Asphalt 9: Legends (Switch) |OT| High-end F2P mobile racing comes to Switch! Asphalt-y as it may be.

[Hero of Legend]

Publisher: Gameloft
Developer: Gameloft Bercelona
Release Date: October 8th, 2019 (out now!)
FIle Size: 1.6GB
Price: FREE (with MTX)

There's also an optional Starter Racing Pack on the eShop for $20 USD that includes:

Get a headstart with the Asphalt 9: Legends Starting Racer Pack! Unlock incredible supercars and resources to boost your progress, and challenge your friends and family in split-screen multiplayer right from the beginning.

This pack contains:
· 20 Blueprints to unlock the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage
· 20 Blueprints to unlock the DS Automobiles DS E-Tense
· 20 Blueprints to unlock the Lotus Evora Sport 410
· 20 Blueprints to unlock the Dodge Challenger 392 HEMI Scat Pack
· 25 Blueprints to unlock the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS
· 200,000 Credits
· 300 Tokens

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https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/asphalt-9-legends-switch/

Switch gameplay:

Screenshots by me (in docked mode):

This is a Switch port of the latest Asphalt game by Gameloft. I believe this is also the first proper traditional platform release of an Asphalt game since Asphalt: Injection on Vita back at its launch, with Asphalt 3D on 3DS just prior at its launch as well. Historically the Asphalt franchise was very close to Nintendo hardware, though usually debuting on mobile devices like the old Java ones, Gameloft would port them to the DS up until Asphalt 4.

I guess with Gameloft pushing for top-tier graphics on mobile devices (and let's be real, it's fucking incredible how far mobile tech has come, which Switch funny enough is built on!), the Asphalt series has been absent for quite a while. 8 years in fact since Asphalt: Injection on Vita.

However things have changed since those old entries. Naturally in today's mobile market, Gameloft heavily adapted and opted for the ye olde F2P release with micro-transactions thrown into the mix. It's a mobile game in today's age, what else would you expect? :P

However from my understanding it's not as horrifically predatory as other mobile games? Outside of apparently some Exclusive Car packs, you can unlock most other stuff by simply playing? I also read one say there was auto-acceleration on mobile (I mean you're playing on a screen-only), and thankfully, that's not the case on Switch. You can stop and go, and back-up at will, as I show in the first pic above.

Graphically it seems to have made the jump surprisingly well. It to me looks like it runs in at a minimum of 900p docked and maybe even 1080p, but I'm unsure. But it lacks anti-aliasing. Also the framerate is between 40-50fps on average it seems. But honestly it works well. Especially for a game this gorgeous, and apparently the mobile original runs at an iffy 30fps, this is looking to be an improvement. Also they added a soft blob dynamic shadow on Switch so that helps too.

The Android version had performance modes ala Grid Autosport on Switch, and sadly this is not the case on Switch from what I've checked.

As far as the MTX actually goes, well I've not played more than a few minutes and I don't buy MTX, so I can't give a thorugh opinion, just what I've seen and heard some others.

BTW, there's a really cool replay function. After races, you can watch a replay with a variety of camera angles, including a freely rotatable camera with scale-able zoom function! You can even see the low-poly driver this way as I showed above. :P

And that's it! Hope folks like my OT! :)

 

[Proteus]

This has been really good.

 

[AxkilAvenger]

I like what I've played so far. Micro transactions are front and centre for sure but it hasn't bothered me yet. That gas tank feature is bull shit though. Graphics look nice and colourful like Mario Kart 8. The boost mechanics are very nice. I like the cars exploding to pieces when they crash but I wish there were damages that stuck around like missing doors and hoods and such. All in all I plan to explore more of this game

 

[Robin64]

Quoting some advice from the pre-launch thread:

Spending $50 on premium currency in game won't even give you decent odds of unlocking a top car.

My advice for new Switch players as someone who has played a lot on PC. The game is good if you can live with the restrictions. Don't pay real money for anything* because it literally take $100s to have your money make a difference. Save Blue Tokens and only spend them on Exclusive Car Packs.

The game is slow at the start but gets less restrictive as you gain cars. Eventually though the game becomes almost 100% a multiplayer game.

*there has sometimes been a $1.99 LaFerrari pack that is a defensible purchase.

