A good driving game – say, “Gran Turismo” or “Forza Motorsport” – should provide “in the zone” moments, and a good motorcycle game should be even more intense. Ever since 1985’s “Hang-On,” developers have been trying to simulate the rush you get from riding a real motorcycle, and at least one of the games reviewed here comes pretty close:
• MotoGP ’06 (THQ, for the Xbox 360, $59.99): If you’ve become expert at auto racing video games, “MotoGP” may take some getting used to. The big difference is that you can’t whip around sharp curves at high speeds; try it and your bike’s likely to fly out from under you. Likewise, bumping into an opponent – which can be essential in an auto racing game – is not easily forgiven here, and usually ends up with your rider sprawled on the side of the road. The learning curve is fairly steep, but a nice set of tutorials should get you on your way. And once you become fairly proficient, the races themselves are really satisfying. The graphics are vivid and the roaring motors sound highly realistic, providing a rousing sensation of death-defying speed. With 17 Grand Prix tracks, a robust career mode and a good variety of race types (including stunt races and skill-testing “challenge” events), there’s enough here to make even the surliest biker happy. Three stars out of four.
• Crusty Demons (SouthPeak Interactive, for the Xbox, $29.99): On the other end of the simulation spectrum is “Crusty Demons,” based on a real-life team of motorcycle daredevils. The Demons have sold their souls to Satan, and the only way to win them back is by performing bike tricks around the world. (Whatever.) You need to crash as spectacularly as possible to really entertain Satan, who judges you on such factors as post-crash hang time and length of blood trail. Most of the game takes place in “Grand Theft Auto”-style cities, where various characters are waiting to give you missions, like running down pimps or hurling yourself through windows. Even missions that should be easy, though, are marred by sloppy controls, and the races at the end of each level are exercises in frustration. “Crusty Demons” deserves credit for a fresh approach to racing, even while it earns demerits for trying too hard to be “ex-treme.” One-and-a-half stars.
-“MTX Mototrax” (Activision, for the PSP, $29.99): Somewhere in between “MotoGP” and “Crusty Demons” is “MTX Mototrax,” which mixes stunt biking and racing in equal measure. Some levels require that you pull off a variety of tricks to proceed, while others simply demand that you beat your opponents to the finish line. The bikes control nicely enough, and while the PSP can’t quite provide the rush of speed you might like from a racing game, the graphics are solid. “Mototrax” does offer a surprisingly deep career mode, letting you build a rider from scratch and build him up through a series of events, earning cash through contest winnings and sponsorships. It also includes a program called DirtWurx that lets you create your own track in about five minutes. Whether you want a long-term challenge or prefer to just play a few quick races, “Mototrax” is a worthwhile portable racing game. Two-and-a-half stars.
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On the Net:
-“MotoGP 06”: http://thq.com/
-“Crusty Demons”: http://www.southpeakgames.com/games/nagames.html
-“MTX Mototrax”: http://www.activision.com/
AP-ES-07-26-06 1102EDT
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