"A fun, abiet short motorcycle racing game."

Motorcycle games are fun to play as long as you’ve got plenty of challenge and something to look at that keeps you in the game. 500cc GP gives you both of those things, though the questionable game play leaves something to be desired when you boil the game down. Featuring three different riders and a couple of cool tracks, you may find that the 500cc GP game is just up your alley until you find another motorcycle game that surpasses what this one has to offer.

-The Game Play-

500cc GP starts out with you having to select one of three different riders, all of which have the same attributes and abilities. You won’t be using weapons, or kicking your opponents off the bike, but rather getting from one end of the track to the other within the allotted amount of time. The computer can either be exceptionally difficult or very easy depending on who you choose as your rider, but keep in mind that correct riding lines and speed at the right spots will almost always guarantee you a first place victory. Aside from that, there really isn’t much to the game play, with a lack of weather effects and even track variation!

The game play of the tracks also focuses on reality, in which the tracks themselves are actually recreated from real-world racing locations. If you’re a fan of the sport bike races, then you’ll recognize the three available tracks as well as the three available teams that you can race as. Though selecting any of the teams really doesn’t make a difference, the selection of the track is what will determine whether you have a smooth ride, or a tough time from start to finish. Adjustable difficulty in other words, makes for some needed skill in order to conquer the harder tracks.

Control is pretty simple to work with as long as you can get into the mode of working with the three-quarter-scale bike that you sit on during the races. As with most bike racing games, all you have to do is lean into the curves and apply the brake or the accelerator as necessary. Most of the time, there shouldn’t be a problem getting the bike to go where you need it to go, as the bike seat isn’t that hard to work with. However, unless you learn just where to lean and where not to lean, you may find yourself off the racetrack and struggling to get back on the asphalt!

-The Visuals-

Visually, 500cc GP has everything that you would be looking for in a motorcycle racing game, from the clouds up above to the shadows that are cast down on the pavement from the sun. Though the game really doesn’t have much in terms of special effects, the matching of your rider to what you do with the bike control is pretty impressive. Smaller effects such as the scrolling of the background while going around turns and otherwise makes the game a pleasure to watch. However, there is room for improvement, as some of the more intricate parts of the game seem to have lacking detail {i.e. brake lights}.

-The Audio-

The background music that you hear is pretty impressive, with plenty of high-rolling scores to accompany you through the tracks. However, you’ll find that what you hear in that respect is minimal because the game focuses mainly on the sound effects to back up what you’re playing. The sound effects themselves are impressive to say the least, with the hum of your motorcycle being faithfully reproduced with the low to high pitches that you would commonly associate with racing an actual street bike like this. Other various sound effects are minimal though, with the passing of bikes being dominant only in certain points of the race!

-The Verdict-

500cc GP is a great motorcycle racing game from Namco, and for those who love the thrill of riding a sport/street bike like these. While the game does have a couple of minor flaws, most of what you’ll find here in all of the aspect, including visuals, audio, and control is above average. The only problem that I could honestly find with this game is that there are a limited number of tracks and that the computer is unforgiving if you make a simple mistake. Worth a couple of bucks if you’re a racing fan, 500cc GP should be a part of your arcade experience when looking for something different than the standard car racing.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/06/02, Updated 08/06/02