Asphalt Urban GT

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Racing games have been available on mobile phones since phones could play games. The quality of these racing games was usually limited by the controls and graphics. Asphalt Urban GT is a recent title in the racing genre that makes some way to getting a highly playable and graphically pleasing. Gameloft, the development house for Asphalt Urban GT, have shown with their previous titles that mobile games should have stunning graphics and this game is no different.

The objective of Asphalt Urban GT is to win street races. You race against seven computer opponents in a variety of places using a variety of cars. This premise is extended by unlocking new locations and buying new cars with race winnings. With eight locations in total ranging from inner city New York to Vladivostok, Russia, it will be a while before you run out of places to race.

New cars to race with can be unlocked by spending race earnings. You start with an Audi TT Roadster and a Lotus Exige but you can unlock a Corvette C6, Skyline GT-R, TVR Sagaris, Lamborghini Gallardo, Ford GT, Saleen S7, and a Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT, nine cars in total. Each of them has an associated weight, horse power, maximum speed, and 0-100kmh time. Each car can has three colours to choose from.

Once you have selected where you want to race and which car you want to race with, you can begin. You start in eighth position and have a number of laps before the race ends. To make your task of navigating up to first position all that more difficult, there is traffic on the roads you race on, hazards, and police. The traffic density varies from location to location but it will generally be travelling in both directions so staying to your side of the road will make it a little easier to avoid traffic. Hazards include closed portions of road, tunnel walls, and other nasties that cause major delays when hit.

Police have speed traps set up and will photograph you as you pass by, then the police will give chase. If you anger the police enough the start to put spikes across the road and call in air support. So angering the police may not be the wisest thing to do, but in this game, you get bonuses for dangerous driving. When you get photographed you get bonus cash, in fact, when you hit any other car or smash just about anything you will be greeted with a cash bonus.

Your car is fitted out with nitro boost. You can activate the nitro for a temporary boost in speed. Bonuses exist on each track to refill your nitro supplies so when you have mastered a track you can happily use your nitro knowing that you will get refilled next time you pass the bonus. Other bonuses exists to calm the police, and something that looks like a bonus, a red x, will slow you down.

When you have completed a race and collected your winnings you are also told what percentage complete of the game you are. To give you some idea, a single race can move the percentage by less than one percent giving you a whole lot of playability before the game is complete.