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Game: MX Dirt Rebel
Distributor: Tiger Electronics
Release Date: 2005
Genre: Racing
...I don't really have an intro for this one. It's a racing game based on the Motocross motorcycle sport. ...That's the long and short of it. It's not based on an actual franchise, license, or event, so I can't give a short history/overview of it, and it's not something that's played a part in my life, so I can't relay any anecdotes about the sport. ...In fact, I don't know how much I can say about the game itself, so this might end up one of the shorter entries I've featured here. ...I guess I'll just skip to the overview of the console and packaging.
I actually have the box for this one! ...Not new in box, of course, but, considering the uncommonness of Plug n Play games nowadays, and the fact that ANY game packaging is usually thrown out on the first day of purchase, I consider having a game in ANY quality of packaging a small victory! ...Though my shelf space may beg to differ...
The title of the game is on the left side of the box, right under a stock image of a motorcyclist they ran through a Posterize or Threshold filter. ...And, as with a lot of other things that use this stupid title juxtaposition, one of the immediate questions about this game is "Is it called 'Dirt Rebel MX' or 'MX Dirt Rebel'?" While I have seen it listed under both names, I believe I can say, with 99% surety, that it's "MX Dirt Rebel".
Because that's how it's said in the official toy commercial. Yes, this is an instance where they actually advertised a Plug n Play game on TV! Because of their reputation as budget consoles, this was very uncommon, even when Plug n Play games were at their peak.
I watched a lot of Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon back in the mid-2000s, and the only games I remember seeing a commercial for on TV were Mission Paintball, Etch-a-Sketch's Eto(which I can't find an ad for), and a Wii Sports knockoff I don't remember the name of and I also can't find the commercial for(possibly Triple Header Sports or Ultimotion.) ...You know. Only the cream of the crop of Plug n Play games! No wonder this niche eventually went bust...
"Turn Your TV Into A Motocross Circuit!" Not over my 44" 4K TV, I'm not!
We get the standard stock photo of a kid pretending to play the game, while a screenshot of the game is superimposed over a generic TV image. ...I'm just imagining what's going through this kid's head right now, standing in front of a green screen with nothing actually in front of him. Is it "WHOA! I'm the model for the game's box! The kids on the playground are going to be SOOOO jealous!" Or "OH BOY! I can't wait to play this game! It'll be just like riding a motorcycle!" ...Or most likely "Did they take the picture yet? This pose is killing me! Hope I can get home before Justice League Unlimited starts..."
Also, the game's not even plugged in. In fact, that TV looks too old for AV In. Don't tell the kid that, though. One of the worst things you can do to a kid that age is smash his fantasy world...
"Simulate The Tricks, Turns, Stunts and Jumps Of Motocross Racing!" If by "simulate", you mean "press a few buttons and move the controller in a way that has nothing to do with how these actions are performed in real racing..." Seriously, if you emulate how you play this game on an actual motorcycle, you're dead before the end of the first lap! ...If they don't cart you off before the race starts because they think there's something horribly wrong with you...
This is one of those windowed boxes, so you know that you're getting what's advertised. ...And not a box full of rocks, lizard tails, and greasy lugnuts...
"CRANK Open The Throttle!" ...Why is "CRANK" in all caps? Usually, an entirely capitalized word is for a feature or action they want to emphasize, like "Rev it up and DRIVE!" ...Or maybe it's a subtle hint to the quality of the game? ...Either that, or the box designer didn't think too highly of his boss...
The back shows a wider shot of kids playing the game, plus some other blurbs and screenshots they're overhyping to get you to buy this thing instead of God of War. ...Though if it talked you out of buying Driv3r, it did help you dodge a bullet!
We have two completely different kids reacting to the game in a similar manner to the kid on the front. ...And what is up with the kid on the right?! The kid actually holding the console is fine(though overestimating the excitement you'll get from the game), but the other kid is on his knees, clawing at the screen and yelling! ...Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Bruce Willis, Dolph Lundgren, Steve Austin, and Jet Li all taking on God himself while Aerosmith and Van Halen are in the background both shredding the greatest metal song of all time and it's all taking place in space with shark-shaped nuclear explosions all around them wouldn't elicit that kind of excitement! ...Though it would come close!
