XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association

"Zoom zoom..."

I've been playing F-Zero GX for quite a while now. No, the word “playing” doesn't exactly say everything. To be perfectly honest, I was obsessed with it. All those flashy cars, the white-knuckle speed and incredible control, the pride of a job well done, everything about that game had me raving like a crazed fanboy…Until I got tired of the game. Putting the epic adventures of Captain Falcon aside, I reentered the market for another racing game. I saw countless copies of Need for Speed and Burnout lined up on the shelves, waiting for some rich gamer to come and give them a new home. But for some reason, the prospect of those realistic racing games didn't appeal to me. And when all hope was lost, XGRA came along and satisfied my yearning for a new futuristic racer.

It's the 23rd century. The world has moved on from the Fast and the Furious, Daytona, Midnight Clubs, and almost every other conventional racing style known to our society. In its place is the Extreme-G Racing Association, a sports league that enlists the top motorcycle drivers in the world and lets them race for glory and for money. That's right, the Extreme-G Racing Association. Just try saying that five times fast. Thankfully, the majority of this game abbreviates the cumbersome title into a much more manageable title: the XGRA. With plenty of sponsors to back you up, you've been contracted to compete in the XGRA's epic races that spans across the world and into space. It's up to you to make your sponsors proud and bring in the cash.

However, this isn't your typical bike race. You're driving the most technologically advanced vehicles in existence. Sure, the thing still has two wheels, brakes, and a headlight. But your racer also comes complete with built-in semi-automatics, mines, rockets, and particle cannons. Just imagine flying down the speedway at six hundred miles an hour, performing high-speed drive by shootings and leaving nothing but death and destruction in your wake. It seems that winning a race doesn't just revolve around being faster anymore. Not only must you maintain expert control of your bike, but you also have the power to turn your opponents into flaming hunks of scrap metal.

But you can't just go around and shoot everyone up; you still have a job to do! There's the given Time Trial Mode, but the real meat lies with the Career Mode. As you play through Career Mode, you're obligated to complete the contract that you've agreed to sign. However, the fine print of this contract hides some very specific rules and regulations for you to rake in your salary. Not only do you have to score highly in the race itself, but you also have to complete certain objectives in order for you to reap even more rewards. You can unlock new stages and bike parts for customizing. The objectives usually revolve around assassinating one of your rivals, shooting down billboards, beating staff ghosts, etc. While this adds more depth to the basic racing style, it still presents a fair amount of difficulty. You can spend the entire race trying to snipe that one motorcycle to complete your contract, then suddenly find yourself in last place. It's that balance of maintaining speed and completing your objectives that make this game so much more challenging.

However, the challenge doesn't just pertain to the race and the objectives. The game comes complete with a few irritating control and handling issues. When you're trying to take out an enemy, the tiny crosshairs drift over the various opponents, almost randomly selecting one bike and locking on. Sometimes you'll waste all of your ammunition just trying to get that one lucky hit that will send your rival burning. Also, your vehicle can be a considerable hassle. Your bike can max out going several hundred miles an hour, but it doesn't take to curving very well. Unlike the incredibly sharp turning found in many other racing games, the bikes here can barely make the transition without smacking sidelong into the guardrails. Also, the bike has a tendency to weave every now and then if you don't keep a firm grip on the control stick. And since the majority of these courses are long and fraught with sharp turns, you're going to have to endure plenty of aggravating practice sessions before you finally learn how make up for the lacking controls and memorize the more hazardous parts of the various courses.

And even though these courses are truly difficult to navigate, they are a still a wonder to behold. All of the racing courses are presented with a remarkable amount of realistic detail. Although the levels are not quite as crisp as some of the F-Zero GX courses, there is still a huge variety of massive courses for you to contend with. You'll be racing through wastelands, forests, cities, and just about anything that your typical futuristic racing game can throw at you. From the gritty streets of Scavenger City to the beautiful snowcaps of Vostok, all of your environments draw you in as you burn rubber down the track. All of the bikes are presented with a fair amount of detail, right down to the jet engines shining against the chrome shielding.

Also, the audio quality is superb. You can hear and almost feel the roar of those engines revving up and down the track. If you shoot one of your rivals, they'll usually curse at you in perfect English and fire back. Also, there's a quirky little announcer that gives you a preview and history of each track that you're playing. But the truly great thing about the game is the soundtrack. When you start up in Career Mode, you're given the choice to either have rock or dance music mixes blaring through the background. It's the blend of great graphics, an excellent audio music mix, and the pure rush of high-speed racing that makes for a great presentation.

But in the end, what will become of XGRA? It's got a solid career mode with plenty of unlockables. It's got a nice variety of large and detailed stages. And its graphics rival those of F-Zero GX and some of the finer Gamecube games. Sure, there is a fair amount of difficulty and control problems, but is there anything worth hating about this game? No, not really. The sad truth is that this little gem will always be overshadowed by the more popular mainstream titles that grace the Gamecube. It's a shame that there are few who know of this game, let alone the series that stems back to the previous generation of consoles. But if you're in need of some alternative to the big name racing titles out there, give XGRA a shot. Chances are, you won't be disappointed.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/02/04