Ferrari Challenge Nintendo DS Hands-On

Slated for release in November, Ferrari Challenge looks set to corner the European Christmas market for serious racers, on multiple platforms. We've just seen the game in action for the first time, and in addition to playing the PlayStation 3 version we also took the DS version for a spin.

Predictably, the handheld version of the game is easier than its bigger brother, but that doesn't mean it's lighter on features. On the single-player side, it will still include training and racing, with the latter option offering a full-on championship with four difficulty levels, a practice mode, and a time trial. The first challenges can be breezed through in a matter of minutes, as they're one-lap races against easy opponents. However, races begin to increase in complexity and length on the higher difficulty levels, with unlockable content offered as an incentive for playing.

The DS version of Ferrari Challenge has a multiplayer racing mode that supports both single and multicart play. The only downside is that if you're sharing the game with a friend, you'll only be able to play the Monza and Mugello tracks. Both modes support up to four players, and you can take the total number of racers on the track to eight by adding artificial intelligence drivers should you wish to. We took part in a couple of multiplayer races, and we liked the way that the AI seemed to adapt to players' skill levels to provide a decent challenge for everyone in the game. Along with Codemasters' TOCA: Race & Create, Ferrari Challenge is technically and graphically one of the most impressive racers we've seen on the DS.

As with the PlayStation 3 version, a card game is also on offer that is effectively an electronic version of Ferrari Top Trumps. The game features a multiplayer mode using two DSes, which requires both players to have copies of the game in order to play, but as the point of the game is to build custom decks with cards won from harder races, this makes it a bit fairer then a game-sharing mode would be. You can also pit your deck against the AI and play locally in much the same way. For those not familiar with the Top Trumps concept, the basic idea of the game is to beat your opponent by choosing from a number of ratings on a card representing a Ferrari vehicle--such as monetary value, horsepower, or top speed--and hoping the value on your card is higher than your opponent's equivalent card. If you manage to beat your opponent, you take their card, and the game continues until one player possesses all 66 cards in play.

System 3's DS version of Ferrari Challenge looks to be fairly complete, which is a good sign for its impending November Europe-wide release. The lack of touch-screen control is forgivable due to the precision needed in a racing game, and even though Nintendo Wi-Fi support for online play doesn't seem likely, the wireless multiplayer races and card game modes are a welcome addition. Ferrari fans can look forward to playing the DS version alongside the PS3 and Wii editions when they're released simultaneously in Europe on November 23, 2007, and in the US in the first quarter of 2008.