Or maybe he just witnessed his sister sucked into Pleasantville, and he doesn't want her to have to act alongside Tobey Maguire...*
*I also had a Twilight Zone: The Movie joke lined up, but I couldn't find a good quality screenshot or clip. I guess we could argue both movies are equally horrific...
"High Speed Thrills! ...Right On Your Own TV!" ...Unless you're playing this at a friend's house, then it's not exactly "your" TV, is it?
According to the big blurb, you'll "experience what it's really like to be in control of a dirt bike" and "work your way up the ranks to become a Supercross star!" ...Wrong and wrong. Like I said, controlling this is absolutely nothing like riding an actual motorcycle, and no semblance of career progression exists in this game. Almost like the designer didn't actually see the game and was just told what to put on there to attract buyers...
I don't have anything to remark on with the bullet points underneath the blurb. ...Though you kind of need to insert fresh batteries and change the channel to AV or AUX before you can race, so the console isn't a miracle box that just starts up without power and switches whenever it's plugged into to the right channel, as it suggests here. ...But you knew that, already...
The side gives a bunch of screenshots of the game, as well as captions that say "Customize Your Bike", "Perform Cool Stunts", "Race Multiple Terrains", and "Crank It Open!" Again, I don't have any complaints. ...Though the "Customize Your Bike" part suggests more than the game offers...
One final thing is that this is another box that tells us "TV Not Included." If you actually think a TV is included with these things and you complain to the manufacturer if one surprisingly isn't, please do the rest of humanity a favor and stop breathing... Return the item to the store first, though, or at least donate it to your local Salvation Army. I want as much chance as possible it'll eventually end up in my collection.
Once we take it out of the box, we get a full view of the console itself. Against a high-quality picture of a dirt background, so it already has that going for it.
The console is built like a set of standard motorcycle handles. A handlebar on either side, with the brakes right above. And, unfortunately, the handles are hard plastic and not rubber, which means a LOT of pain when playing this game, but we'll get to that in a second.
The rest of the buttons are laid out on the bottom. Instead of turning the handle to accelerate, you press the switch on the far right. Considering how you're supposed to hold this, the button makes it MUCH easier to control than if you did have to twist the handle. ...But not by much...
There's also the power switch on the right and a Pause button, which is located right under the left-hand handle. ...And can cause a lot of trouble when playing this console, but, again, we'll get to that...
Batteries are inserted under the back of the handles where, like with most Plug n Play games, you need to unscrew the covers to insert them. Thankfully, they're standard "AA" batteries, and we're spared having to remember what a "C" battery even is!
But, like Play TV Monster Truck, this console is another rare example that allows you to plug a cord directly into it, bypassing the need for batteries at all! ...However, you're better off using batteries. Trust me, you do NOT want an additional cord flapping around while you're playing!
The console also comes with these detachable handle guards, which are nearly impossible to find on an unboxed version of this game. ...However, they don't seem to serve a purpose, other than making the console seem one-hundredth more like an actual motorcycle, so if you've bought a used copy without these intact, as I originally did before I found the boxed version, no great loss.
One final thing to mention is this stand you can place the console in when not in use. ...That's its only purpose, to store the game when you're not playing it. It doesn't add anything onto the games, nor can you play the game when it's positioned like this.
But at least it looks like a motorcycle speeding towards you when placed on top of the TV! ...And, considering how thin most TVs are today, it's probably just as lethal if you decide to put it up there...
Instead of our usual Jakks Pacific, Radica, or Techno Source distributors, this game comes to us from Tiger Electronics and Hasbro.
Anyone who grew up in the 90s knows of the fame and infamy of Tiger Toys/Tiger Electronics. A HUGE number of toys and franchises that continue today owe their existence to this marketing and manufacturing monster! Furby, TalkBoy, Teddy Ruxpin, Skip-It, Lazer Tag, Robo-Chi, FurReal, BrainWarp, I-Dog, Giga Pets, HitClips, VideoNow, and an ENORMOUS amount of Star Wars and Pokemon merchandise all either originated or ended up in ownership of Tiger Electronics through its nearly 35-year lifespan! At the time, it seemed like nearly every other toy was thanks to the Tiger!
