DS Review: MX vs. ATV Untamed

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MX vs. ATV Untamed

Platform: Nintendo DS
Developer: Tantalus
Publisher: THQ
Players: 1-4 Players Local

The Nintendo DS to date really has not had any superb racing games on the handheld. There have been some very respectable efforts from some of the big name franchises such as the Need for Speed series, Ridge Racer, and others, but no one has really nailed a solid racing game on the handheld with the exception of Mario Kart DS. Developer Tantalus is looking to change all of that though as they have brought MX vs. ATV Untamed to the dual-screen handheld.

THQ definitely had the right development team working on the game as Tantalus is no stranger to racing games on handheld platforms. They have worked on handheld versions of games such as MX vs. ATV on the PSP,a s well as Top Gear and others.

The way the Nintendo DS version works is that you race with three other racers around a course, meaning that each race has four racers total. You get to race on ten tracks with two main events, as well as two vehicles. The big problem with the DS version is that beyond that there is nothing else to keep you interested in the game. The fantastic career mode which is featured in other versions on other consoles is absent, as is any customization, upgrades, etc. All you do is race in the 10 tracks they give you, and that is it.

The game’s basic game modes consist of three cups which you will be trying to earn as you go through these ten tracks. There are also eight racers featured, four for MX and four for ATV. There is also a Stunt Challenge mode and an X-Cross Tournament mode.

The visuals of MX vs. ATV Untamed on the DS there really is not a lot to complain about as Tantalus has done a fine job of putting in place a great visual experience on the handheld. You will see some great models and animations throughout your play, especially with the tricks and crashes. The biggest problem with the visuals though is that there is really not a lot going on beyond just you and the other racers to keep you interested. There is little crowd-interaction, little side visual effects, etc. The texture work could have been a bit more crisp. The plus side to this though is that the game does run fairly fast and very smooth throughout, which makes up a bit for the lack of extra added details.

The audio is really extremely basic in MX vs. ATV Untamed on the DS. You will hear all of your basic engine noises here which actually do not sound half bad. This is nothing that will blow you away but you will appreciate the clarity and accuracy of the engine sounds. The soundtrack is made up of some rock songs here and there as well as some mediocre crowd noises as they chime in from time to time, nothing special.

The controls for the game really are spot-on, making this easily the highlight of the release on the DS. It is not easy for a developer to nail racing controls on the handheld, but they have clearly managed to do this and do it extremely well. The game plays great to say the least from start to finish as you will find yourself learning the tracks, pre-loading tricks before jumps, and tearing up the ten tracks with ease once you learn the ropes. The game has a very technical feel to it, something which we do not always see in a release on the DS for a racing game. This is a breath of fresh air though as they have done this extremely well in the game.

One nice thing about the release is that Tantalus did not forget about the multiplayer aspect of racing on the DS> There are no online modes or any type of Wi-Fi connectivity. What you will find though is that you can play with up to four friends locally. You are allowed to host any of the three cups in X-Cross of Stunt Challenge, with either type of vehicle, etc. You will need to have four copies of the game to pull this off but if you and three friends do have it, it is very rewarding and entertaining.

Online play is definitely something we are already hopeful for in the next iteration of MX vs. ATV on the DS as it could have added a lot of longevity to the release.

Overall MX vs. ATV has always been known for solid racing experiences no matter which console the franchise is released on. In that regard, the title has lived up to expectations as this truly is a solid racing experience with great controls and playability. The biggest problem that hampers this release is the fact that there are not enough game modes here to keep gamers coming back to play it over and over again. There is little to complete on the singe-player end, and with no online play there is even less. The controls make this one of the most enjoyable racers on the DS, it just may not have the legs to keep you busy for long.

Graphics: 7.0 The game runs smooth, models and animations are fluid, but beyond that not a whole lot is going on for visuals.

Audio: 7.0 The soundtrack is decent as are the crowd noises. Engine sounds are what you would expect, your average sound bytes.

Gameplay: 8.0 Tantalus has kept up the tradition of great controls on the DS. This is a great racer to control on the handheld!

Lasting Appeal: 5.0 The biggest problem with the game is that there is not a lot you can do outside of the very basic single player modes. Online would be appreciated for the next version, as would a career mode of sorts.

