Classic NES Series: Excitebike

"Classic Motocross Gone Portable"

Any game who was born from 1980 to 1990 will probably smile if you say the word "Excitebike" This classic was THE racing game on the NES console. Others like RC Pro-Am 1 and 2 just didn't have the long lasting appeal that Excitebike had. I remember playing it in kindergarten when we had "Show and Tell". I brought in my NES and 3 games. Excitebike, Super Mario Bros. and Kung Fu. There is just something about these classic games that make us keep dusting off the old NES and doing a round on the track. Excitebike was awesome then, and it is awesome still. The same could be said for other games, which is why Nintendo put out this "Classic NES Series". The price Nintendo slapped on these games however, leaves a bitter taste in some mouthes.

On to the Review:

Graphics: 10

Remember, this game is 20 years old. Graphical ability back then didn't have much to offer compared to today. In 1984, this looked amazing. It wasn't meant to look real, and it doesn't. Something about seeing the cameraman swing his camera when you race by... seeing opponents tumble down the track when you clip their front tire... it's just awesome. Nintendo did very well with this back in the day. you just don't forget how cool they look, even with today's standards.

Gameplay: 10

Pretty straight forward here. In real motocross, if you clip someones front tire, they will wreck. Same with Excitebike. In real motocross, you lean forward on your bike when hitting a jump to stay low and go over it faster. Same with Excitebike. In real motocross, you lean back when you hit a jump to pop into the air. Same with Excitebike. In real motocross, if you ride the throttle hard, you will eventually overheat. Same with Excitebike. The physics are not exact, but the basics of dirt bike riding and racing are here. Nintendo did a great job of putting an authentic feel to this game. 5 tracks to choose from, all with different obstacles and colors. Hills, jumps, mud pits, and in the "B" mode, a never ending crew of riders to race against. However, you wont see tricks like in freestyle motocross, but the little red guy does pop a wheelie after crossing the finish line (You can also do it manually). There is also a track editor to make your own crazy course to race on, and for the first time ever, it can be saved.

Sound: 10

This is an NES port folks. Not much to offer in the sound department compared to the Cube or PS2. However, it makes great use of what it has. When riding the throttle, it sound like an engine racing, and when cruising, it sounds like an engine purring. The tumbling sound when you wreck also fits the sight of you tumbling end over end down the track. What more can you ask for? One of the most catchy, and awesome title screen theme songs ever.

Replay Value: 10

Nothing to unlock, but so addicting, that you will keep coming back for more. You can never beat all of your adversaries in Challenge B, but you can keep trying to best your times. More of a "You can always pick it up and play it" value, much like in Tecmo Bowl. There is no "100%" completion. It is just a racing game to enjoy over and over again.

Tilt: 10

It is a direct port of one of the best NES games out there. Of course this makes this game great for people who want to play Excitebike at school or work, and for those of you who sold your NES consoles when Super NES came out. Nostalgia plays a huge part in the marketing, and it the reason this game was ported. The true tilt comes in the fact that you can save the tracks you create in the track editor, and your times in the racing modes. You couldn't do that on the NES version.

I know, I know. All these 10s, why did you give it an 8 GameSTAR? It's only because Nintendo put out a simple game like this, on it's own cartridge, and slapped a $19.99 price tag on it. They could have probably put this, Ice Climber, Bomberman, and Pac-Man on one cart, and then the $19.99 would be more than justified. I don't see why anyone should pay 20 bucks for a game that most gamers have, or use to have. Excitebike for NES sells for around 5 bucks at game stores due to it's production number. It isn't a very rare game. 20 bucks to go portable is too much. It kind of ruins the nostalgia a little bit when you see these games for 20 bucks. Especially when for $19.99 you can also pick up Midway Arcade Classics, a disc with 20+ classic arcade games on it. Nintendo is robbing the consumer here. That is why you will never see a Classic NES Series game getting above a 9 on video game sights. It is great that a whole new generation of gamer will get to play the classics, but 20 bucks per game? Shame on you Nintendo.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/08/04