Nowadays, they're most infamous for their line of handheld electronic games. Sure, they produced sports games and licensed games for Wheel of Fortune, Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, Family Feud, Jeopardy, and a few other game shows that made sense ported to an electronic handheld or tabletop.
But the games they're most known for are conversions of various movies, TV shows, and even other video games. Movies like Aladdin, Goldeneye, The Little Mermaid, Jurassic Park, and 101 Dalmatians, shows like Star Trek, Dinosaurs, Full House, Simpsons, and Batman The Animated Series, and games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man, Ninja Gaiden, Paperboy, and Crash Bandicoot all ended up displayed on a cheap mono LCD screen! These games are infamous for their repetitive, oversimplified, and sometimes even broken gameplay, yet they still managed to succeed in a market dominated by Nintendo and Sega by being a cheap alternative to a Game Boy/Game Gear. Instead of spending $100 on a handheld system you then need to buy $30 cartridges for, your parents could just get one of these electronic demakes for $20, and pray that you couldn't tell the difference. ...Which, let's be honest, we all did...
Still, if you held onto your games and didn't immediately toss them, you could be raking in some serious cash on eBay nowadays!
They're also infamous for their attempts at handheld cartridge-based consoles with the Game.com and the R-Zone. ...But the less said about those wastes of plastic, the better...
Tiger was acquired by Hasbro in 1998, hence their presence on the logo screen, who used the Tiger name for over a decade, before finally retiring it in 2012. That Tiger outlived most other tigers!
Before closing their doors, Tiger Electronics also produced a small number of Plug n Play games(similarly to Milton Bradley, who was also acquired by Hasbro.) Besides the game we're looking at today, they also produced Giga Pet Explorer, Lord Of The Rings: Warrior of Middle Earth, Star Wars Lightsaber Battle, U-Dance, Lazer Tag, the above mentioned Mission Paintball series, and the Designer's World and Dream Life series. Possibly more, but information, as with most Plug n Play games, is scant. ...Won't stop me from buying them all, though!
This game also has a surprise returning guest from another Plug n Play game we've already featured. It was produced with Xavix Technology from SSD Company Limited, who also helped present us with the Play TV Monster Truck we saw last year. Not enough has changed since then to warrant another in-depth look at the company(besides that they're no longer selling their console or accessories on their website), so let's move on.
Once you've navigated away from the main title screen, which uses the exact same motorcyclist featured on the box, you're given the option to create or continue your career. In case you're the kind who doesn't finish one of these games in one sitting. As I am! ...Usually...
This game includes two separate careers to choose from: Race and Stunt Challenge. Both play identically, just with different goals, so you're not actually getting two different games on this console. More variety than Bikini Bottom 500 or Cars 2, at least. ...Arguably...
Since I hate stunt challenges in other games, I went with the Race mode first. It's comprised of 8 different courses, but you need to complete each one in 3rd or higher to unlock the next, so no party play any time soon. ...If this game had multiplayer...
Once you choose a race course, or just start from the beginning, you're ready to race! Mount your cycle, rev the engine, and... Learn how to control the bike.
Just like Bikini Bottom 500, the console is motion controlled. Tilting right turns the bike right, tilting it left turns left, basic stuff. I'm impressed that Tiger released a racing console that reacts to motion input, and a good 4 years before Jakks Pacific's attempt! ...However, it's actually harder to control than the Spongebob game!
I can't quite tell what method the console uses to sense motion, but, from the rattling inside, I'm guessing ball bearings, and anyone who's played something using this outdated method knows how finicky it can be! ANY motion sets the console off! As long as something happens to get a ball bearing rolling, the racer will try to move in that direction!
This gets especially bad on the hills. When in the air, you can perform tricks by moving the controller in certain patterns, showing off what Johnny Blaze probably does as a warmup before his show. In Race mode, it's pointless, but it does get the crowd cheering when you show your rad skillz(and it keeps the gameplay video from getting monotonous.)
