BMX XXX
Score: 80% ESRB: Mature Publisher: Acclaim Developer: Z-Axis Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Miscellaneous/ Miscellaneous
Graphics & Sound: This is BMX? ...ah, the graphics, indeed! The major draw for BMX XXX (shortened as, um... BMX4?) is the 'ecks-ecks-ecks' part at the end. With a tag line like 'Keep it Dirty', it almost seems like the box's black background is specifically to help contrast and highlight the white 'Mature' ESRB Rating. The game delivers on the 'Mature' rating, with Comic Mischief, (CG) Nudity, Strong Language, and Strong Sexual Content, just as the ESRB description on the back states. There are even FMVs with live video footage of strippers (exotic dancers) from a real strip club called 'Scores'. These video clips are your reward for advancing in the game (or finding the correct cheat codes on the net or in a magazine - not extremely difficult... at least two of the codes are prominently printed on the game case...) The thing is, the live video FMVs are choppily directed and are designed to tease. In fact, only the very last (you-completed-the-game) video actually shows tits (um, breasts). None of the earlier videos have the strippers even getting topless. (That's why I said 'exotic dancers' instead of 'strippers' above. They don't actually strip much - and any dance done with a BMX bike HAS to be exotic, right?!) In-game graphics are not as extremely detailed as some porn-dogs out there might have hoped, but the in-game is all about the 'tongue-in-cheek' factor. This is where the Comic Mischief and Strong Language come in. The music is pretty good, with some familiar bands playing some pumping sound tracks to keep the BMX fun moving.
Gameplay: Imagine being really good with a BMX bike. Imagine a city as your playground. Now imagine you're in the 'shadier' part of town... That's a good idea of where you start in BMX XXX. There's a lot of very NPC* NPCs** who are stereotypes-personified for the purpose of comic relief. The characters are about as deep as any non-core characters in a B-flick, but provide something to laugh at while serving to introduce new challenges. BMX XXX has a nice create-a-character feature that allows you to make some pretty wild avatars. Try some of the shorter skirts and you'll see why the game lets you ride towards the camera on occasion (can anyone say 'upskirt'? ... I knew you could!). The game's play style will be familiar to those who play Tony Hawk and similar goal-oriented extreme games. You have to achieve different goals, and doing so unlocks bonuses (such as videos), new levels, and new goals, etc. If you're here for the BMX, you'll love it. If you're looking for the XXX, you might be a bit disappointed. * NPC - Not Politically Correct **NPC - Non Player Character
Difficulty: To play? Not bad. To complete a few missions? No problem. To complete all of the missions in the time allotted? Um, where are those codes again...? The main issue with BMX XXX is to get used to the controls. Once you realize what you're supposed to do and when, it gets a lot easier. The learning curve is not very steep, but it will take practice to get your timing down.
Game Mechanics: BMX XXX doesn't have a very 'tight' control - especially in the acceleration department. I found it difficult to hit a target that was close to me by starting off slowly and turning. The acceleration is too quick. Instead, I found myself rotating in place until I faced my target (usually a prostitute who wanted to be taken back to her pimp or a stripper who needed to get to the Scores Strip Club...) and then launched forward. All-in-all, the gameplay was okay once you get used to the controls. The 'XXX' part, however, seemed a bit conservative on a game that was named 'XXX' and was rated 'Mature'. I suppose a game that lived up to the 'XXX' name would have been rated 'Adults Only', but the name seems a bit misleading. I have this funny feeling that there's some more interesting footage somewhere at Z-Axis that didn't make it into the game...
-Geck0, GameVortex Communications AKA Robert Perkins
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance Airborne Assault: Highway to the Reich