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[Deleted member 1476]

Shame but expected that they kept the F2P garbage in.

 

[Deleted member 7572]

Really wish this were just a premium release for ~$30-$40. The underlying game is a ton of fun, but I don't want to buy in to the F2P stuff.

 

[Chackan]

Gotta say that I'm having much more fun that I think I would!

Even if the mobile roots are there, the game comes in a pretty full package.

Participated in some online races yesterday, went pretty well! Low lag and all!

 

[Bigg]

I've been pleasantly surprised by this. It's more fun than I expected given its mobile pedigree, and arcade racers like this are too few and far in between these days.

I imagine the F2P seams will start to show after a couple hours, but it's a good first impression.

 

[Jaime.GGG]

The game is fun and it looks gorgeous on the switch screen.

 

[Reinhardt Schneider]

Getting deeper turns out the game seems to be pretty generous with its premium currency. Still, can't help but to help overwhelmed with all the f2p paraphernalia, earlier this morning i unlocked the events and there's another currency/counter/meter/whatever in the form of tickets.

Like holy fuck gimme a break

 

[Valkrai]

Cool to see an actual OT up now, game is a lot of fun. Fuel is annoying but the currency is generous.

Repeating for this thread but there's a ResetEra club for the game. Make sure to change your name from the default driver one and let me know who you are so I can let you in.

 

[Hieroph]

No gyro steering I guess?

 

[tofaro28]

Good to see it on Switch!

 

[Harlowlad]

Spent £1.99 so far...so weak...

 

[Sander VF]

No gyro steering I guess?

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There is, I believe.

 

[Dorfdad]

Played it and deleted it. Races are way to short for a handheld or console it's like a mobile game and it's littered with micro transactions. Was decent but I really wish a new ridge racer would have been released instead

 

[nicoga3000]

Getting deeper turns out the game seems to be pretty generous with its premium currency. Still, can't help but to help overwhelmed with all the f2p paraphernalia, earlier this morning i unlocked the events and there's another currency/counter/meter/whatever in the form of tickets.

Like holy fuck gimme a break

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Yeah, there are a TON of currencies. But fortunately, as you unlock and upgrade cars, there are a lot of things you can do to pass time. Multiplayer being a huge one as it relies on fuel, but with enough cars upgraded, you can race for a LONG time.

On mobile, I had a ton of higher end cars and was able to play all day if I wanted (except for events, which was ticket limited).

 

[boris_feinbrand]

The thing I hate the most about these F2P mobile games is the UI. Like every single one of them looks like a UI Designer vomited all over the screen. Horrid shit.

 

[Tokyo_Funk]

Does it still have the forward-banding AI? In Asphalt 8 you could knock every AI off the road then at the last second they would magically pop in front of you and merge from the side of the screen to appear as though they were there the whole time. It is especially blatant on the last turns/laps.

 

[Bio-Frost]

Does it still have the forward-banding AI? In Asphalt 8 you could knock every AI off the road then at the last second they would magically pop in front of you and merge from the side of the screen to appear as though they were there the whole time. It is especially blatant on the last turns/laps.

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I dont think its quite as bad as it used to be. Ive had it happen a few times but ive also had tons of races so far where ive been way ahead of the pack the whole time. This could get worse as i progress however.

 

[Nano-Nandy]

Game looks stunning on Switch and is damn great. Playing it on Lite reminded me of when I played Need for Speed Most Wanted on Vita.

 

[Tokyo_Funk]

I dont think its quite as bad as it used to be. Ive had it happen a few times but ive also had tons of races so far where ive been way ahead of the pack the whole time. This could get worse as i progress however.

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Oh cool. It was super blatant before. I will dip my toes in then.

 

[DJ_Lae]

Does it still have the forward-banding AI? In Asphalt 8 you could knock every AI off the road then at the last second they would magically pop in front of you and merge from the side of the screen to appear as though they were there the whole time. It is especially blatant on the last turns/laps.

Click to shrink...

I've only played it on mobile but I can't imagine they changed anything on Switch - it can be bad, and the AI seems to yo-yo back and forth until the last 20% or so of the race. But as long as you're boosting fairly often and have a decent vehicle that pesky car in first place will almost always fall behind in a convenient way.

