MTX Mototrax

"A solid, but unfortunately overlooked game"

Introduction

Motocross games have always been enjoyable games. The earliest I remember playing is Excitebike for the NES (which is still worth picking up - you can but it on GBA as a part of the Classic Series). Motocross games have always been about racing around the different tracks, trying to make it first place in the race to move ahead. And then, if you got bored of the main game, you could even use your genius to design your own levels. Excitebike (64 and the original), and many others included these features. Other games (like Freakstyle) improved upon the basis by adding a trick option that allowed you to perform certain maneuvers on the motorbike to score points (this was also apparent in Big Air Freestlye, and many games of the PS2 era, and even some earlier). MTX Mototrax does everything it should - gives you races, gives you full control over the bike (you can even manually perform wheelies and ride around, keeping balance), gives you the ability to complete tricks, and gives you a great level creating mode. Unfortunately, aside from that excellent level editor, the rest of the game is standard fare, introducing only a new way to perform tricks (which isn't actually new - we saw this method of performing tricks back in 1999 in the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and also in many countless spin offs of the series), meaning it's just more motocross (which isn't bad, in particular). Your opinion on the game will vary (obviously, as with many games), but even more so here because this is so standard. Now then, let's get to analyzing of the game.

Graphics

The graphics here are great. There's the now expected details like getting your back dirty (which happens gradually as you ride around and perform tricks - much like how the board gets scratched in the Tony Hawk games past 3). The environments look great for the most part, though when it comes to trees it's just wall paper depicting the plant life (there are no actual tree objects guarding the walls, though tree objects do exist). The motorbikes look good (and accurate, as any moto fan will be able to tell you) - the characters (who are supposed to look just like their real life counterparts) look just as great and accurate. The water doesn't look too fancy, but it doesn't have to as you rarely come into contact with it (aside from a few missions, including one where you jump from boat to boat to get from one dock to the other). The sky (which is really not very important as you don't generally notice it) looks fine, but the audience that you have to look at while doing the freestyle competitions looks terrible (flat people with very little detail) - though there's just enough detail for you not to really care until you actually notice it (like, say, stop to look at the audience while considering which trick to do next)). Your motorbike leaves temporary track marks on the various tracks in the game, which is a nice graphical effect. Little things like glass shattering (which can happen as Pastrana's Home, which is the first, training level) doesn't look too great, but again, it's not really that big of a deal. Unless you're expecting Halo 2, you'll be fine with what you're given.

Sound/Music

This game features a soundtrack covering bands of all types from Pennywise to Slipknot. And, if you generally don't like songs (music with words), then there are a few selections of just music to play in the background, which is a nice addition. The songs were also carefully chosen to suit the game well - we get 'Now I Know' by Pennywise which is a nice song to just ride to, and Dismantle Me by The Distillers is a great song to get you pumped, gung-ho and ready for action (this is also very effective if you follow with one of the two Slipknot songs featured in the game), so the music does affect the gameplay in some subtle ways. The sounds are all the standard fare you (assuming you're a moto fan) are used to - the noise of the bike, the noise of the movement over various terrains, including the standard dirt terrain to roads and grassy fields, along with the sound of the motorbike landing. These are the only sounds you're really going to notice (along with the cheering audience, which for some reason only like the super-hard-to-do-next-to-impossible tricks, like various twists on the Backflip, for example), but other sounds are there and accounted for, and provide a great subtle effect. The sound works to the game's advantage, and you're likely not to have a problem with it.

