Screens(34)

The first thing that struck me about Motocross Madness 2 was the greatly improved graphics. The original was renowned for its wide-open landscapes; unfortunately, they were far too plain. Motocross Madness 2 addresses this problem and adds a whole host of extra details and features unique to each landscape. For example, the Zihuatanejo stage features dense tropical forest and a huge airfield complete with hangars and various aircraft. Even the desert stages contain a multitude of cacti, weeds and the occasional trailer park. These landscapes are all major improvements over the original and really are a sight to behold. The Nationals circuits have also been improved with a multitude of trackside details from ad boards, to trailers, to bales of hay - even TV cameras line the big jumps! The indoor Supercross stages are also excellently modeled with most of the same trackside features as the Nationals; however, the crowd graphics could use a little work before the final release. The bike and rider graphics are improved with a lot more polygons and an overall “cleaner” look. The rider's collision animations have also been beefed-up and look far more realistic than the original – you actually go hurtling off the bike with your arms flailing, rather than just dropping to the ground like a sack of potatoes. In fact, some of the collision animations can be downright hilarious; during one particular Enduro race, I was nudged by a competitor into the path of an oncoming train and while my bike remained in the local vicinity of the track, my rider flew about 60-70 yards over an embankment! Motocross Madness 2 also features several bike manufacturers (Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki etc), and classes (125cc to 600cc).

The physics model has had a major overhaul and as a result the handling is a lot more realistic. Throttle control is tight, and if you're not careful you can skid out of control pretty easily. The physics engine also takes into account the various types of terrain and you have to adjust your riding style accordingly to suit the environment. Sometimes control is a little too unforgiving, my first time racing on snowy terrain was an exercise in frustration as I spent the entire race skidding out of control.

The sound has also been improved with impressive ambient sounds appropriate to each outdoor stage. The bike sounds are also very well done and you can clearly hear the differences between the 125cc and 400cc bikes. Honorable mention must also go out to the collision sounds, which are excellent and sound incredibly painful!

The original Motocross Madness had 5 modes of play: Tag, Stunt Quarry, Nationals, Baja and Supercross. The sequel retains these and adds two new modes; Enduro Racing and Pro Circuit Racing. Enduro Racing is similar to the checkpoint racing in the Baja mode, however, rather than occurring within a remote area, these races occur in places such as a ski resort, a mine, and an Arizona trailer park. These areas are all huge and contain dynamic traffic activity. The traffic patterns are not as jam packed or realistic as Midtown Madness, but the dynamic movement of cars, busses, and trucks all serve to make the racing experience incredibly exciting. Nothing compares to the thrill of weaving through traffic, cutting through a forest and making a huge jump over a highway to make it to the next checkpoint! Pro Circuit Racing has a “career mode” similar to that in Gran Turismo and Need For Speed: High Stakes. You begin with $5000 and a generic modeled bike. You then receive cash for winning races and can upgrade your bike to a better model; however, you have to also pay entry fees, bike repair costs and medical fees! After a full season of Baja and Enduro racing, depending upon where you finish in the standings, you can attract sponsors and move up to Nationals. Do well enough in a season in the Nationals and you can make your way to Supercross. Pro Circuit is by far my favorite mode of play. The fact that you have to pay for repair and medical fees brings a lot of strategy into the races. This is especially prevalent in the early Enduro races where you have to balance the need to ride like a maniac with the need to keep your repair and medical costs low so that you don't end up losing more money than you win. The computer AI also seems to improve as you move up the classes. In the initial Enduro races AI is moderate, but as you move to Baja and Nationals it gets much tougher. It's also important to note just how many races the game has; at this stage there are a total of 15 Enduro races in 5 different locations, 15 Baja races in 5 different locations, 13 Nationals, and 16 different Supercross circuits!

Although I haven't been able to put it to the test, multiplayer racing over Microsoft's Zone will be supported and will also include rankings for the top 100 online riders, each receiving specially numbered bike plates corresponding to their ranking! The Zone will also feature leagues, ladders and team racing.

As with all betas there are some problems that need to be ironed out before the final release. Collision detection is a little awkward (I tried to see how large my medical bill would be if I went head first into a bus but I ended up passing right through it!). There are also some clipping problems in some of the Stunt Quarry stages, and the Enduro races have quite long loading times. Regardless, Motocross Madness 2 is a blast to play and is already shaping up to be an early contender for game of the year.