You might be a redneck… Review

You might be a redneck…

I once heard that most hicks are so “slow” on account of the high concentration

of carbon monoxide found at indoor tractor pulls, monster truck rallies, and supercross

events. Now, I’m not saying that anyone responsible for Supercross 2000

is a hick. However, I think that attending indoor supercross events for research

purposes related to this title has had some adverse effects on the brains of a

few members of the development staff. How else can you explain a game with a seemingly

fun premise and so many potentially cool features that somehow falls short of

any actual fun?

Supercross 2000 is chock full of the same modes and options found in

just about every other motocross game out there. Choose a rider, bike, track

and go to town.

The game has two redeeming factors. First, Freestyle mode is a blast. There

are several arenas to rip and shred on: Halfpipe, ramps, an “urban area” and

such. The tricks aren’t as dramatic as a more arcade-oriented game like Jet

Moto 3, but there’s enough variation to inspire most daredevils. The downside

is that the number of tricks is severely limited. After a few rounds, you’ve

just about seen everything.

The second redeeming factor is the soundtrack. There’s one cool track by The

Offspring, though after a few spins the novelty wears thin. Maybe it’s not

a redeeming factor after all.

Graphically, Supercross 2000 is vanilla ice cream with no toppings.

The backdrops are average, the track elements are a bit grainy (with the exception

of steel ramps), and the character animations and rendering seem incomplete.

Not a pretty game, people.

The control is frantic. Maybe it’s a stab at realis – I have never actually

raced in one of these events. Perhaps it was the Co2 inhaled while studying

how racers go in circles, but it’s dizzying watching the track rotate around

your bike while bouncing off the walls and taking an occasional spill. The manual

claims that leaning forward and backward causes weight shifts that effect handling

and control, but I tried several approaches to the same turn and never noticed

any significant difference.

Two player has the same erratic control, grainy textures and uninspired gameplay as the other modes…except in split screen! Yeah!

The

Track Editor mode, which should be a strong feature in a game like this, would

be exciting if the other aspects of the game were decent. Sure, you can race

on tracks of your own creation, but when the overall experience lacks pizzazz,

it feels like a waste of time to sit there fumbling with virtual mud.

The other seemingly exciting mode is the Racer Creator. Here you get to choose

from such exciting options as ‘name’, ‘jersey color’, and a few specs for your

new rider’s bike. The only advantage I found in creating my own player was that

I got to be creative with his name. “And the winner is, Marcus Poopyfart!” Other

than that, the racer I created played exactly like every other default racer.

Technically, this game should be free on account of all of the corporate sponsorship oozing from every pore of the disc. I haven’t seen such blatant and overwhelming advertising since The Superbowl. I hope that big name game companies will eventually lower the purchase price of new titles when they collect such heavy tariffs from other conglomerates for shoving their ads down our throats while we try to enjoy a simple evening of gaming.

Okay, I’ll get off the soapbox now.

If you’re a supercross fan, then you may appreciate the premise of Jeremy

McGrath Supercross 2000. The game fills a niche, but not very well. The

novelty wears off after a few races, leaving in the dust some features that

would otherwise be fun. This title may be worth the rental to test the waters,

but save your real money for another racer, as this one is covered in mud.