Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 3

"GBA's Best BMX Timekiller"

INTRODUCTION

For those who have missed out on extreme sports titles on the GBA, let me tell you that they're never as good as the home console (GC,XBox,PS2) versions. They generally sport a 3/4 isometric view which makes it harder to link combo strings and makes exploration more of a chore. However even with this problem, Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 3 seems to excel in most other areas.

GAMEPLAY

The gameplay is excellent, making use of all the buttons on the GBA. You'll find it extremely easy to rattle of combo after combo (once you know the layout of the level) because of the simple button configuration. However, having to do minor tricks (bar spin, no footer, etc.) with the same button that you jump with might make you mess up once or twice. I like the fact that you can freestyle on the ground too as it adds another layer of gameplay.

GRAPHICS

The graphics are better than Dave Mirra 2 on GBA but not by much. Though character models are blocky (its a GBA what do you expect), the rails and ramps are never hard to see even if the isometric view gets in your way. Plus you can easily see the biker doing tricks. Bar spins are rendered in full animation as is every other trick. Even if the trick name didn't appear at the bottom of the screen, you'd still be able to tell what they're doing. The levels aren't very colorful and are composed of mostly dull versions of gray, brown, and tan. Its not overly bad though in fact I liked them.

SOUND

This is the game's strongest point. The second you start the first level you are treated to Saliva's 'Click Click Boom'. Its not fuzzy or hard hear either. This game makes full use of the GBA's tiny speaker, but if you have one of those battery chargers with speakers on them, the sound is that much better. Other well known artists round out the soundtrack like New Found Glory, Green Day, and Taking Back Sunday.

TIME/REPLAYABILITY

You will get stuck during this game. Once you get past the pro level the difficulty is cranked up a lot and the level goals (which are mostly unclear in the first place) get even harder to understand. Maybe the developers did this so as to give you more game time but I find it quite annoying. After you beat the game there's not really much reason to go back and play it again unless you just wanna burn some time.

FINAL SCORE

For those of you who are buying this game to kill some time on a long trip, you won't be ripped off. The levels, graphics, sound, and playability won't disappoint you. However, if you're looking for Dave Mirra 3 to entertain you for weeks, you might be overestimating this title. The Create-A-Rider feature should give you a couple minutes of extra fun creating your own biker to ride throughout the eight levels, but you probably will run through the game in less than a week. Overall, Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 3 is a very solid effort and it clearly accomplishes (sometimes almost accomplishes) every game's goals. Good looking graphics, phenomenal soundtrack, and addicting gameplay all add up to one of the best 'Kill Time' games on the GBA.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/17/03, Updated 07/17/03