ESA TV coverage of ATV "Jules Verne" ingress

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ESA TV coverage of ATV "Jules Verne" ingress.

ESA TV News

Background information on the transmission:

Following its launch on March 9th and a perfect docking to ISS on April 3rd, the European-built "Jules Verne" ATV (automated transfer vehicle) is now 'open for business'.

Expedition 16 astronauts made the first ingress to the vehicle at 08:00 on Saturday April 5th. Supplies, fuel and water carried by the vehicle are now being transferred to ISS.

Video of the ingress will be included in today's ISS commentary hour commencing at 15:00 GMT. ESA TV will relay commentary hour on the satellite coordinates below.

Ingress highlights will be avalailable for MPEG2 download via ftp:

Server name: esa.contentcoders.com

Login: esa

Password/userid: ftp4esa

Please be informed that this file will be too big to access via a web browser and that you need to use a ftp download manager.

The line-up time for the SCPC feed will be 5 minutes

More background information can be found on http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/.

Transmission details:

Eutelsat Atlantic Bird 1 (AB1) at 12.5degW, Transponder F5, Channel B, F = 12633.75MHz, Pol = horizontal,SR = 6.1113 Ms/s, FEC = 3/4, signal MPEG2 4:2:0 in the clear

For further information please contact the ESA TV producer Chris Courtenay Taylor: tel + 44 7774 275 951 or mail chrisct@worldwidegroup.ltd.uk

For the latest transmission schedule, go to http://television.esa.int. For all enquires on transmissions, send contact ingrid.van.de.vyver@esa.int or call her mobile phone +32 495 209541. For ordering video tapes and questions on footage via ftp-transfer, contact television@esa.int.

West coast teen in hospital after ATV accident

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An 18-year-old man from Newfoundland's west coast is in hospital with serious head injuries after an ATV accident Tuesday.

Bay St. George RCMP said they don't know if the teenager, from Mattis Point, N.L., in the Bay St. George area, was riding the machine or if he was hit by it.

Police said the ATV was connected to two recent thefts.

Two men from Mattis Point, one 25 and the other 21, allegedly broke into a shed and stole two ATVs.

The two men are facing 13 charges, including theft and carrying a concealed weapon.

Jules Verne ATV given ‘go’ for docking

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Jules Verne ATV as seen from the ISS during a rendezvous test on 29 March 2008

(ESA) - Jules Verne was today formally cleared to proceed with the first ISS docking attempt, scheduled for 3 April 2008 at 16:41 CEST (14:41 UT). The official go-ahead came from the International Space Station Mission Management Team (IMMT) after two flawless demonstration days in which Jules Verne proved its operational capabilities.

“We have proven that Jules Verne’s systems are safe, reliable and ready to dock to the Station. Everyone has worked very hard to get to this point, and we have also proven that the team on the ground is fully ready for tomorrow’s first attempt,” said John Ellwood, ESA’s ATV Project Manager.

The formal permission came during today’s IMMT meeting held at 13:00 CEST (11:00 UT), in which ESA together with its ISS partners reviewed the Automated Transfer Vehicle’s (ATV) performance from Demonstration Day 2.

Demo Day 2, held on 31 March, saw Jules Verne conduct a series of challenging manoeuvres and confirm that the spacecraft could autonomously navigate itself using optical guidance and close to station keeping point S41, just 11 m from the ISS. Jules Verne also reacted perfectly to an ‘Escape’ command issued by astronauts on board the ISS, proving that the vessel can automatically withdraw to a safe location when so commanded.

Tomorrow’s docking attempt will see Jules Verne move past station keeping point S41 to actually dock with the Russian ISS module’s docking port. Contact of the vessel’s docking probe is expected at 16:41 CEST (14:41 UT), with full capture scheduled at 17:15 CEST (15:15 UT). If the docking does not occur for any reason, the next possible window occurs 48 hours later on Saturday, 5 April.

The rendezvous and docking will be monitored from ESA’s ATV Control Centre in Toulouse, France, in cooperation with the Russian control centre in Moscow and the NASA control centre in Houston.

