June 18, 2008

Project Manager talks about bringing Trackmania to the DS
By Michael Lafferty

“TrackMania is perfect for short bursts of intense gameplay, which fits really well with the DS demographic”

Trackmania is one of those PC titles that couples racing speed with tracks that deviate dramatically from the norm. It is a nice bit of eye candy replete with challenges. In other words, it was a great match for the graphical power and display capabilities of the PC. It even has potential to work on other gaming platforms, but the Nintendo DS?

Surely the game was too grand a concept to work on the confined spaces of the handheld’s screen. Not so, said the folks at Firebrand Games. In fact, they thought that Trackmania might be a great fit for the DS.

How so? Well, for those answers, GameZone.com turned to Dan Fletcher, TrackMania DS Project Manager, Firebrand Games.

Question: This game was well realized on the PC. What made you think the DS was a viable platform for the handheld iteration?

Dan: TrackMania, like the Nintendo DS, is a game that appeals to a wide range of people; it is accessible enough to pick up and play yet to obtain the fastest times and medals takes a degree of skill that will reward the more experienced gamer.

The DS interface has allowed us to create a fun, powerful and easy to use Track Editor – enabling players to perform most track building operations using the D-pad and Stylus.

TrackMania is perfect for short bursts of intense gameplay, which fits really well with the DS demographic; people can open up their DS and use the new ‘quick race’ mode to drive through a couple of randomly selected tracks whilst they are on the train or have a short break in whatever they are doing.  In addition to this there is an extensive solo mode that includes Race, Puzzle and Platform challenges that will keep players entertained for a long time to unlock and complete all the tracks within the game.

How does the DS’ functionality come into play in the control scheme?

Dan: All racing is done using the D-pad and buttons in a simple, yet responsive control system. The player uses the D-pad both to control the car on the ground but also to control the car’s position while in the air after one of TrackMania’s signature jumps. The 3D Track Editor is where the DS’ unique control system really comes into its own though – more on that below.

It seems that the use of the stylus would be a solid adjunct to the track editor (almost like using a tablet). How does the track editor work on this platform?

Dan: The Track Editor interface has been carefully modified for the Nintendo DS and will allow players to quickly and easily create complex tracks via the Touch Screen. Players can physically ‘drag and drop’ blocks such as basic roads, speed boosters and loop-the-loops into their track as well as being able to quickly sketch a track layout by drawing directly on to the Touch Screen.

Another great feature is that TrackMania DS will allow the player to move seamlessly between the Track Editor’s ‘Build Mode’ and the Race engine used so that the player can check their track as they build.

Part of the joy of Trackmania on the PC was the ability to not only negotiate what was immediately in front of you but start lining up for the next challenge on a given track. Considering the size of the DS display, was this a challenge to give players the same capabilities without overwhelming the display?

Dan: Not really.  We’ve worked hard to make the experience similar to TrackMania on the PC.  Our Octane engine supports many levels of detail that allow us to maximize the amount of world we draw at any one time without hiding things from the player.

And speaking of challenges, what was the biggest one faced in bringing this title to the DS?

Dan: The biggest challenge facing us when we started looking at this title was that the original PC game is so great we have a lot to live up to!  We’ve worked hard to get the physics to the same level of quality displayed on the PC versions; giving the player great air when they launch off a jump but keeping them on the track at other times.  We’re really happy with what we’ve been able to do and we’re sure we’ll deliver another high quality TrackMania title.

Is this game, more or less, a straight port of the PC title or does the DS version feature unique content?

Dan: TrackMania DS is not as simple port; it is a brand new entry in the TrackMania series and the first ever console version of the game. 

We have stayed true to the TrackMania series in terms of environments, vehicles and handling, but have also included some brand new building blocks and game modes designed to make full use of the DS hardware

Will there be multiplayer capabilities with the DS version?

Dan: TrackMania DS provides support for wireless Multiplayer modes – for both Single and Multi-Card play - and a unique ‘Hotseat’ mode which allows up to 8 players to compete using a single Nintendo DS console.

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