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Asphalt: Urban GT

EMAIL PRINT ds

7.7 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 38 critic reviews
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Based on 7 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Gameloft

Genre(s): Racing, Driving

Players: 4

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: November 17, 2004

Summary

Asphalt Urban GT combines simulation realism and arcade action for the Nintendo DS. Jump in a wide range of licensed high-performance cars and hit tracks from all over the world. Win races, collect prize money, and purchase new rides and tweak current ones. Watch your progress turn-by-turn on the bottom display of the Nintendo DS. Spy on opponents and gauge when to take risks and when to proceed with caution. Asphalt Urban GT features more than thirty options for tuning, engine maintenance and bodywork. Players can race against each other through each twisting turn. Single Race allows up to four players to race head-to-head, while Championship mode allows up to four players to hit some of the championship tracks from the solo Evolution mode. Cop Chase is a two-player cat and mouse mode in which the cops attempt to capture and lock on their opponent for five seconds to claim victory. [Nintendo]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Game Power AU Preview GameSpot Hands-On IGN Hands-On Nintendojo Preview Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Console Gameworld

It's like "Need for Speed Underground" meets "Burnout," and it's portable on the Nintendo DS! We highly recommend it.

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NintendoWorldReport

Players who enjoy earning vehicles and the funds necessary to pimp them out should especially enjoy it. It will take you quite some time to complete everything, and it really does feel like a full-fledged console racer that you can take with you on the road.

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GamingTrend

While it doesn’t use the system’s power to the fullest (no touchscreen usefulness or multiplayer modes without multiple titles), it’s a decent enough game that’s worth your time and money if you’re into the racing genre on the go.

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GameZone

It wouldn’t have the same pizzazz on Nintendo GameCube unless the graphics and physics were improved tenfold.

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GameSpot

The gameplay is fast and accessible, and there's enough variety in both the single- and multiplayer modes that you could spend a lot of time with the game.

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Nintendophiles

With a high sense of speed, and a wide variety of gameplay, for the first time racing feels appropriate for the handheld scene. Aside from some frustrating traffic and driving issues, the graphics, controls, style and use of touch screen really brings out the best in this oft-mediocre driving series.

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Play Magazine

A gorgeous game by any standards. [Jan 2005, p.85]

Nintendojo

Asphalt Urban GT doesn't participate in much of the innovation that makes the DS special, but oddly enough, it's still a fun racer that offers some very cool multiplayer features.

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Game Chronicles

The gameplay is a bit primitive but still fun and challenging. My only regret is that the dual screen wasn’t used more prominently in the game. As it is, graphics not withstanding, this game could have been released for the GBA.

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Gaming Target

Unfortunately, it lacks the solid arcade racing feel of a game like Burnout, or Ridge Racer, or Gran Turismo itself.

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VGPub

One thing that the other launch titles have shown is that navigating the menus in DS games can be very simple and straightforward. Here though the whole system is clunky, with some icons placed on the touch screen being so small you need to use the stylus.

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PALGN

A quality title that suffers from the fact that it had to be a little rushed. However, the fast game play and addictive career mode kept us coming back.

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Next Level Gaming

Not a bad game, but it seems very rushed. It also feels like the N-gage game, which downright sucked. But the framerate seems much faster, and the fact that the map is at the bottom is cool.

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Nintendo Power

The nine racing locations, which include Las Vegas and Paris, are dramatically lit and loaded with intricate textures, making the surroundings so busy at times that it can be difficult to see the track. [Feb 2005, p.114]

1UP

The game does look good, though. And control is tight. Which means that while it may not be inspiring, it's perfectly playable -- arguably the best handheld racing game ever made.

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WHAM! Gaming

Your friends won’t like it because it’s too hard, and you might get bored because once you master the funky physics it becomes pretty repetitive.

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N-Insanity

Slow-paced and lackluster.

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G4 TV

It’s not exceptional on any level, but the solid, easy playability and multitude of arcade and career game modes make it a lengthy driving experience.

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GMR Magazine

Does nothing extraordinarily special, nor is the DS hardware exploited beyond a map. [Feb 2005, p.110]

Electric Playground

Multiplayer is a great aspect of the game. The only great aspect of the game.