The rendezvous and docking will be broadcast live by ESA TV, 16:00-17:15 CEST (14:00-15:15 UT); details are available on the ESA TV web page under

The event will also be streamed live via the ESA website starting at 16:00 CEST (14:00 UT); the link will be made available shortly before on

Pemberton Twp. warns ATV users

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by Central Jersey News UpdatesWednesday April 02, 2008, 2:45 PM
PEMBERTON TOWNSHIP -- Police will begin patrolling areas of the township where riders of all terrain vehicles have been operating the vehicles illegally, including the sand pits in Presidential Lakes, areas near Fort Dix and on Tecumseh Trail in Country Lakes.

According to Police Chief Robert Lewandowski, ATV riders cannot operate their vehicles on public lands or roads, and need the permission of landowners to travel over private property. Police say violators will be charged with trespassing and their vehicles impounded, the Burlington County Times reports.

MX vs ATV Untamed Review

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March 24, 2008 - MX vs ATV Untamed is a multi-vehicle racing experience developed by Rainbow Studios published by THQ for the PSP, PS2, PS3, X360, DS, and Wii. I haven’t played any of the previous MX vs ATV games nor Untamed on any of the next generation systems; my experience with this series is strictly the PS2 and PSP versions. Both versions offer up many different modes and events but at the end of the day the PSP version is superior to the more technologically capable PS2 platform. This is the first game I’ve seen where the PSP version is of a higher standard than the PS2.

There is very little grey area when it comes to racing games; they are either fun or repetitive and boring. The best games (Road Rash, Burnout, etc…) give you a sense of speed as you move through the gaming environments, excite you with near misses or radical moves, and leave you wanting more. A boring racing game (Untamed for example) leaves you feeling uninterested with the repetitive racing tracks, unexcited at pulling of any mid-air trick, and bewildered at the ridiculous physics engine of the game.

The basics of Untamed are fairly standard: you take part in various events that concentrate on racing or stunts to unlock newer and assorted vehicles, environments, or equipment to purchase at the store. Untamed can be played in single and multiplayer modes. The single player experience is called the X-Cross Tour where you take on Events including Race, Waypoint Race, Time Attack, Stunt Challenge, Flag Challenge, Stunt Attack, Machine Challenge, and Machine Race. As you win races and complete challenges more and more vehicles and environments become available to you. The multiplayer experience is a nice addition that allows you to compete in various events with your friends but only over Ad Hoc mode.

In terms of gameplay, all the events tend to get really old really fast. In differing from the PS2 version, the single player experience throws you directly into an open area environment where you find columns of light that initiate each event. If you choose, you can also go through the Pause Menu to choose the event you’d like. You’re basically driving around in whichever vehicle following a magic floating arrow at the top of the screen or attempting to perform aerial tricks. The racing events are hard to navigate since the arrows will point you to your direct destination instead of the path that leads you there.

When attempting to pull of jumps and land the odd trick you need to forget everything you thought you knew about gravity and physics to be successful. Bending over and accepting the simulated physical world that Rainbow Studios and Incinerator Studios have created is about as pleasant as it sounds.

One of the more positive aspects of the game is the great short loading times. I was really surprised to find how transparent it was to switch vehicles, events, and environments.

The controls are pretty standard with the X-button controlling gas, Square-button as brake, and the Circle and Triangle buttons as your trick buttons. Tricks are done by ripping off various streams of Circle and Triangle button maneuvers. The controls take a while to get used to when attempting to pull of air tricks. Be prepared to take some time to get a feel for how much air time you have when doing tricks. It took more than a couple of face-plants until I successfully got back into position and landed successfully.

Despite the PSP’s glorious widescreen capability, Untamed feels squished and skinny. The motorcycle riders look like the illegitimate love children of Kate Moss and Halo’s Master Chief, which is bad enough but made worse during crash sequences. During the crash sequences the abominable physics engine shows its worst as it makes what should be the random carnage of bodies and earth colliding an interpretative dance of the spaghetti arm people. Throwing bodies and adding a little blood would’ve saved the game from turning into the overpriced horizontal pirouette simulator that it is. The environments don’t look terribly bad but fail to really give a sense of depth. I felt as though I was riding through an environment made of cardboard cut-outs.

