Hands on with TrackMania DS

Racing games have driven a bumpy road on DS. Despite some notable exceptions, most have failed to deliver a compelling experience. Velocity alone a racer does not make.

TrackMania DS intends to address that very issue, promising more than just speedy races. Tight physics and handling, a slew of multiplayer options, and a comprehensive track editor could put this effort in pole position when released later this year.

Three locales are featured in the game: Stadium, Rally, and the American southwest. Only a handful of tracks were offered in the first, which sits on an expanse of AstroTurf surrounded by high stands filled with onlookers. Rally tracks, on the other hand, naturally possess an off-road look, whereas the American southwest venue sees black asphalt winding through the orange desert. There's a nice bit of variety amongst the three locations and even more in the individual tracks within each.

Progressing through the single-player experience means zipping through a number of tracks specific to each location. Your goal is to win, obviously, against three computer-controlled opponents. Getting to the finish line first requires more than dealing with the competition, however. Various obstacles prevent an easy ride. Hairpin turns, immovable pillars jutting up from the centre of the track, and even holes in the raceway force you to remain on your toes. Fanciful driving is a must in TrackMania DS if you hope to win.

The races are organised by level of difficulty, so A-1 is far easier than B-2. Five races were ready to go in the early build we played, although the exact number of single-player tracks has yet to be determined.

And once you've barrelled through everything solo, there's an entirely multiplayer component left to explore. Only local wireless play for a total of four has been confirmed, although we're hopeful that some sort of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection support is in the works. Hot seat multiplayer is also being included, so if you only have one handheld you can pass it around for time trials with friends.

Two elements promise to set TrackMania DS apart from the assortment of mediocre handheld racers out there, the first of which involves its impressive physics and handling. Steering is done via the D-pad, while the A and B buttons serve to accelerate and brake your vehicle, respectively. Tearing through a track requires more finesse than just holding down the gas; instead, you'll need to pay close attention to your vehicle's position, velocity, and variations in the track. Hitting a wall could send your car into a game-ending spin or failing to control your speed in the face of a slight bump in the road might launch your vehicle off the track. These sort of physics running on a DS are almost unbelievable.

A fully three-dimensional track editor serves as the second element primed to give the game an edge in the genre. Race Driver: Create & Race was the first to introduce the concept on the handheld, but TrackMania DS takes it to an entirely new level. The 3D editor is downright amazing, allowing fluid movement of the camera to cement sections of your track. There was absolutely no slowdown as we created an original track by dragging pieces from folders lining the bottom of the touchscreen.

The editor is remarkably flexible, enabling you to use any pieces featured in the pre-designed single-player events in your own creations. All of the crazy obstacles in the main game are at your disposal; even cooler, you can designate height changes in the track via the D-pad. The cherry on top though has to be the ability at any time during edit to test out the track in real-time. No loading, no wait – the game just plops a car onto the track and you're free to drive through it.

We can't help but be excited going on what we've seen of TrackMania DS. The fantastic physics coupled with a fully-featured editor are enough to put it on the path to becoming one of the most promising racers of the year, but it's the sheer fun we had playing it that really has us excited for what could be the best racer yet on DS.