Switch Funday - Asphalt 9: Legends - The First 45 Minutes

Welcome to Switch Funday!

Asphalt 9: Legends is a game i've had on my Switch for a long time, but i've never played it. it could be, in-part, that i've always considered Asphalt to be a mobile game series. but it's Switch Funday and i was in the mood for a racing game.

First thing i'd like to say is that i came away from this game very impressed. some of the design and user interface stuff feels old, but the core gameplay itself was a lot of fun. it felt like it took the arcade drift fun from Ridge Racer 7, the cars from Gran Turismo, and the wrecking from Burnout to create a racer that at it's core is rather fun and enjoyable.

the only negative that really stood out regarding it's core gameplay is the length of the races. whilst the races may share parts of a course, they can vary wildly in distance. if it took less than a minute, it felt too short. it would be a guess to suggest that this was from it's origins as a mobile game. but when they're short, a mistake or two is all it takes to lose the race. there's not enough time for a comeback. the Ai is rather good and seems to try, combined with a boost that doesn't seem that much faster than everyone else, makes the short tracks feel a bit of a chore rather than something to look forward to.

Considering how old the game is on Switch, i was also impressed by how good it looked. there wasn't too much complex stuff on screen, but what was there was clear, big, and colorful. there were some texture pop-in issues with stuff in the background, but that was only really noticeable when things were going slow. the sense of speed when you're going fast and the type of racer it is means that in a race there's little time to admire the scenery so i didn't notice if pop-in happened. it doesn't have the most crisp graphics and i'm sure i spotted the game showing my car with a floating head inside, but i do feel that it's good enough. even the menus were fine.

I'm glad i checked out Asphalt 9: Legends and i do recommend people try it. it's free to play from the eShop and has a huge amount to unlock. it's a bit of a retro racer with modern ideas that mostly pulls it off.