The races are heavily impacted by your car's rank, though. If you're below the recommended amount almost no amount of skilled racing will let you win. This is less crucial for events that do not pit you against AI (like timed races or escapes), and seem to be the only time you can get away with an underpowered car.

 

[RedAhmed]

So, what would be the preferred (arcade-ish) racer? This or Grid Autosport? Or should I just look at something on the PC?

 

[AxkilAvenger]

So, what would be the preferred (arcade-ish) racer? This or Grid Autosport? Or should I just look at something on the PC?

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I have grid on Switch. Gotta say even though I've played it more, I think I prefer the nutso arcade madness that is Asphalt Legends. Grid looks way better but it is truly more of a sim. I like sim racers but I prefer arcade racers. Why? Because I can't drive lol

 

[RedAhmed]

I have grid on Switch. Gotta say even though I've played it more, I think I prefer the nutso arcade madness that is Asphalt Legends. Grid looks way better but it is truly more of a sim. I like sim racers but I prefer arcade racers. Why? Because I can't drive lol

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I'm the same lol, I prefer arcade racers. I've played a lot of Gran Turismo, but I'm just not that good even with the line assists.
I guess I'll try Asphalt out, thanks!
Still sucks it's F2P, I wish there was the option to pay a single price to unlock all the content.

 

[Falus]

It's funny for now. The mclassic does wonder on this gam
I've sent a club request

 

[Jon Carter]

BTW, there's a really cool replay function. After races, you can watch a replay with a variety of camera angles, including a freely rotatable camera with scale-able zoom function! You can even see the low-poly driver this way as I showed above. :P

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The replay function is actually pretty terrible. Check out V-Rally 4 or even Grid Autosport for a proper replay function.

 

[AxkilAvenger]

I'm the same lol, I prefer arcade racers. I've played a lot of Gran Turismo, but I'm just not that good even with the line assists.
I guess I'll try Asphalt out, thanks!
Still sucks it's F2P, I wish there was the option to pay a single price to unlock all the content.

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After just unlocking and playing some online multiplayer, i gotta say. The pure fun game play of this title is seriously making me ignore the monetization the more i play. This game just keeps on giving

 

[TheChrisGlass]

Oh sure. I make a thread back in January and no one gives a shit.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/asphalt-9-ot-dont-call-it-burnout.96952/

But it comes out on Switch and NOW people care?

 

[Feenix]

Still not in love with how much they F2P you, but the core gameplay is a hoot. My son and I were taking turns and just hollering as we helicoptered in the air and landed on opponents.
I'm sure they "know what they're doing..." but I can't help but feel like not many are going to drop north of 50 bucks or more, but I know I'd be at least semi-tempted to do a "make this a premium game" type of one-time purchase. For the fun I'm currently having, I'd probably pay 40.

 

[Feenix]

Oh sure. I make a thread back in January and no one gives a shit.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/asphalt-9-ot-dont-call-it-burnout.96952/

But it comes out on Switch and NOW people care?

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Yes. Pretty much, and obviously...
:)

 

[Zaro]

Request sent!

 

[The_Strokes]

Well, looks fun-ish, I'll definitely give it a shot.

 

[Juan]

So far, I've really been appreciating the game. It's not as good as I expected (I was holding it as a Burnout spiritual successor, the bar was too high) but it's still a really enjoyable and fun experience!

Monetization isn't as intrusive as I thought it would be, it didn't stop me from playing for now, maybe it will the longer I play the game and the further I progress since the full take longer to actually refill, we shall see. Also, too much things popping to get your attention, but it is still manageable.

The worst point is probably the tracks (not the OST). They're not bad, but we can clearly see they've been thought for mobile use as it's globally some long straight forward path without any memorable encounters, like you could have some in Burnout tracks. Also the fact that it is only one turn instead of several, again, you can clearly see it was thought for short mobile use.

This is not the game I expected, but I will enjoy it quite a lot!

Btw, I'm tempted to spend money on the game. Not to progress quicker, but just because I want to support the initiative from Gameloft about porting this game to Switch. If I happen to do, on which thing do you think I should spent the credits/blue credits/coin I would buy?

Also, I didn't check, but can we organize private online matches with friends? Like, if I want to challenge some of you, can I invite you to a lobby for this?