Gameplay

MTX Mototrax starts you off (in the career mode) with you creating your own character, however you like. You can change the style of hair, eye color, shirt and pants wear, helmet style and more, including the types of gloves you're wearing (if you choose to wear gloves). After you customize the in game character to your liking, you can continue into the first level, which is actually Travis Pastrana's own home (though I don't know if it is also the likeness of his home in real life). You begin simply riding around, getting used to the controls and how to perform tricks - the first few goals include things like 'Wheelie around a bus', or 'Bust the tricks the other guy does', with instructions given on screen so that you know just what you're doing. Goals that are later unlocked in the game include your first race (and if you're new to the game, also a very challenging race), some goals that require you to perform harder tricks into the 'foam pit' (a pit that won't have you fall off your motorbike), and more. After you've completed a certain amount of goals, you move on into the game, to compete in competitions (racing competitions and trick competitions, to satisfy both cravings), as well as free riding levels where you can explore, do goals (like the previously mentioned goal where you jump from boat to boat over water, in one particular level) and generally have a good time (it's often fun to just ride around in these levels). Of course, the career mode isn't the only game mode. There is also a mode where you can just race against other CPU opponents(or your friends, via 2 player single screen or a bunch of players online), a level creating mode, the option mode, and a few more modes that are very similar to the modes I've already stated. The create-a-level mode is a great mode, where you do just that - create your own level. It works as follows: You first create your track, by placing flat pieces of land all over your course to make whatever design you want. Then, you go up close and edit each individual flat piece, changing it to whatever you want (a jump of various heights, 'bumps', sharp turns, and other such pieces). You can also just leave the piece flat if you want. After you're done customizing the different pieces, you can test it, or just save it and race in it. Another possibility in the game is to race online against other players. As I haven't yet played the online mode, I can't give any information as to how this mode works, feels and actually plays, but it sounds fun, and could be the reason to buy this game (if you enjoy playing online games). The option mode is the standard stuff - options that affect the screen, the music/sounds (including playlist and volume), and much more the enhance your game experience to the max by your standards. Overall, it's a very complete package.

This package, however, doesn't go without it's complaints. First and foremost - this game gets way too hard, way too fast. While the first few levels were good fun, suddenly I was in a competition where I had to complete 10 or so very difficult tricks in a poorly designed level (take note that the level design is rarely poor) in a tight time limit. This may seem a bit easy, considering it's only ten tricks, but these particular tricks practically require maximum (from the start to the ramp) speed (again, for all of the tricks), meaning you'll have to ride down the starting ramp, perform one trick, then either ride around in a big circle until you have enough speed and launch off a ramp, or ride all the way back up the starting ramp and come down again, ready to perform the next trick. While this is passable after a somewhat high (higher than should be, anyway) number of tries, the racing is even worse, with racers that will crash far behind you, then seconds later suddenly catch up to you and pass you. How did they do that? The impossible happens often during races, and, simply put, the CPU 'cheats', to get back and give you the challenge (rather than let you continue riding in first place, because you earned that position. Hey, developers - we don't constantly need competition in the races - when we work and get into the first position, we're happy, let us win (unless we crash) - don't suddenly pull a cheap trick and push the CPUs even harder!). This takes much more tries to complete, and can get very annoying. You would also think that the bike upgrades would do something - this only holds true to every second bike upgrade or so, as a single upgrade won't feel much different than the previous bike you were racing with. Difficulty (and CPU cheating!) aside, those are this games only faults. You can decide how big of a deal this sort of thing is.

Replay Value

MTX Mototrax, as I've stated before, is simply fun to play. You don't need the competition in this game - racing solo or just riding around is fun enough as it is. It has a Tony Hawk-like gameplay style (but that's expected - it's published by the same guys who publish the Tony games) that makes it fun to just do whatever. This game would have been a great budget title without the goals, and would have still been worthy of a purchase. Throw in the fact that you can find it most places at the price of the budget title with goals, as it is, and I really see no reason why you shouldn't pick this game up.

Verdict

Now, the most daunting question, and the ultimate sum of the review - rent or buy? At it's current price (at most places), it's worthy of a purchase, and it's one that you won't be disappointed in. You will, however, have to be prepared for an ass handing hard time in the later levels. If you can take it, you'll be fine. If you get scared off by these sorts of things, then you might want to give the game a rental first (though that would put you 7 dollars behind purchasing this now normally 29 dollar (Canadian) game). Final score: 7/10.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/21/05