Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2

"The heir apparent to the BMX throne"

To be dead honest, the first Matt Hoffman's Pro BMX wasn't all that impressive. It nailed the Tony Hawk style game play perfectly, in fact maybe a little too perfectly. You see, while the game was pretty well designed, it didn't feel like you were riding a BMX bike. In fact, if it weren't for the actual physical representation on screen, I would swear I was on a board. Enter Rainbow Studios for the sequel, and perhaps finally, Matt's trip to fame. Rainbow has made a bit of a name for themselves as of of late for their highly realistic physics engines in ATV: Off-Road Fury and Splashdown. So, who better to bring the actual feeling of BMX into this BMX title?

Gameplay: Fashioned after Matt's real life road-trip, the career mode sets you on a journey to see the sights of the great big expanse we call the United States. The only problem with this is the Road-Trip borders at times from just plain boring, to just plain annoying. Contrary to popular belief, us gamers expect more creative goals then ''grab the gas cans''. Also, we expect a fair level of progression. Unlike titles like Tony Hawk, level
progression gets just plain nasty after about the third level. You are awarded points to spend on new levels after you complete sets of goals. Each stage has three sets of
goals (Amateur, Semi-Pro, and Pro) with four goals each. The catch is you have to complete all the goals in a set before you move onto a new set. The problem is the goals can get quite vague at times, requiring an extensive
amount of play-time just figuring out what the heck you are supposed to do. Plus, goals like perform a 540 No-Handed Front Flip in Portland are so hard, even the most patient gamers are bound to let loose more then a few swear words in utter frustration. The real problem lies in the fact that to open new stages the game gets increasingly more stiffer in awarding points. Come time
for the last two stages, you'll be expected to have everything else completed. Ouch! One thing I have to hand to the developers is they didn't come up short in un-lockable content. New songs, outfits, bikes, and even outrageous fantasy riders await skilled gamers.

Matt Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 also comes equipped with create-a-park, and a hefty amount of Multi-player modes to experience with a friend.

Graphics: Very crisp. Character models sport a high poly count, and while not quite as impressive as Tony Hawk 4, they certainly best Tony 3. Each one of the games environments are very large in scale, and are not hampered by fogging and/or draw-in. Other little touches such as the nice Las Vegas lighting , and the very swell looking water in Boston also impress.

Sound: As far as action sport soundtracks go, Hoffman 2 comes equipped with one of the better collections in the genre. Actual sound effects are pretty sparse, but they get the job done.

Control: Once again, the perfect marriage between the PS2 controller, and an action-sports title is complete. Some combinations are a bit tricky, however, requiring you to wrap the old hand in some pretty
uncomfortable positions. (540 No Handed Front Flip perfect example) Still, once again, the PS2 version wins out in sheer comfort and ease of use. (However, Microsoft's Controller S for the Xbox comes pretty close.)

I will admit the sheer irritation of the single player experience does diminish the overall experience a bit.
(I finished it once, and I'm too sure I'm up for it all over again. However, look past that, and you are bound to find one of the most entertaining Hawk clones available. I just want to say the abundance of video content goes a long way for me. Here is to hoping the competition will take notice, and include more video content in future titles. Hoffman 2 is one of the most fully realized BMX titles on the market, and well worth the twenty or thirty so dollars new at most fine retailers.

Score:8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/23/03, Updated 05/23/03