Asphalt: Urban GT
First title of the long-running Asphalt racing series.
Asphalt: Urban GT is a 2004 arcade-style racing video game developed by Gameloft Montreal and published by Gameloft for mobile platforms and Ubisoft for the Nintendo DS edition. It was the first title of the Asphalt series and was released in October 2004 for the Nokia N-Gage and in November of the same year for the Nintendo DS, making it one of the Nintendo DS launch titles. The game launched a franchise that remains active as of its 20th anniversary.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Gameloft Montreal
- Publisher
- Gameloft and Ubisoft (WW); Taito (JP)
- Designer
- Guillaume Descamps, Stanislas Dewavrin
- Series
- Asphalt
- Genre
- Racing
- Modes
- Single player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- N-Gage
- Nintendo DS
- J2ME (Java 2 Micro Edition)
- BREW
- Programmer
- David Nicolier
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Asphalt: Urban GT features nine tracks modeled after real-world locations including Paris, New York City, Miami, Las Vegas, Cuba, Bogotá, Chernobyl, Hong Kong and Texas Motor Speedway. The game includes 23 cars licensed from 14 real manufacturers such as Lamborghini, Hummer, Volkswagen, Nissan, Ford (Shelby), Audi, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Lotus, Morgan, TVR, Chevrolet, Saleen, and others, with over 30 add-ons available. Game modes include instant play, road challenge, free race, time attack, and cop chase, where the player acts as police arresting other racers. After several rule violations such as ramming a competitor, a police response is triggered, ranging from car chases to roadblocks and helicopter deployment. Nitro power-ups scattered on circuits grant speed boosts, and sharp turns can evade helicopter missiles. The DS version uses 3D graphics with three camera angles and uses the bottom screen for strategic tips and player info; the N-Gage version uses a software 3D renderer with lower framerate and less detail.
Reception
The N-Gage version received favorable reviews, while the DS version received mixed reviews according to Metacritic. In Japan, Famitsu gave the DS version a total score of 27 out of 40. It was a runner-up in GameSpot's 2004 Best N-Game Game award, losing to Colin McRae Rally 2005. Asphalt: Urban GT sold over 5 million copies and launched the Asphalt franchise, which became Gameloft's biggest franchise.
More in Taito Games of the 2000s
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced