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TrackMania DS
(2009, Video Games - Racing, Rated E, Play it on: Nintendo DS)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)
Not age appropriate for kids under 4, age appropriate for kids over 6; suggested age 6. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Ingenious, compelling race game lets you build racetracks.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 6 and Up
The good stuff
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Educational value:
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of TrackMania DS was written by Harold Goldberg
Parents need to know that even though the "E" rating suggests the game is fine for
young players, the construction of the tracks requires some sophistication that younger players won't have. Kids as young as age 4 can race, but to appreciate the full benefit of what this game has to offer, it is best played by kids 6-up.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the tracks they've made. Does a short track or a long track work best? Why? If you were going to make a race track in real life, where would you put it? Why?
More on TrackMania DS
What’s the Story?
Ever since the early days of video games, allowing the gamer to make his or her own game has been a sure road to enjoyment. With TRACKMANIA DS, Atlus provides you endless ways to put the pedal to the metal by permitting anyone to build and share their own arcade racetrack creations.
There are over 100 short, single player races in three environments already programmed into the game. Race by using the D-pad to steer and the 'A' button to accelerate. As you win, you accumulate Copper, the game's cash, to purchase car skins and unique track parts. You can make tracks in two ways. You can use an editor interface to click and drag parts to the touch screen. Or you can simply take your stylus and draw on the touch screen. You can share your tracks wirelessly, and play wirelessly, too.
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Is It Any Good?
Trying to finish first in all of the single player races is a true challenge in itself: unless you're really driving to perfection, you won't be Number 1. And the Extreme difficulty mode is killer hard (in a good way)! After purchasing parts with your income from racing, you can add tunnels, make loop de loops and add tilted portions to your track creations. You can even add blimps and trees to make your environments more life-like.
There are some challenges with the game, however. If your vehicle flies off the track, it doesn't automatically re-emerge where it left off. You have to begin the race all over again. You should be able to choose from a small variety of cars right from the beginning in the single player races; but you can't. Finally, if you accidentally erase the starting gate or finish gate from the track editor, you sometimes can't find the pieces in the toolbar below. And you can't save your track without them. Yet it's just so much fun to make, race on, and share your own tracks that you'll forgive the glitches in TrackMania DS. Instead, you happily work around them.
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Publisher’s Details
Released on 3/17/2009, price $29.99, online enabled
ESRB rating: E (for (No Descriptors))
ESRB rating: E (for (No Descriptors))
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