➤ Evolution GT - Review 🎮

The dense Nintendo DS lineup, formed in the many years since the console's release, includes practically every type of racing game: from arcades like Need For Speed and Burnout to the various Mario Kart and Crash Bandicoot, passing through the recent Ferrari Challenge. A hole left empty, however, is that of the Gran Turismo simulations, games usually accompanied by official licenses and real circuits. Here then comes a relatively new title for the small portable of miracles: Evolution GT is what was missing to complete the racing genre in all its nuances. The game is published by the Italian Black Bean and developed by the fledgling software house Island Racing Studios, satellite of Firebrand Games, a company that includes exclusively racing titles in its curriculum: Race Driver, Trackmania, Cartoon Network Racing and the new GRID.

All too kind opponents

Evolution GT is made up of five main modes including the classic "Career", heart and heart of the game. For those with little time to spend, the classic "time attack" and "fast race" appear in the menu: in the first it is possible to choose the car, modify some parameters and try to beat record times, while in the second mode we are thrown on the circuit without fuss and you immediately start running. The fourth mode is the championship, which sees us protagonists in a series of races hosted in all the tracks in the game. Tuscan hills, Berlin, Milan, Barcelona, London, Corsica, French Riviera and Scotland: the game environments are well diversified and numerous. Finally, for those looking for a real challenge, they can choose to challenge a few friends thanks to the wireless functionality of the Nintendo DS.

this genre of games gives its best in multiplayer: the challenge is the primary factor

All too kind opponents

You can play with a single cartridge, but having a limited number of tracks available only the Corvette as a car, or in multi-cartridge mode, in which we are free to choose any option. It goes without saying that this genre of games gives its best in multiplayer: the challenge is the primary factor of car racing. Evolution GT has the official licenses of numerous cars, among which the Corvette Z06, Mercedes SLK, TVR 350 and Audi A4 Touring Car stand out. Initially, only the novice mode will be accessible, to let us practice the driving system and the tracks, but as you continue in the game, all difficulty levels will be unlocked, amateur, pro and veteran. The artificial intelligence of the opponents is not very bright, and they just run in single file, sometimes hinting at timid overtaking: by selecting the maximum difficulty, the effect obtained is to increase their average speed. The other cars do not seem to react to our presence: ramming and doorways do not have any negative effect on our competitors, who continue to go straight on their way without getting lost.

The fearsome pinball effect

There are five types of cars, for as many different championships: three-door, roadster, coupe, grand tourer and racing car. Unfortunately, apart from the different characterization and some changed sound effects, the driving model remains almost the same, not changing even by selecting extremely different types of cars. Evolution GT it is a single and central track within which the machine turns left and right, while the whole background rotates accordingly, a decidedly atypical choice nowadays, in which we are now used to a certain freedom of movement within the screen. But already the good old Sega Rally for Sega Saturn had managed to free himself from the grip of the "track", more than ten years ago, consequently the choice cannot be attributed to a limited hardware like that of Nintendo DS, whose potential should be equal to those of an N64.

Evolution GT it is a single and central track inside which the car turns left and right

The fearsome pinball effect

The simulation of physics is bad, especially for a title that assumes that it is realistic. The vehicles skid against guard rails and walls as if they were balls from a pinball machine, without reactions, without getting too upset, so much so that you can often go straight ahead without much thought even in the vicinity of some wide curve, so nothing happens. We can also use our opponents to cut corners on the inside, using them to our advantage with a well-placed door that doesn't let us go off track.

Nostalgia effect: go back to 32-bit

While offering the player a great feeling of speed on screen, the overall look of the Evolution GT he is extremely poor. Polygon modeling is not very complex, and graphic detail has been sacrificed for greater fluidity. Having both would have been ideal, of course, and we're sure the Nintendo DS's small hardware could have got by with peace of mind. The pixel size of the contour elements is disarming: huge blocks and squares that were rarely admired even in the 32-bit era. Despite the lowering of the detail, the game still suffers from a conspicuous pop-up on the horizon, and the creation of some 3D elements before our eyes. The main car, the one we use, is well designed and with a sufficient number of polygons. The real problem is the other machines, made up of a small number of triangles, moreover with such flat and one-color textures. The details often get lost, recomposing themselves when we are right behind them with a very unpleasant effect. The tracks, very varied and heterogeneous, despite being designed with very few details and polygons, are however well characterized, thanks to a well-chosen choice to greatly diversify the settings. The work done in the track design is also good, as there are no two tracks that are too similar to each other and the tracks have been designed to take advantage of the different speeds of each type of car. The audio sector is composed of well-composed and well-made rock-metal music, but too repetitive in the long run. The sound effects, on the other hand, are repetitive right away, thanks to a poor differentiation between the noises produced by different cars and few ambient sounds. Finally, we point out the compatibility with the Nintendo DS rumble pack: the few owners of this periphery will therefore be able to enjoy more realistic shocks, vibrations and bumps.

Comment

Evolution GT it is a genre of game that was missing from the incredible Nintendo DS lineup, a simulation game with official licenses that has very little simulation in the end. The idea behind it was good, but the realization leaves something to be desired. What disappoints is the poor technical sector, with graphic problems that have not been seen since the 32bit era, an archaic driving model, artificial intelligence reduced to the bone and a very bad game physics. There is no extreme customization, as one would have expected from such a title, and indeed, the cars behave on the track in a very similar way. Good track design and sensation of speed, obtained, however, by sacrificing too much from the 3D engine of the game.

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