New International Track & Field (DS)
- September 22, 2008 10:07 AM PST
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If you thought what Michael Phelps accomplished at the Olympics this year seemed impossible then you definitely haven't played New International Track and Field. As a precaution you might want to buy screen protectors for your DS because it will definitely be getting a work out.
THE BOTTOM LINE: New International Track & Field is a fun, if flawed sports compilation that will definitely do a number on your DS's touch screen.
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Amanda Drake is a popular blogger over at the our (quite literal) sister site, GameGirl.com!
With the inclusion of Wi-Fi multi-player, not to mention between 2 - 4 people in a character based mini-game challenge mode and a worldwide player ranking system you would think that this game wouldn't have any major faults. But with an unorthodox control scheme you are left with a slightly bitter taste in your mouth. In past versions button mashing was the entire craze: if you could press the button the fastest then you would ultimately win the race, but on the DS version you must scrape across your touch screen in such frenzy that it's a wonder that your screen doesn't break! The scraping isn't the worst of it: if you're holding the DS while doing that then it will be extremely hard to focus on what is happening on the top screen which makes you mess up on certain challenges, such as hurdles.
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.
I can definitely say the faults on the game attribute to the fact the title is based on a handheld system and is definitely better suited for a system that doesn't include dual screens. But each event is extremely fun and being given the ability to update your website profile with your personal records and trophies helps build up competition. Online play is definitely this games saving grace and makes it one of the best remakes of this classic franchise.
PROS: Addictive game play; Intuitive multiplayer mode; Unlockable content
CONS: Touch Screen controls; uneven difficulty; Dual-screen causes difficulty in some events.