The sound in Untamed is one of the few bright spots. The punk music helps add the sense of adrenaline that you’d normally expect from the graphics. The sound effects sound true to life although (and I don’t fault the game for this because it sounds the same in real life too) the motor vehicles tend to sound like high fidelity fart machines.

Untamed isn’t a game worthy of adding to your collection unless you are a die-hard MX or ATV fan. It’s possible to pass the time with a game like this but the repetitive nature of the game will leave PSP fans wanting more.

ATV: An automatic success

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Spaceflight
SubscribeYou are in: Home ? Spaceflight ? News Article
DATE:01/04/08
SOURCE:Flight International
ATV: An automatic success
By Rob Coppinger
As the European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), named Jules Verne, embarks on the last few kilometres of its journey to dock at the International Space Station's Russian Zvezda module, a successful completion to the mission on 3 April will see ESA become the second agency to have a cargo-dedicated spaceship and the only space-faring organisation to have an entirely automatic resupply spacecraft.

The ATV journey began in 1995 when ESA member states agreed to join the ISS programme. Jules Verne, the first of a planned five of these expendable cargo spaceships, is scheduled to dock automatically on 3 April. The 10.3m (33.7ft) long, 4.5m diameter cylindrical spacecraft, with its 22.3m span X-shaped solar arrays, is designed to have a total mass of 20,500kg (45,100lb) and deliver 7,600kg of cargo. However on the first flight the vehicle's mass is 19,400kg, which includes just 6,400kg of cargo.

In comparison, NASA's Space Shuttle, which delivers 10,000kg of supplies using the Italian-built multi-purpose logistics modules, is manually piloted for its ISS docking. Russia's Progress cargo vehicle, which can deliver 2,500kg, is also under manual control during the final stages of its rendezvous.

Since its 9 March launch from Europe's French Guiana spaceport, using an EADS Astrium-built Ariane 5 Evolution Storable booster, the ATV has been undergoing a series of system tests. On 14 March it carried out its automated collision avoidance manoeuvre. This manoeuvre test was to show that the ATV could distance itself from the ISS if any problems arose during the final docking phase.

From a parking orbit 2,000km (1,240 miles) ahead of the ISS, on 27 March ATV was to move to a closer position to perform two days of rendezvous demonstrations, set for 29 and 31 March. While the ATV is automatic, these demonstrations involve ESA's ATV control centre (ATV-CC) in Toulouse, the Russian and US ISS partners and the ISS crew.

The ISS crew tasks include preparation of the Russian module for docking and issuing specific ATV commands. These are abort, hold, retreat or escape, when requested on 29 and 31 March and on docking day.

The two rendezvous demonstrations were to use waypoints near the ISS. On 29 March at 15:34 GMT the ATV's guidance and navigation system (GNC) was to be tested. Initiated from ATV-CC the vehicle was to move toward the ISS using relative GPS data to safely manoeuvre to waypoint S2, located 3.5km behind the ISS.

The results are assessed by the ESA Jules Verne ATV demonstration objectives report team and submitted to the ISS Mission Management Team. If the assessment led to a 30 March authorisation, the second demonstration would take place on 31 March at 13:40 to test the close-range sensors, the GNC and to practice the contingency procedures, commanded by ATV-CC and the ISS crew.

During this second test ATV was to be commanded to stop just over 10m from the Zvezda docking port, then go back to waypoint S4, which is 19m from the module, and finally to carry out an "escape manoeuvre" that will take Jules Verne away from and around the station.

If all goes to plan the docking is scheduled for 15:20 on 3 April. ESA's ATV-CC mission director, Alberto Novelli, said: "We are looking forward to an excellent first docking attempt on 3 April. It will be complex but after our successful launch and early orbit phase and the transfer to the parking orbit, the team...has gained a lot of confidence."

The docking procedure will begin at 12:44 with ATV starting from waypoint S3, 250m from the ISS. Its computers will carry out the automated final approach and docking. The vehicle will slow down to 70mm (3in)/s as it closes to within a few metres of the Russian module. ATV-CC mission controllers will direct the ATV in a step-by-step predefined approach, and will seek authorisation from the Russian mission control centre in Moscow before final contact is made.

Neither the USA nor Russia have this capability. Even NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services programme, if successful in its goal of providing a resupply service by 2011, will not deliver a completely automatic docking system.