Information
Reviewed On: Wii & DS
Available On: Wii & DS
Players: 1-4
Rating: PG
Genre: Racing
Developer: Torus Games
Distributor: Activision
Release: 28th May 2008
In Short...
"A fun, playable, above average racing game for the DS, and a near perfect budget title."
Monster Jam
Everyone loves monster trucks because, let’s be honest here, what’s not to love? If the idea of giant trucks with giant wheels going over jumps and crushing cars to the tune of some redneck rock music doesn’t appeal to you, consult your doctor immediately. Activision knows this and therefore decided to combine the universal appeal of monster trucks with the universal appeal of the DS for fun and profit. So does the game live up to the sum of its parts?
GRAAAAAAAAAAVE DIGGER!!!
GRAAAAAAAAAAVE DIGGER!!!
Monster Jam is an arcade-style racing game for the DS where you can partake in various types of races and events involving monster trucks. You have boost that is replenished by crushing stuff, and a 4 wheel drive feature that allows for tighter turns, giving the ability to do donuts and short drifts. Yes, this is a game where you race monster trucks. Monster trucks that can drift. And smash stuff. To go faster. Stuff like helicopters. It sounds like we’re on target for an A+ + + + game at the moment, but I thought I should give the game a real playtest just to make sure.
To get started, there’s five different kinds of events: standard races, Eliminator races (the last placed truck on every lap is eliminated until there’s only one left), Stadium Freestyle events (crush things and do tricks for points), Stadium Racing (an obstacle course where you try to set the best time) and Stadium Circuit (same as above, but it’s a one-on-one race). There’s also a large selection of monster trucks, including everyone’s favourite, the Grave Digger. However, the large selection appears to be there purely for fan service, since they don’t have individual stats and appear to handle essentially the same. After reading through the instruction booklet- all five pages of it- I was ready to play!
Now, after reviewing some terrible games for TNB, I went into this game ready to point out every flaw and basically tear it to shreds, but Monster Jam came prepared. Every time I looked for a possible flaw, the game threw a curve-ball to make me think otherwise. Dodgy controls? Nope, it handles beautifully! Average 3D graphics? Super smooth frame rate! Slightly muffled soundtrack? Damn catchy though, and it sets the mood perfectly! I’ve apparently finished all nine events in a few hours? Oh hang on, there’s three more cups with nine events each, and an extra cup to be unlocked. Events too easy? Switch it up to Professional difficulty, now it’s a challenge! Generic tracks? Nope, there are alternate routes, shortcuts and jumps to keep things interesting (not to mention canyons and water for careless drivers to fall into). Huge shortcuts making races too easy? Ah, most tracks don’t have significant shortcuts- challenging! Crushing stuff in stadium events is easy and repetitive? Oh wait, I only came third in the points, now I gotta keep trying it until I come first! Damage model doesn’t make a difference? Hang on, wheel damage DOES affect your truck’s handling, and the difference is very noticeable. Moon physics allow you to drive up vertical walls? Wait, what am I saying, it’s an arcade racer! No difference between trucks? Well that may be true, but I could almost swear that the truck I just unlocked is faster and handling better than Grave Digger… overall, it would appear that this game doesn’t share most of the flaws that have ruined many other DS racing games.
I don't really need to caption these screenshots.
Despite the game’s best efforts to thwart me and my critical ways, I did come away with a couple of complaints. Firstly, the main appeal of monster trucks- crushing cars- does not translate very well into this game. You run over cars, they get flatter, and that’s it. There’s no breaking glass or crumpling metal or anything like that, they just get flatter. While this is a big disappointment, the game makes up for it by having other objects, such as helicopters and signs, that fall apart when you ram them, giving a nice sense of destruction. It’s still a shame that out of all of the crushable objects in this game, the cars are the least satisfying to crush. There are also some rare clipping problems, like on the airfield where you drive through an elevated tunnel and your opponents fall through the floor if there’s not enough room for everyone, but these occasional glitches aren’t significant enough to ruin the game or give you any sort of unfair advantage.
I don't really need to caption these screenshots.
In the end, Monster Jam DS is not a monster truck simulator by any means. What it is though is a fast, fun, arcade racer with great controls, solid track design, and enough challenge and variety to provide many hours of entertainment. It’s probably not an essential purchase, but if you want some arcade racing action on your DS, Monster Jam is definitely a game worth looking into.
By Mr_M
The Verdict
Graphics: B- Low polygon counts and awful textures, but the high speeds and a frame rate totally devoid of slowdown make up for it.Sound: C+ Serviceable sound effects and a muffled soundtrack that is catchy and mood-setting.
Gameplay: B- Fast, fun arcade racing, with a good amount of content and some surprisingly challenging events.
A fun, playable, above average racing game for the DS, and a near perfect budget title.