Asphalt 9: Legends Nintendo Switch E3 2019 Hands-On Preview | A Racer for Everyone

The Asphalt series has been dormant for a while now on consoles. The last major entry to come to a Nintendo console was when the 3DS launch but now Gameloft is bringing the successful mobile version to the Nintendo Switch. I had the chance to play through a track within the game, showcasing the high-speed competition that fans of the arcade racers love.

First off, Asphalt 9 will support both offline and online play on the Nintendo Switch. With up to 4 players able to play split-screen and 8 online. Surprisingly, players can play online without a Nintendo Switch Online account and will be free for everyone to download this summer. Those wondering how much of the mobile version's content will launch with Asphalt 9 it'll include 7 regions and 6 tracks, on par with update 3, and 42 cars whereas the mobile version have 60. But eventually, the development team will add the rest of the content through updates.

I was able to play a track with my guide Benjamin PerLee. I was given the entire control scheme, with players able to choose from motion controls, automatic acceleration for a more casual style, and Pro Controller support. 

During my playthrough, I found the sense of speed and drifting to be strong. Despite the cars being very detailed and loyal to the original models Asphalt 9: Legends is an arcade racer. There are crashes, unreal speeds reached thanks to nitro boosts and slamming into drivers to gain an advantage. The entire game is built on the idea of high-speed fun instead of a simulation. And when you crash, you're treated with the remains of your destroyed car.

Asphalt 9: Legends on the Nintendo Switch doesn't attempt to be more than it is, and that's okay. The short demo I played had all the features that a good arcade racer should have. And seeing it'll be free to download and play online gives you ample reasons to download and try the game yourself this summer.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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