However, because the motion controls are so sensitive, you can end up performing tricks just by trying to steer your racer! Once you start a trick, you can't cancel it, and if you hit the ground before it's finished, you'll crash and waste valuable time! And believe me. You WILL crash
And crash
And crash
And crash
AND CRASH!
Unless you keep the console perfectly level and make PRECISE turns, returning the console to a level position after each turn, you'll swerve all over the road and pull off tricks late in your jump, leading to constant crashes! ...And if it's hard enough for me, a seasoned gamer who has to master a new and broken control scheme every time I play a Plug n Play or pirate game, then how is the game's demographic of nine-year-old sugar-crazy boys supposed to fare?!
You can also crash if you land on top of a hill after a jump, or if you lean too far in the other direction while going around a turn. These, I can at least understand, and, once you know what you're doing, you can avoid these slight hazards. ...It's the hills that will give you trouble. The hills are alive with the sound of mangled metal...
Crashing into other racers doesn't do a thing, though. I guess this "realistic" game works on Mario Kart physics...
If the oversensitive controls weren't enough, the console is also fairly cumbersome to use. You hold both handles in your hands, while one thumb pushes the green Accelerate button, and you need to tilt the console up and down, side-to-side, to steer and pull off tricks. You never feel like you have a firm grip on it, and you're constantly adjusting it to find that level position. Also, once you put batteries in, it gets a little heavy. Bikini Bottom 500 was easy to hold onto since it was small and in a wheel shape you could hold close to the body. This, however, gives you the most realistic simulation of the game. The experience of holding weighted handlebars in front of your chest...
It gets even more awkward with the brakes! You're already holding onto the console for dear life, so if you want to use the brakes, you need to carefully take two fingers and wrap them around the brake handle without letting go of the controller. Either that, or just have a hook hand for the entire play, which can really do a number on the tendons... Of course, I say all this, but I can guarantee that you'll NEVER need the brakes in this game! If you know when to let go of the acceleration, you'll forget this game even HAS brakes!
The placement of the buttons also presents the game's greatest (nonfatal)annoyance. While steering and performing tricks, it's VERY easy to brush up against the Pause button, which is located right under the left handlebar, where my wrist usually was! I even ended up exiting the game a couple times, because I accidentally paused while I was steering and I hit the "Retire" option! Why does the Pause button need to be under a handlebar to begin with? Wouldn't it be better to put it in the middle of the console, like, I dunno, EVERY CONTROLLER EVER?! Imagine if they put an "Off" switch right under the handlebar of an ACTUAL motorcycle, and you had to stop the cycle and turn the keys again. That should give you an idea of how annoying and pointless this is!
So now that I've gone into detail about how painful this game is to play, how exactly DO you play it? Just like every other Plug n Play racing game we've seen, you start in last place, then have to work your way up to first before you cross the finish line. Once again, it's less of a race and more a game of keep-up.
I will give it credit, however, that it's not as mind-numbingly easy as those other games. You're SIXTEEN places behind, and all the other racers are FAST! Not as unfairly fast as Play TV Monster Truck, but it'll still take a while to catch up to and pass them, and, even at your fastest speed, you're likely not to pass the lead until the final lap!
Of course, that's considering you manage not to crash enough times to catch up to the lead racer! ...Keep that console level, people...
I was actually surprised at how difficult this game was the first time I played! Even on the first course, I could only get 2nd place!
And by the fourth course, I couldn't get past 7th, in a game where I needed to be in the Top 3 to advance. This was an actual, surprisingly refreshing surprise! FINALLY, a Plug n Play game where I had to use my racing skills and timing to win! It's not dumbed down for younger players; there's a good amount of skill and strategy needed to avoid the other racers, steer around the tight turns, and avoid crashing even once to finally, FINALLY pass the other racers and finish first! This was the racing game to tower above all other Plug n Play racing games, and one that would give me a fair, rewarding challenge!
...Until I discovered the Customize center... As with most modern racing games, this is where you buy parts with money you earned from races to customize and upgrade your vehicle, giving it different traction, speed, handling, and cosmetic features. If you've ever played Need for Speed or Star Wars Episode I: Racer, you know the deal.
