And lastly, unlockable ATVs (8 in total) complete this perfect little racing package.
Now when it comes to my DS titles, graphics have never been a big concern. But when you bring Renegade Kid into the picture, visuals and presentation start to become a bit more important. You see the thing with Renegade Kid, is that it has always been able to do wondrous things on the Nintendo DS. Titles like Moon and Dementium II especially, completely wowed me in the graphics department. And ATV Wild Ride is no different. Running at a silky smooth rate 60FPS, Wild Ride yet another testament to the power of the Renegade Engine. It sincerely makes me wonder what the developer would be capable of once it starts developing for the 3DS. The title also gets my praise for its clever track design and its ear-pleasing soundtrack.
ATV Wild Ride is a rare treat for the Nintendo DS. It won’t exactly push the arcade racer formula to brave, new places, but I don’t think it even matters. It’s almost as if Renegade Kid sat down decided to create the closest thing possible to Pure on a portable system. ATV Wild Ride proves that fancy options and gimmicks aren’t essential to having a good time. It also proves that don’t need to create a racing game that’s insanely difficult in order for players to take it seriously; you aren’t playing for bragging rights, you’re playing for the sheer fun of it. Simply put, ATV Wild Ride is pure, unadulterated on-the-go racing bliss. Titles such as these make me wish my commute to work was just a little bit longer.
Fun Factor: Race against other ATVs while pulling off stunts and trying not to get clobbered; what’s not to like?
Difficulty: Don’t let those early race tracks fool you. Wild Ride will get increasingly difficult as your progress, but not so much that it will cripple the entire experience.
Game Length: Newcomers to the arcade racing genre are going to be spending a bit of time with this one before they cross the finish line. Skilled racers on the other hand will be able to complete Wild Ride in a relatively short period of time.
On the Negative Side: Length? Difficulty? Lack of unicorns? I’m honestly pulling at straws here.
Bang for Your Buck: ATV Wild Ride is what the DS was sorely in need of. Racing fans take note; this is one wild ride you won't want to pass up.