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GamePro

Asphalt's downfall is its off-balance racing. The addition of turbo boosts just doesn't make sense in this particular race.

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Yahoo! Games

For every few strides Asphalt: Urban GT takes, it seems to stumble once. In the end, it's serviceable, very good-looking, but by no means an outstanding portable racer.

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Gamestyle

The ability of the handheld to throw around smooth graphics like these can only bode well for a fully-miniaturised 3D Mario Kart - another title we're truly gagging to play.

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Electronic Gaming Monthly

On a basic level, however, the game's still fun - simple, yes, but immediately engaging no matter what kind of gamer you are. [Feb 2005, p.114]

Cinescape

This is a great looking racing game that really pushes these early capabilities of the DS and does it while running at 60 frames per second. The problem is that the gameplay is just uninspired.

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netjak

The graphics are so-so, the gameplay is repetitive and often dated, the difficultly level is uneven, the controls are unoriginal and the sound is pretty dull. Yet despite all this, I found myself playing Asphalt a lot.

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IGN

Gameloft managed to squeeze in a great graphic engine in the short amount of time it had with the hardware, but it clearly just couldn't fit a well-balanced racing game within that engine.

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Cheat Code Central

It simply seems rushed in certain areas and the whole game is a little on the short side.

RewiredMind

Any sort of challenge or replayability would have turned Asphalt Urban GT into an absolute godsend for Nintendo and their new console. As it stands, the gameplay is hollow and lifeless, and bears little resemblance to an essential title.

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Pocket Games

Gets the job done, but just barely. [Spring 2005, p.62]

GamerFeed

It also reeks of sloppy development, making it a decent title for the brain dead, but an absolute bore fest for those looking for even the cheapest of thrills.

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Game Revolution

I would love to drive an indestructible car that could never, ever flip in my ordinary, everyday life, but when we play games, we like to break things. After playing some Asphalt Urban GT, you’ll just want to break your Nintendo DS.

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GameSpy

If you need the realistic tracks and real vehicles, Asphalt: Urban GT will deliver. Otherwise, you'll probably want to get your DS racing kicks elsewhere.

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Gamer.tv

Quite rough around the edges which suggests that it was rushed out to meet the DS launch date. Very disappointed.

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games(TM)

It bears all the hallmarks of a game rushed to meet a deadline and its refusal to use the touch screen is the biggest faux pas a launch game can commit on the DS. [Jan 2005, p.121]

Stuff

The fancy-pants replay is a nice enough function…except for the fact that all the other cars on the course mysteriously vanish into thin air during playback. Um, didn't anyone notice this?

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Eurogamer

It's no fun to drive, and in fact driving itself is something of a challenge. On top of that, having begun life on other formats (including N-Gage), it makes only a token gesture to adapt to the DS's featureset, allowing you to navigate menus but do nothing else with the stylus, allowing wireless multiplay but demanding multiple copies of the game, and using the bottom screen for little more than a topographical overview of the course with markers for each car.

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Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

The AI of the opposing race cars is laughable (they often get flummoxed by simple things like passing other vehicles), as is the behaviour of the rest of traffic, with vehicles seemingly stranded in the middle of the road. [NGC Pocket]

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.7 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Nick M. gave it a7:
Rather bizarrely, Gameloft made a complete mess of the sequel, making this version STILL the best racer on the DS, it's got a higher framerate, has decent and inoffensive music, and actually has a proper drift mechanic. The sequel - Oh dear. Asphalt 2 was clearly created with an EA games mentality, ridiculous handling, jerky framerate, utterly AWFUL music, and embarrassing sponsorship of the Pussycat Dolls (presumably for teenage virgins to exited about). The game mechanic has been completely wrecked, and the physics are like the Java phone games (crud). If you like driving games, you could do worse, just remember that this does not apply to the massively inferior Asphalt 2.

Catlin A. gave it a2:
I played it through to the end and never picked it up again. The turbos just made the game too easy. No challenge at all, even on the hardest difficulty.

Acrodude gave it a10:
This game is the best. The graphics are awsome,the cars are great and its like need for speed and burnout almost combined. You should buy this game if your looking for a racing game.Its not to hard as underground is and its very easy to control.

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Asphalt: Urban GT

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