Asphalt 8 for Windows Phone and Windows 8: The best port ever!

Hello MNB Readers,

You may have heard that Asphalt 8 has been released for Windows Phone and Windows 8 today and that is correct. What you may not have heard is that Gameloft has ported the game perfectly to both operating systems from the original iOS game.

I kid you not, it is THE BEST port that I have ever seen!!! The graphics, the sound, the gameplay, high polygon car models, high-resolution textures, great background details and so forth. Why am I super excited at the quality of the port? It’s simple, this is a Nokia centric blog and I remember the kind of SLOPPY ports that Nokia fans are used to getting! I remember where we have come from: Asphalt 6 HD: Symbian^3 and Android graphical comparison.

“…..The textures are all low-res, there is pop-up, there are slowdowns in places, the look around controls in the garage are choppy, the in-game lighting is dramatically reduced.

The biggest offender is that HALF of the trackside detail is MISSING/LEFT OUT!!! So much so that I initially wanted a refund. Buildings, trees, boats, planes, fish, flags and whole sections of track detail has been REMOVED!

With half the details, no wonder it runs smoother than Asphalt 5. Even the in-race cars don’t have the same detail as they did at the car selection screen.

This is a sloppy effort. It seems that Gloft can’t code for Synbian^3 that well or just doesn’t want to invest in a proper port. Even the menus and colors are low res and watered down.”

Well dear readers, we do not have to suffer with watered down ports of big name games anymore. Gameloft has delivered! Asphalt 8 on Windows Phone looks, sounds and plays just as good as it does on iOS and Android. Mind you, I have been playing this game since August on my iPad 4, a powerful mobile gaming device, and I have been polygon and texture peeping the Windows Phone version and t is just as amazing looking! It is unbelievable. NONE of the problems listed in my quote above can be held against this port of Asphalt 8.

Let’s get to it: From the Windows Store description:

*****LEAVE GRAVITY IN THE DUST*****
The best arcade racing game series reaches a new turning point! Perform dynamic, high-speed aerial stunts in an intense driving experience powered by a brand-new physics engine!

LUXURY DREAM CARS
• 47 high-performance cars (80% of them NEW!)
• Top licensed manufacturers like Lamborghini & Ferrari
• Newly recorded high-fidelity car motor sounds for realistic audio immersion

GET AIRBORNE
• Hit the ramps and take the race above
• Perform barrel rolls and wild 360º jumps
• Maneuver through the air, pulling stunts while racing

NEW EXOTIC LOCATIONS
• Race in 9 different settings like Venice, Guiana & the Nevada Desert!
• Discover plenty of hidden shortcuts

NEW FEATURES FOR SPEED FREAKS
• 8 seasons & 180 events in Career mode
• A detailed damage system
• Check out the new Infected and Drift Gate game modes

SIMULTANEOUS MULTIPLAYER & GHOST CHALLENGES
• Simultaneous multiplayer action for up to 8 real opponents!
• Dare friends to asynchronous races
• New leaderboards

MUSIC TO REV YOUR SOUL
• A heart-thumping mix of amazing licensed music for your game
• Featuring real tracks from Bloc Party, Mutemath & The Crystal Method!

A game for fans of extreme arcade racing, with real dream cars and phenomenal graphics that will also please racing simulation enthusiasts.

Here are some in-game screenshots from my Lumia 1020.

Screenshots do not do the game justice…this game is the real deal and a showpiece for your Windows Phone. The game is a steal at $.99 and can be purchased in the Windows Phone Store via the link below. The Windows 8 version is even more amazing due to the resolution and frame rate being native to your monitor/computer. It also has full Xbox 360 controller support and it is simply stunning that such an amazing game can be bought for your computer for a mere $1.99!

Asphalt 8: Airborne – Windows Phone – Windows 8

Now, before anyone complains about paying for the game instead of it being free like it CURRENTLY is on iOS and Android, keep this in mind:

I posted this comment on WPCentral as A LOT of readers are complaining about all kinds of things:

Deaconclgi says:

…Asphalt 8 wasn’t free on iOS or Android to start with. The version that is free is functionally different from the paid version. The free version has game boosting IAPs that the paid version did not have. The WP version is the same initial release that was on iOS and Android and it does NOT include those IAPs just like the paid version for those platforms.

This isn’t a matter of the SAME GAME being free on other platforms, A8 free and A8 paid have different features.

If the WP version is indeed updated to be the same free version then expect the awesome IAPs and a free lunch. The A8 free IAPs, at least the 2x Credits for 24hours are worth it.

I have been playing A8 since it launched on the iPad and I promise you, there is more of a difference between the paid and free versions. I paid for A8 and when it became free, Gameloft gave me more free IAPs than it costed to buy the game in the first place AND more vehicles and tracks and events.

Really, it is $.99 that most people don’t have to pay upfront anyway as it is billed to their cellular provider and people still complain. Complain that big name games are not on Windows Phone. Complain when they cost $4. Complain when they cost .99 cents. Complain when they are free and have OPTIONAL IAPs. Complain because there are no Xbox achievements. Complain that the Xbox certification process takes too long. Complain that the apps take too long to be released. Complain of sloppy ports with low resolution textures and graphics. Complain when a high quality port that matches other OSes in graphics and features but the download file is near a GB or more…..just like on other OSes….complain complain complain….

Why should developers spend time and money developing for Windows phone or the Windows ecosystem again?

If you love racing games or even just love amazing graphics, sound and gameplay, by all means, download Asphalt 8: Airborne for Windows Phone or Windows 8. I bought the game on Windows Phone and Windows 8 and I even made a $1.99 IAP purchase to get all the class D cars. The Gameloft that we are dealing with now isn’t treating us like they did with Symbian ports. They have my full support! What are you waiting on?

Have you downloaded Asphalt 8 for your device or computer? Are you surprised at the quality of the port? Has the addition of high quality ports changed your or someone’s opinion of the Windows Phone ecosystem? With the addition Vine, Nokia Refocus and other big name apps, things are looking better than ever for Windows Phone users as developers are putting in some quality time with the platform.

As always, thank you for choosing MyNokiaBlog, enjoy the game!

Asphalt 8: Airborne – Windows Phone – Windows 8

Deaconclgi

Category: Nokia