However, this game's customization option is severely simplified. Newer engines mean faster speed, better shocks mean less turbulence when landing from a jump, different tires allow for better handling, it's as basic as it gets. So instead of the mix-and-match strategy most other racing games require to succeed on different courses, you just buy the best parts and you're invincible!
I've never understood in games like this where everything's available at the start why they bother to give you different options for your vehicle or character. If better weapons/armor/vehicle parts mean an upgrade to the character/vehicle, with no downsides other than maybe losing special attributes the previous item had, of course I'm going to grind to earn enough for the top option! Why even glance at the 250cc, when the 450cc is there for the taking?!
So that's what I did. I went to the first course and replayed it over and over until I had enough to purchase the add-ons. The amount of money you get is always the same($2000 for 1st, $1000 for 2nd, $600 for 3rd), and there's no penalty for replaying previous courses, so you can earn every cent you need to buy all top upgrades within 30 minutes!
And once you do, the game becomes unfairly easy. With a fully-upgraded motor, you'll speed so fast past the other racers, you could post a Facebook update showing you winning the race a WEEK before the race! The other racers have NO chance, and you'll leave them in your dust and never see them again! As long as you have a handle on the handles, the other racers have NO chance, and you'll leave them in your dust and never see them again! ...Until you lap them on your way to the finish!
The ONLY thing you'll need to remember to do between races is switch between tires. Some courses have Hard terrain, some have Soft, so you'll need to change tires to have the correct amount of traction for the race.
Of course, the track specifies what terrain it has, so the only way you're going to avoid changing tires before the race is if you've been distracted by an elephant falling out of a supersonic jet and slamming right in front of your house with such force, you can dangle a rope down the crater and pull up fortune cookies! ...Or if you're just mindlessly pushing the accelerate button because you're bored...
The racers do get faster with each race, to the point where Course 8 is practically neck-and-neck, but just keep your finger on the Accelerate button, pick the right tires, and avoid performing too many tricks on the hills, and you're home free!
And once you've completed Course 8, CONGRATULATIONS! You are now the King/Queen/President of Motocross! If you act quickly, maybe you can license your name for a Nintendo Switch eShop-exclusive game that'll get an average of 28/100 from Metacritic! Also, Celebrity Big Brother is holding a casting call!
However, despite all my upgrades, all my diligence, and all my l33t pro skillz, there still exists one person in this world who is superior to me. The almighty Kate, presumably the previous owner of this console, and the grand high champion, whose scores I could not beat no matter what. Kate, whoever and wherever you are, I admit defeat and bow before your awesomeness!
So with the race over, that leaves the second and final mode on this game: Stunt Challenge. What exciting new features does this mode implement?!
They're the exact same tracks with the same layouts and hazards... The only major difference is that there are no other racers to compete against. ...So the only part you could get any sort of fun out of is gone...
As with the Race, you pull off tricks by swinging the console in a certain direction(s) whenever you launch off a hill. Only this time, you score points for every trick you perform, as well as how many you pull off while still in the air. Get enough, and get to the end before time runs out, and you pass!
However, don't get too greedy during these jumps. Again, if you hit the ground before the final frame of a trick has passed, you'll crash, lose all points you accumulated during the jump, and waste time. Be very careful when you start the tricks, or all that effort will be completely wasted. ...Also, once again, KEEP THE CONTROLLER PERFECTLY STILL WHEN YOU'RE DONE! Unless you like the game thinking you're trying to pull off a trick when you're an inch from the ground...
I hate these stunt challenges in games. Driver, Grand Theft Auto, most stunt racing games, all have some section where you need to pull off all these tricks in an allotted time in order to either progress or meet some other goal. They're SO time consuming, so confusing, and you never use these moves in the rest of the game! Luckily, the moves are contained in the manual, which, since one wasn't included with the box, I managed to find online. ...But it turns out I had no reason to fear anyway...
Since the controller will respond to any kind of movement, all you need to do is shake the controller when airborne and the game will automatically perform tricks! I LITERALLY beat this entire section just by randomly flailing the controls around whenever I launched off a hill! I performed tricks the manual warned would be difficult, and found the secret moves just by tossing the console in a random direction! There are no bonuses or penalties to using the same moves during a combo, so as long as you land successfully, you're golden!
