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.