Asphalt 3D

- Reviewed on 3DS -

Asphalt 3D released on March 10th, 2011. 

Developed by Gameloft, Asphalt 3D is quite an endearing racing game for the 3DS released over a decade ago (as of writing this blog post). 

Although it suffers from dated graphics and a lot of graphical errors, Asphalt 3D is (in my opinion) up there with the big racing juggernauts of the 3DS era.

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

Asphalt 3D's premise is for you to complete various competitions in order to unlock more cars, achievements, sponsors, etc. 

There are a total of 42 different cars to drive in, three of which are ready for you to pick from in the beginning. 

In the competitions mode, which is the main solo (career) mode, there are 14 cups for you to race in.

Each cup has four races you can choose in any order, then you must defeat a racing rival in the fifth and final race. 

Each race also has two different bonus challenges that can earn you more experience points and money if completed (but are still optional).  

Combine these bonus challenges with the 70 career events in this mode, and the longevity of Asphalt 3D is quite astonishing for such a title! 

As you progress cup after cup, you will eventually start driving on brand new tracks. There are a total of 17 tracks in Asphalt 3D, which are...

    - Aspen

    - San Francisco

    - Athens

    - Rome

    - Miami

    - Tokyo

    - Saint-Tropez

    - Madrid

    - Las Vegas

    - Rio De Janeiro

    - Paris

    - Hawaii

    - Pisa

    - Los Angeles

    - Berlin

    - Cape Town

    - New York

Of course, since Asphalt 3D is on the 3DS handheld, the 3D aspect is very fun and enjoyable, but don't worry if you play(ed) Asphalt 3D on a handheld that doesn't have 3D because you're not missing out on any of the action. 

Asphalt 3D also has a female robotic voice that narrates each career event and racetrack (before you start the race). 

This voice discusses the real-life aspects of each track and what the event you're participating in entails. 

If you don't want to do the career mode at any time, there is Free Race, Multiplayer, and StreetPass for you to experiment with as well. 

In the Garage Mode, you can pick out whichever car you have unlocked (and bought) and see its Top Speed, Acceleration, Handling, and Weight. 

Tuning Mode gives you the option to buy upgrades for your selected cars' Engine, Handling, and / or Boost.

Paint and Decals Mode are my favorite modes (options) as you can fully customize your cars' exterior with preselected colors or use a color wheel!

Sponsors are unlocked as you level up, and they can be selected (one at a time) for moderate boosts to your gameplay. For example, the Royal Purple sponsorship gives you +10% Handling and +7% Acceleration. 

Now, down to the actual racing gameplay, you will be pleased to know that Asphalt 3D does hold up with today's standards. 

When playing Asphalt 3D, you can truly feel the acceleration and speed of each car and your opponent(s). 

There are three points of views to choose from at any time during the race, and as you race, you'll come across items that range from Repairs to even extra Money. 

These items' (you drive through to collect) value also varies by color (yellow being the greatest to collect).  

The essential items, however, are the Nitro items as they help give you more speed at any time and fill your HyperSpeed meter. 

The top screen of your handheld is the main screen as the bottom is your mini map of sorts that can zoom in and out. 

There are the occasional NPC vehicles that aren't racers, that you must avoid and not crash into on each track. If you do though, the game might call in Police vehicles that can decrease your chances of winning and even make you crash yourself. 

Performing different actions mid race will grant you additional money (such as drifting) and others can harm your winnings too (such as being busted by the cops or crashing).

You eliminate other racers by crashing into them too, just make sure to grab those repair items as well!

As you get to higher cups, the enemies also become harder to race against, making buying new cars pretty much a must to advance. 

I mentioned earlier the graphical glitches, and most of those occur during intense racing scenarios like police chases and a lot of your NPC opponents crashing into each other. 

I've seen plenty of other racers spawn in completely random locations that make no sense to the race and messes me up unfairly. 

Lastly, the frame rate drops severely during high populated moments with other NPCs and tracks. These frame rate drops can severely impact your gameplay when you find yourself in these high stakes situations. 

The music in Asphalt 3D are shockingly bangers! They're not the most memorable soundtracks, but mid race, with the lyrics and beat... Asphalt 3D is / was a great racing experience on a relatively old system.

Pros: 

    - Plethora of Vehicles and Tracks

    - Easy to Understand Controls

    - Good Music 

    - Great Customization

    - Longevity

Cons:

    - Graphical / Gameplay Glitches

    - Frame Rate Drops 

My Rating for Asphalt 3D (on 3DS):

4 / 5

-----

Disclaimer

All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.