 

[Alastor3]

The thing I hate the most about these F2P mobile games is the UI. Like every single one of them looks like a UI Designer vomited all over the screen. Horrid shit.

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I know right? As a graphic designer, i hate it

 

[RestEerie]

gfx are good and framerate seems steady but the jaggies...wow.....maybe i'm too used to the phone version.

 

[RacerBest]

Also, I didn't check, but can we organize private online matches with friends? Like, if I want to challenge some of you, can I invite you to a lobby for this?

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You can, but only if you are in the same club with your friends. If you go to the club menu, you should see a button that says club race.

 

[pahlke1]

I've put a lot of time into the mobile version and never spent a cent. I've hit a wall with the campaign but the MP and daily missions keep me amused still on mobile. So far with the switch version I'm having a blast.

 

[Alastor3]

Just played it again, i feel like it woukd become a shore to unlock things. Wish the tracks were longer...

 

[Reinhardt Schneider]

Oh sure. I make a thread back in January and no one gives a shit.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/asphalt-9-ot-dont-call-it-burnout.96952/

But it comes out on Switch and NOW people care?

Click to shrink...

It's not like people cares too much now either

 

[dock]

Weird to think how Asphalt series started on Ngage!

I remember scoffing at my friend whose DS came with Asphalt Urban GT, a port of the original Ngage title.

Pretty cool to see a title like this on a platform with real controls!

How is the soundtrack? I played quite a bit of Asphalt 8: Airborne when I got a new iPhone and I really enjoyed the choice of licensed music for the game.

 

[VeePs]

I enjoyed the mobile version and never paid a cent, might download this.

I was hoping Gameloft would reuse assets and give us a "premium" Burnout-like racer for $15. I totally would've bought that. Oh well.

 

[RedAhmed]

After just unlocking and playing some online multiplayer, i gotta say. The pure fun game play of this title is seriously making me ignore the monetization the more i play. This game just keeps on giving

Click to shrink...

I just started playing this morning and I got to say, it's pretty fun! The gas and ticket refilling is annoying, and unlocking cars seems to be a long process, but I wasn't forced to stop playing yet.

I just unlocked multiplayer and it's been very fun as well! I got into silver after my first race.

Thanks for convincing me to play this!

 

[xxbrothawizxx]

I wanted this, but a $20-$30 version that made every course into full circuits. With the uncapped framerate and F2P stuff, I'll just keep playing on my phone I guess. I wonder where the bottleneck is. Maybe the overclock can get it to 60fps.

 

[carlosrox]

Just downloaded this. Wow I'm super impressed.

 

[AxkilAvenger]

I just started playing this morning and I got to say, it's pretty fun! The gas and ticket refilling is annoying, and unlocking cars seems to be a long process, but I wasn't forced to stop playing yet.

I just unlocked multiplayer and it's been very fun as well! I got into silver after my first race.

Thanks for convincing me to play this!

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You should join the resetera team. Didn't see anyone playing last night but it's still fun to belong to club lol

 

[Camjo-Z]

This is actually pretty fun, scratches that itch left by the complete lack of Ridge Racer 8. The F2P trappings are pretty obnoxious but they seem easy enough to play around, plus if you completely run out of gas you can go play Quick Race challenges instead.

Cool to see an actual OT up now, game is a lot of fun. Fuel is annoying but the currency is generous.

Repeating for this thread but there's a ResetEra club for the game. Make sure to change your name from the default driver one and let me know who you are so I can let you in.

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Send ya boy Camjo-Z an invite please!

 

[TheChrisGlass]

Well, if you want to play on Android, where more things are going on, since it's been live for a year, my current group is Burnout Cult. There's usually an opening. Let me know if you apply, we've been kicking people who are new and haven't even set a default name.

 

[Valkrai]

This is actually pretty fun, scratches that itch left by the complete lack of Ridge Racer 8. The F2P trappings are pretty obnoxious but they seem easy enough to play around, plus if you completely run out of gas you can go play Quick Race challenges instead.



Send ya boy Camjo-Z an invite please!

Click to shrink...

Can you find your ID? I have to invite that way.

FYI there's 3 free spots left in the Club. If there's no way to expand, we might need to make a secondary club.