"In the words of "Weird Al" Yankovic, "The toppings will go on..." and end up at your doorstep on time, too."

Before there was Crazy Taxi, some company out there with a small amount of talent and a lot of money (or maybe it was the opposite?) created a game called Radikal Bikers. Radikal? Radikal isn't the word, there's nothing "Radikal" about this game. There is fun hidden within this game though... you just have to find it.

Your first step requires $0.50 and an arcade that actually has this game. Surprisngly, more than one arcade where I live has this game, but just because we got it, doesn't mean you already have (or ever will) get it. Arcade owners base their purchases on what they see and like, or so I've been told. A very dumb strategy, they should buy what's popular. Then again, if they did this, they wouldn't have gotten Radikal Bikers...

Anyway, what's this game about? Pizza delivery! Intruiging, I know. RB actually has a lot more depth than its name. Much like Crazy Taxi, the controls are fast and responsive and wherever you go, there are a ton of cars, trucks and other highway hassles (including people!) blocking your way from making that delivery in time. Unlike Crazy Taxi, you're always on a pre-set path. You can't go where you wanna go. You don't have any control over the direction you're going in, because it's always forward. Maybe I'm wrong, but wouldn't it have been a lot more fun to pick up pizzas at various places, drive "wherever" you want, and then when you feel like, find the addresses of all the people that want their pizza and bring it to them? I know, it sounds like a new version of Crazy Taxi, but what do you expect? Ever since I first played that game I've wanted many more games just like it.

Back to the game we did get, linear tracks get boring after you've beaten them a couple of times, but before that happens, they're a load of fun. So... Radikal Bikers doesn't have very high replayability. More on that later, now let's delve deep into the gameplay system...

Gameplay: 8
Much like the cheap version of Harley Davidson & L.A. Riders, you don't get a seat with Radikal Bikers. You instead get a set of handle bars that move left and right, alowing you to turn sharp corners quickly (with practice). I don't know why, but the breaks are on the left handle bar in RB, and the right side in Harley. Weird, huh?

The gameplay itself is good, but almost too slow. Your opponent almost always seems to be one step ahead of you. You can get power ups that allow you to go faster, much like the many "kart" racing games have, but also like the kart games, the power ups never seem to do you much good, especially if your opponent(s) are way ahead of you.

Radikal Bikers only has one opponent at a time, which makes things a little easier, but it's still frustrating at times. As with Crazy Taxi, some of the best thrills in the game can be found when you're on racing on a crowded street (most are, but I mean REALLY crowded). Try zooming in and out of car's way, driving towards traffic if you can, and quickly move out of the way just before some angry truck driver rams into you, testing fate, so to speak. Whew, what a rush! That is, if you made it out alright...

Graphics: 7
Some of the backgrounds, vehicles and all, have a very "passé" look to them. They don't belong in this game. Or maybe it's the great looking backgrounds that don't belong here. I don't know, at certain points in Radikal Bikers (like when you enter a tunnel) the graphics are very Dreamcast-ish. Detailed textures, but nothing fully rendered. However, what really brings this game's graphics down, is that the quality of the picture itself --whether it's the monitor being used or weak development tools-- stinks. Why spend what appears to be a lot of time gone into this game to make it a great and entertaining experience, and then give it bland colors? Stupid mistake, if you ask me.

Story: 2
You're an evil gang of pizza delivery guys (and gals) on a mission to make it to the pizza delivery destination before your enemy does. Choose from one of two teams, both of which have a guy and a girl ready to race your cheese crust with extra toppings to someone's house in no time. I think this story (as well as the game itself) could have been a lot better if your mission "forced" you to use weapons on innocent pedestrians and other bikers as you drive by fast. Hahaha, I'd love to be able to throw the pizza at another biker and make him crash! Pure, sick and dirty fun.

Replayability: 4
Have a desire to play this game? Then obviously you've never beaten it, because once you have, you probably won't wanna go near Radikal Bikers anymore. More fun than listening to the "New Radicals," RB doesn't pack the longevity power that games like Crazy Taxi have.

Should I buy Radikal Bikers?: No.
It's not coming to any home systems as far as I know (maybe in Japan?), and without a replayability rate, this game just doesn't scream "play me" every single day for the rest of your life (or even for the next year or two). Arcade owners should make a lot of money off of this game if it's placed in an easy-to-spot area where a lot of racing fans go, keep that in mind though.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99