Toronto Thumbs: TrackMania DS Review

Toronto Thumbs writes:"The TrackMania series has been a longstanding hit among racing enthusiasts who also happen to be PC gamers. Now, those of us who prefer our racing titles in a more portable format can look forward to the release of TrackMania DS on March 17. Developer Firebrand Games has proven they're up to the task of taking a high-quality PC title and shrinking it to DS-size – something most companies can't even begin to claim.

Though smaller only in physical size, TrackMania DS includes many of the features that make the PC game so enjoyable. Immediately noticeable upon booting it up is its smoothness. Everything from the clutter-free user interface to the race screen is clean, crisp, and fluid. During a race, you might find it easy to forget you're playing on a Nintendo DS. That's no slight to the system, either – this is one of the most beautiful DS games I've played, and that beauty comes from its visual simplicity. The tracks and vehicles are somewhat rudimentary polygon models, but that works extremely well on this platform: simple objects can be processed faster. This results in a compelling and exhilarating racing experience as the track, ramps, and stunt obstacles go flying by without so much as a chug or dropped frames..." -