You don't even have to worry about the time limit! Evey time you pull off a string of tricks, a generous amount of seconds are added to the clock, so as long as you pull off enough tricks and avoid crashing, you'll have PLENTY of time to make it to the end! In fact, the challenge here should be how many tricks you can pull off WITHOUT adding time to the timer! We live in a world where gamers impose the most strenuous, insane challenges upon themselves once they've played a game a trillion times, so take that one on!
They DO try to make this mode more challenging by starting off with the same standard bike you had before purchasing upgrades, so you can't immediately start leaping half a mile into the air and running each lap before you finish inhaling. Fair enough; they want the game to last longer and give players a fresh start to both modes to keep things from being too monotonous. I can see what they were aiming for.
However, the MONEY from one mode carries over, meaning you just need to complete one of the race tracks a few more times to once again fully upgrade your bike! You'll have both bikes fully upgraded within an hour, and there's nothing else to do but ride it out!
And try on new outfits. I think I look good in spring blue, don't you?
And that's it. Wiggle the console around, don't crash, and get through all 8 Stunt Challenge tracks. I could literally beat this mode with my eyes closed! The only thing to stop you is the intense shoulder pain you're going to get shaking the console around for nearly an hour!
They don't even bother with a new end sequence! The only thing that changes is what outfit you'e wearing at the ceremony! ...I look more fashionable here than at the end of the Race mode, though!
And that was MX Dirt Rebel.
...I'd rather be sidehacking.
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Design: The console's in the shape of the front of a standard set of motorcycle handlebars, and despite how cheap and plastic it looks, it's pretty impressive how much detail they went into. There are grooves in the handles to suggest they're made of rubber, the brakes work the same as a motorcycle, there are fake screws and rivets all over the controller, and even the guards, though you're better off without them, are an interesting addition. It also comes with the addition of a console holder, which looks like the front end of a motorcycle It's interesting that they went to such lengths to include accessories that add to the cosmetics, but are otherwise unnecessary. I'd definitely notice this in stores, and want to know what it is. ...And where the back end went.
Controls: I should be loving these controls. I'm always impressed when a game like this attempts a new control scheme other than the standard joystick or control pad. The fact that this is one of the first Plug n Play games to implement motion control, and was made before the Wii came along and EVERYONE wanted to include motion control, is also very impressive, and shows a bit of innovation. ...But they're TOO sensitive! One degree in ANY direction either sends you veering off to the left or right, or causes you to perform tricks you don't want to do! In order to have any chance at playing this game, you need to find what angle the console's most level in and keep it there, suspended in midair! The brakes are placed awkwardly, given how you're supposed to hold the console, but you never use them, so I can't get too mad. However, the Pause button that's hidden underneath the left handlebar is INFURIATINGLY annoying! Nearly every race, my wrist would hit it and interrupt the action for a few seconds, and sometimes, it would cause me to accidentally leave the race and have to start all over! So close, Tiger Electronics. So close, and yet so far...
Graphics: I mentioned that this was developed with the same technology that Play TV Monster Truck was made with, and this game definitely has a similar look to that one. It's very "Genesis", with browns, blacks, and greens making up most of the color palette, and whatever bright colors they did include made more muted than most other games we've seen. Also in keeping with the Genesis theme, the graphics are more realistic and edgy, as opposed to soft and cartoony, with most of the backgrounds and elements looking like they're from live-action footage and snapshots that have been scanned in and compressed to fit the game's tiny memory. Trees look like trees, cliffs look like cliffs, the sky looks like the sky, it all looks down to earth yet EXTREME, as the Genesis liked to give us. As with the previous into-the-screen racing games we've looked at on this blog, I have to give credit to how good they made scrolling terrain look with the limits of 16-bitish hardware. In fact, the scrolling is possibly the best we've seen yet! The road is clearly a computer-generated object, giving the game an interesting third-person 3D perspective as we follow the track around. It looks much more like a physical object than the drawn roads we've seen before. Also, because the road is an actual shape, they can raise and lower sections to add hills and drops, which look much more natural with this method than the 2D slopes and ramps most other 16-bit games use! I'm legitimately impressed with how well they blend a 3D road with 2D graphics! Speaking of which, the 2D sprites are very well detailed and animated. I can tell that I'm controlling a and avoiding other Motocross racers, and the amount you can make out from his bike and uniform is impressive. There's a high amount of frames in the turning, crashing, and trick animations, and we get some impressive 3D views from them! If I had to complain, the tracks are quite barren. No buildings, no animals, no crowd watching, not even any foliage! It's all either dirt, sand, snow, or tarmac, leading into a distance shot that you'll never get any closer to. The tracks need a bit more creativity to stand out and avoid being too monotonous, which, seeing as how these are 5-minute races, they can easily become. Overall, the graphics look great, I just wish there were more of them.
