Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

This double pack delivers two distinct off-road racing experiences, letting players dive into ATV: Thunder Ridge Riders or Monster Truck Mayhem from a single main menu. In ATV: Thunder Ridge Riders, you’ll hop on a nimble all-terrain vehicle and tear through tight dirt tracks, jumping over ramps and weaving between obstacles. Controls are intuitive: you steer, accelerate, brake, boost and reverse with ease, making it accessible for newcomers and satisfying for seasoned racers.

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Career Mode in both titles adds depth to the straightforward racing formula. In ATV, placing high in events earns you money pickups that you can spend in the Mod Shop, upgrading tires, engines, shocks or turbo boosts. This progression loop keeps you invested as each upgrade noticeably improves handling or acceleration, letting you tackle tougher courses. Monster Truck Mayhem mirrors this structure: do well in Track Races or dominate the Crunch Melee arenas—where you must flatten rival cars—to earn cash and boost your truck’s performance.

Multiplayer support further enhances replay value. Whether you’re competing head-to-head in split-screen ATV races or duking it out in a monster truck demolition derby, the pack offers frantic, adrenaline-pumping action. Timed Checkpoint challenges in the ATV game test your precision and memorization of track layouts, while Monster Truck Mayhem’s different event types push you to adapt speed-focused and smash-up strategies on the fly. Overall, the gameplay loop of racing, earning currency, and upgrading vehicles is simple but addictive across both titles.

Graphics

Both games leverage the DS hardware well, splitting action between the two screens. The upper display gives you a clear, third-person view of your vehicle and the surrounding course, complete with jumps, ramps, and obstacles modeled in crisp 3D. The lower screen offers real-time stats—standings, timers or mini-maps—without cluttering the main view, so you can focus on the race.

ATV: Thunder Ridge Riders opts for bright, earthy tones and stylized track environments, from dusty canyon circuits to pine-forest clearings. The frame rate remains steady even when multiple riders are on screen, and particle effects like flying dirt and tire skids add polish to each jump or turn. Monster Truck Mayhem trades natural backdrops for arena-style demolition derbies and closed circuit tracks, featuring crushed cars piled under steel girders and neon lighting in indoor venues.

While neither title pushes the DS to its absolute limits, both deliver consistent performance with minimal slowdown. Vehicle models are slightly blocky by modern standards, but the exaggerated proportions of ATVs and oversized monster trucks suit the arcade-style racing perfectly. Track details and environmental hazards are easy to read at a glance, ensuring you never miss a shortcut or a destructible obstacle—key factors when speed and timing are everything.

Story

Neither game has a traditional narrative with cutscenes or characters, but each frames its Career Mode as an underdog-to-champion journey. In ATV: Thunder Ridge Riders, you start as a rookie dirt racer aiming to break into the pro circuit. As you progress through increasingly challenging events, you feel a tangible sense of growth as your ATV evolves from stock to fully tricked-out.

Monster Truck Mayhem follows a similar structure: you begin with a basic cruiser that can barely dent its opponents. By earning cash pickups on the track and in the Crunch Melee arenas—where you literally earn points for crushing rival cars—you gradually boost your truck’s powertrain and suspension. The result is a satisfying “zero to hero” arc, even without spoken dialogue or a dedicated storyline.

Where both games excel is in the abstract narrative of mechanical progression and competitive rivalry. Each new tier of events in Career Mode feels like unlocking a fresh chapter in your racing saga, with faster opponents, trickier course designs, and unlocked customization options. This silent story of grit, upgrades and racing glory keeps you engaged from start to finish.

Overall Experience

ATV: Thunder Ridge Riders / Monster Truck Mayhem offers solid value for fans of handheld off-road racing. The double-pack format ensures you get two complete experiences for the price of one, each with its own flavor—high-octane ATV thrills and crushing monster truck brawls. The straightforward controls and upgrade systems make both titles easy to pick up yet hard to put down as you chase that next win.

While the lack of a deep narrative or cutting-edge graphics might deter players seeking a cinematic adventure, the pure, arcade-style racing action remains engaging across multiple play sessions. The Career Modes in both components provide just enough progression to push you through unlocks and tougher challenges, and local multiplayer ramps up the fun when you’re competing against friends.

Ultimately, this double pack is a strong choice for DS owners craving quick-to-learn, hard-to-master racing gameplay. Whether you’re carving through muddy trails on an ATV or smashing rival vehicles in a monster truck arena, you’ll find addictive loops of racing, earning and upgrading that keep you coming back lap after lap.

Retro Replay Score

null/10