Silkolene Honda Motocross GP

Written by James Smith

Screen shots by James Smith

 

Hi all fellow gamers! Back again with another cycle game. I know the thrill one can get from motocross riding as I owned a 400 Trails at one time and just loved it every time it would throw my ass to the ground.

This game was developed in association with the RWJ SILKOLENE HONDA GRAND PRIX MOTOCROSS team, so expect to experience all the thrills and spills of motocross competition. The bike, the dangers, the challenge and the obstacles are all re-created in perfect detail.

You have three bike types to choose from (125cc, 250cc and 500cc) each with accurately modeled handling characteristics.

For the newbee I suggest starting out with the 125cc as it handles the best and wipeouts are less likely to happen during hang time and corners. Once you are brave enough to tackle the 500cc be prepared for chills and spills. As in real life, too much throttle and the front end heads north causing steering loss and we all know what's next when that happens. Also remember the corners, the heavier the machine the easier to lay the puppy down.

This game offers twelve international motocross circuits, from outdoor to stadium races. Try the USA indoor track, it's a blast. With each track you are offered a wide variety of competition, so it is fun just to try out each one in single race mode. You are offered a good control of bike setup including tire compounds, gear ratios, suspension setup, brake types, ride heights and much more. These offers make it a great racing game because the control of each of these setups can make or break the race. Learning each track and weather conditions for each race make it a challenge to setup your bike properly to get the maximum speed and steering control so you don't get tired of picking your ass off the ground. The simulated weather conditions, sun, rain and fog are a nice touch as we all know Mother Nature does not like the sunshine all the time. Try each condition as the graphics are great and will affect your driving abilities.

This game has advanced hardware support, including 3D audio, force feedback and 3D hardware acceleration. I did not get to try force feedback as I am too poor to afford a controller (hope to get in near future), but the 3D audio is great from the roar of the crowd to the announcers voice and the bike sounds are all a pleasure to the ears. Network play is also supported for IPX, TCP/IP, serial, modem and LAN network.

To make this game even better, rider animation's were created from motion capture for maximum realism. This adds a lot for your eyes to enjoy. They also used fuzzy logic AI for the computer controlled riders so you won't feel so bad, as you are not the only one who seems to lay down the bike all the time. The usual camera angles are offered including TV director style control or replays, for watching how sorry your ass looks sliding down the track.

Two player split screen mode with up to eight players via network or modem play is also available but make sure you get lots of practice on your own before joining multiplay. Full support for 3D hardware accelerated video cards (3DFX, 3DFX SLI, Direct 3D) are also offered. A souped up 3D card is a must to enjoy all the views in their glory, but can run in directx software mode. A powerful 3D engine with gourd shade and realtime riders shadows makes the eye candy for this game excellent. The use of skin and motion blending technology is superb and cuts down on that rider and bike morph.

Single race, practice, qualify, race and championship modes are offered so there is something for all riders, pro or beginner.

Final thoughts are that this game is worth buying if you are a motocross fan as it will involve you in the championships and keep your precious gaming time involved with it. For non fans, try a friends copy first or check out at a local game store to see if you would like it. If so enjoy the bumps and butt slides.

Until next review, keep on gaming!

James Smith