April
21, 2003
Moto
GP
is a perfect throwback to one of the all-time great arcade racers,
Sega's Hang-On. Hang-On and Outrun were
really the games that set the standard for driving games, at least
until the polygons showed up. I still think Yu Suzuki's games are
a perfect example how to do things right. Moto GP has definitely
learned from those lessons; the result is the fastest, most accessible
racer I've seen in a long time.
There
are a lot of driving games on the Advance, and I like many of them,
but it seems as if every title has one fatal flaw that keeps it
from greatness. Either the graphics are ugly, or it's hard to see
the racetracks, or the framerate is choppy, or the collision detection
is spotty, or the computer drivers are cheaters, or there just isn't
anyone to race against. Most of the time, the steering is at fault;
sometimes, it's downright awful. Software designers have to learn
that all vehicles are not supposed to slide all over the place like
they're driving on ice. Even the Advance version of F-Zero
(a game I admire) has this problem.
Visual
Impact Productions is one of the few studios to get this right.
Racing motorcycles around the racetracks in Moto GP is
never a chore. One never has to overcompensate for the fact that
they are using a joypad and not a steering wheel. Some may call
this "simple." I call it "getting the job done right."
Realism is fine, but "realism" shouldn't mean driving
vehicles that can't handle a simple turn without slipping and sliding
and spinning out of control. These are videogames, after all; if
you want realism, read Hemmingway. Put on Coltrane. Get married.
I
don't mean to turn this into yet another rant from an aging gamer
about the Way Things Used To Be, but this issue has come up in many
of the professional reviews of Moto GP for many magazines
and websites. They have their own point of view, and that's fine.
I remember when the "prozines" had no point of view at
all (conceding all to the advertisers). I simply remind my fellow
critics that there's more to life than Gran Tourismo.
Back
to Moto GP. This is a pure-blood arcade racer from the
days when arcade games were kings. Included in the mix are 16 racetracks,
including such standards as Suzuka and Sepang; the Suzuka course
has been lurking about ever since Pole Position 2. Thank
goodness the course is as accurate and challenging as any version
to come before. Tracks curve and spin, dip and climb; again, a perfect
progression from Hang-On (the game even captures the stripes
off the side of the road). This game makes great strides to portray
that sense of speed, and there are no unfair tricks anywhere. If
(or should I say, when), you crash, it's for nobody fault but your
own.
Of
course, many of the racetracks are downright fiendish. The early
ones are fairly easy, and I suspect this is where other reviews
began to lose heart. If you stick with it, you'll be greeted with
hairpin turns and vicious swerves that will punish you for driving
full-throttle. As more bikes are unlocked, you will be able to drive
faster, and you'll have to learn to use the brakes. There's a good
balance there; what good is having different bikes when you're just
going to take the fastest one?
Racing
against a dozen or more bikes (all based on real drivers) can be
a real thrill, especially if you make early mistakes and find yourself
having to catch up. This is the one throwback to the arcades that
I have mixed feelings about. Computer drivers all race at set speeds,
much slower than yours. I'm fine with this when it works: your bike's
top speed is up to 40 mph faster than all the drivers, but the computer's
vehicles always drive at the same speed (even turns), and you start
at the back of the pack. The easy difficulty is a virtual cakewalk
because of this, and it would appear that this is yet another game
to hold you by the hand. I was worried as I started a Gran Prix
season on normal difficulty, but after the fourth race, I started
getting beaten. Sometimes, badly. I've never been so happy to crash
into a billboard in my life.
Still,
next time, let's see some smarter drivers on the road, okay?
We
all know, of course, this is all but practice, anyway. The whole
point to handheld games is to play against your friends; ask anyone
who owned an Atari Lynx, and watch their eyes gloss over as they
chant names like "Warbirds" and "Checkered Flag."
Moto GP offers four people to race together, which should
be the perfect competition for anyone who wants something grittier
than Mario Kart. And, of course, this game allows for the
one thing that makes any racing game great: you can knock the other
bikes around. Hitting another bike from the side won't crash him,
but it will cause him to swerve for a moment, which sometimes leads
to a head-on collision with that BMW billboard. Why more studios
don't understand the fun in this is a mystery to me.
Visual
Impact is a Paris-based developer responsible for a number of console
and computer games, mostly for the European market. Moto GP
is among their best. This title certainly shows their craft and
dedication. How easy is it to put together a simplified version
of a console game and call it a day? Actually creating something
with depth deserves respect. I'm amazed at how bright and colorful
everything in this game is; the variety in the landscapes, track
details, the wonderful animation of your bike and the smooth sense
of speed. Even the guitar-rock soundtrack, set in the Sammy Hagar
tradition, fits like a glove. What would you expect from a game
that plays homage to the great Sega racers? Goodness knows how catchy
these songs are; I've even been tempted to learn to play them on
my guitar. If you hear these riffs on a CD two years from now, you'll
know where I found the inspiration. |
