"The best racing game on the system!"

Excitebike was a dirtbike racing game for the NES that became a classic because of its simple yet extremely addictive gameplay and its unique track creator which would let the player make and race their own tracks. Now Nintendo and Left Field Productions have created the sequel to this excellent game for the Nintendo 64!

Graphics: 10/10

The graphics in this game are perfect. The bikes look real as do the riders and the environments are very detailed. Plus the game has an excellent physics engine to make the game even more realistic.

Sound and Music: 10/10

The sound is great. The dirtbikes sound just as they should and the announcer fits in nicely. The music, while not the best that it could be, is very fitting for this game.

Controls: 10/10

The controls are very easy to get used to and they are very responsive. They are easy enough for beginners, yet deep enough for professionals. The stunt system uses the down-c button (sometimes with the R button) and the control stick to do crazy tricks. You will never have a problem with turning or using your boost to get over a jump.

Story: N/A

There is no story in this game.

Difficulty: 15/10

This game is extremely difficult to beat. You have to get first place overall every single time to win or unlock a new mode. Expect to be very very very angry at this game often if you play the season mode (which you will have to do if you want all of the secrets). I have been so angry at this game that I almost through the controller out the window, but I don't let this difficulty bother me too much because I like games with a very good challenge and games like this don't come along very often.

Gameplay: 10/10

There are lots of things in this game to keep you going for a long time. First there is the season mode which is the main focus of the game. The season mode has three difficulties: novice, amateur, and pro. The novice is the easiest and it has two rounds which are bronze and silver. The amateur is medium difficulty (don't let that decieve you though, it is very, very hard to beat) and it has three rounds which are bronze, silver, and gold. The pro is the hardest and once again has three rounds which are bronze, silver, and gold with 2 secret rounds. Next there is the exhibition race which basically lets you race any track that you have unlocked so far. Third there is the time trials mode which lets you race for the best time. Then there is the special tracks mode which gives you the desert track and the stunt track right at the beginning and you can unlock the other secret tracks by playing the season mode. And last there is the custom tracks mode which lets you create your own indoor track with plenty of jumps and turns for you to use. This mode even allows you to create your own jump!!

Multiplayer: 10/10

You can play with up to four people in this game in just about any mode excluding the season mode giving the game extra replay value since you are not restricted to only one mode of play like you are in a lot of racing games.

Replay Value: 10/10

Because of everything that you can do and the wonderful controls, you will keep coming back for more and more and more and more.

Overall: 10/10

This is by far the best racing game that is on Nintendo 64 and if you like racing games, you should most certainly go and buy this game. If you don't like racing games that much, you should rent it and it just might completely change your mind.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/27/00, Updated 05/27/00