Music & Sound: In keeping with the Genesis theme, the music is hard-rock based, instead of the synthesized bands and orchestras most other games we've seen have. There's nothing cute or grand about this soundtrack; the guitars and drums will be blaring their shreds and jams in your ears all throughout the game! And while I can't really remember any of the music, it does set the tone perfectly, and keeps the energy going through each of the game's courses(which is probably the only way you'll get through the monotony of the bland races...) The sounds they use are varied and sound great! Every action that should have a sound, has a sound. The sound of the motorcycle, the sound of the tires on gravel, the sound of the tires meeting the ground after a jump, the sound of the crowd cheering when you pull off a trick, the sound of a crash when you hit the ground in the middle of a trick, they're all here, and they all play when they need to! I can't tell if they're stock sounds or recorded specifically for this game, but I'm glad they went with more realistic noises than the stock sound bank most other games go for. ...However, there are some stock *dings* and *whooshes* and such, usually when you select something or text appears, and they're distractingly out of place(especially since they give me 16-bit pirate console flashbacks...) Overall, the soundtrack and most of the sound effects sound great and perfect for the 90s! ...Too bad it was made in 2005...
Gameplay: It's a standard racing game we've grown to expect from these Plug n Play consoles. Instead of an actual race against a variety of computer-controlled opponents, you're stuck in last place and have to fly by over a dozen racers identical in both look and behavior. The tracks are all similar, though the amount of hills increases further into the game, and the racers get faster in later levels, but not smarter. In fact, the game is even more bare-bones than previous racing games we've seen, since there are no powerups, speed boosts, or bonus levels to be found! The only thing it has going for it are the tricks you can pull when you leap off a hill. But even that's botched because of how easy it is to perform these tricks, and how easily they're set off just by slightly moving the controller! Plus they're completely pointless during the Race segments, and mind-numbingly easy during the Stunt Challenge. How fun would it have been if the tricks actually did something, like fill up a meter that would give you a speed boost once you've pulled off enough stunts? Even in this game's more "realistic" environment, that would still fit! This game is about a bare-bones as you can get with a racing game without going into Atari 2600 territory, and the stunt challenge is WAAAAAYYYY too easy! I appreciate the slight difficulty curve as you go, but with how easy it is to complete everything once you have the controls mastered, it still amounts to a game on cruise control.
Replay Value: The game keeps saves, so you could go back and try to beat your own or a friend's high scores. However, with how boring the tracks are, and the complete lack of multiplayer, I don't know why you'd want to.
Overall:
It's a super-generic racing game, with a score raised slightly by its graphics, the stunt challenge, and the motion controls. It looks nice, and the stunts you pull off in the game could have been fun, but it doesn't control well, and once you finally DO get the controls down, the game experience is mediocre at best. I can't even think of a reason to recommend it, as there are many, MANY racing games out there that tackle the genre 100x better, and are much more exciting and fleshed-out than this game. The only reason I can think of why you'd want this is if you don't let your kids have a console or smartphone, but you still want to give them a video game to play with. In which case, this console will probably provide a few hours of entertainment, until they either get bored with how easy it is, or frustrated with how hard it is, depending on their skill level. Besides that scenario, this is a game with very low entertainment potential, and you'd be better off watching actual Motocross racing. ...Heck, even NASCAR's more exciting than this...
