New International Track and Field wasn't a big game when it snuck out onto store shelves a few months ago... well, more than a few months ago. Around the end of July. Reviews didn't pile up quickly, I forgot about it, and then I noticed GamePro finally got around to posting a review. Hey! Now there's a big pile of reviews to look at, so we can look a bit closer at this game. I remember playing it at E3 and loving the cute designs, while finding the drag-happy gameplay a little off-putting. The demo DS's touchscreen was already scarred up. It seemed like a title that could turn slightly... destructive.
The Metacritic average for New International Track and Field is sitting at 73% which is not bad but also not so great. That said, it's about what I expected. So is this really a game that will tear up your DS? Is it more than just the stabbing and dragging my ten minutes with it appeared to be? I have no idea, but I'm sure a sampling of, say, four statistically significant reviews shall surely tell me.
Our high score is an A- from GameShark, who seemed to have more enthusiasm for this game than I honestly would've thought possible. Review Dan Clarke was extremely positive about the game's online play and the many hilarious guest characters, but also ended up strongly recommending a screen protector. It's worth noting that Clarke is one of the few reviewers for this game who is not just familiar with the button-banging original arcade version of this title, but honestly seems nostalgic for it even as he cautions players against playing this title incorrectly.
Basically each event entails using the stylus and either moving it back and forth as fast as possible or moving it in a circle as fast as possible before hitting a target to jump or to breathe. There are three things you need to know when playing this game trying to play it on a soft surface is pretty much impossible; youll need to play on a table or other hard surface (this is not bathroom material).
Second, youll absolutely have to have a DS stylus screen protector because moving the stylus back and forth very fast will make you push harder onto the screen. Finally, even with a table its very easy to move the DS console around when moving the stylus, making it difficult to view the actual event when youre focusing on moving the stylus as fast as you can.
For a slightly lower but still entirely positive evaluation, Da GameBoyz awarded New International Track and Field an 8 out of 10. The reviewer, known only as Frank, enjoys the relative depth of the game for its genre but is pretty quick to admit that there's one hell of a learning curve in learning controls for any given event.
Something I wasn't really expecting from New Internatioal Track and Field is how fiddly and tricky some of the events are. To be honest I was fully prepared to just hammer buttons while trying to set records right away. The stylus and screen make you work for your records, and my best efforts to break the 100m track event resulted in fairly disappointing times in the 12-13 second range. The timing-based trick events such as diving and vault were also quite difficult as you not only have to work quickly but also work with some smarts to make your jumps properly. For the first hour or so I must adimt I was frustrated with the whole set-up as I wanted it to be quick simple and satifiyng. However once I was over the hump however and I figured out the nuances of the game it definitely became a much more enjoyable experience. I suggest that veterans of the old style game need to use some patience with the new control scheme. For newbies however I think the learning curve may be easier and the rewards should come quicker.
The lower scores are all coming from the biggest-name outlets, which is usually a warning sign when a game has a very wide spread of scores in its review range. GamePro awarded it the Badge of Mediocrity But Maybe You'll Like it Anyway, the 3.5 out of 5. The review is noteworthy for being by Amanda Blake, a.k.a. GameGirl's Miz Calamity. Her review was one that clearly felt the game had some merit, with its bright colors and quick gameplay, but that the massive difficulty curve for stylus controls was inexcusable. The game's saving grace appears to be that you can set controls to the buttons instead, and play it old-school style.
Out of all of the events, Skeet Shooting seemed to be the only event able to use the touch screen effectively. Even with the difficulty on Easy the controls seemed impossible and very frustrating. Aside from the control difficulty it is very tough trying to distinguish control schemes from events such as javelin or long jump. To give you the chance to save your DS screen from complete destruction there is an option to have either touch screen and button controls and just plain button mashing. Long time fans of the series will definitely appreciate being able to jump into any of the 24 events with little to no tutorial browsing. As a way to pay homage to the past Konami hit and misses there are unlockable costumes, challenges, in-game billboards and even hidden game characters that any Konami fan would enjoy.
The low score is from Game Informer, which is a little surprising. That's an outlet that's usually very friendly to twitch-oriented gameplay, but yet they gave New International Track and Field a mere 6.25 out of 10 instead. Reviewer Bryan Vore seems to find the game a misfire on almost every level, praising on the way the game constantly rewards you for new achievements and integrates online play.
When the original Track & Field was released in arcades, the intense button mashing and careful timing was perfect for brief, crazed face-offs. When you stretch this experience out to longer hand-cramping sessions it just becomes painful. Sure, youre burning through a multitude of events like cycling, swimming, and weightlifting, but theyre almost all controlled with the same screen rubbing/circling techniques that put your touch screen at risk of being scratched. Dont even think of playing this on a bus or other form of transport the stability of a desk is a necessity if you want to get decent scores. The classic control scheme is available as well, but you cant really go nuts on those tiny DS niblets like you can on fat arcade buttons.
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