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MX World Tour Featuring Jamie Little

Score: 55%
ESRB: Everyone
Publisher: Crave
Developer: Impulse Games
Media: DVD/1
Players: 1 - 4
Genre: Racing

Graphics & Sound:

When looking at a budget title, certain concessions need to be taken. It’s unfair to expect all the bells and whistles found in that big budget game sitting next to it, but at the same time, you should still expect the game to be fun and playable. MX World Tour Featuring Jamie Little is neither of these. At first glance, it looks like a solid arcade racing title, but inconsistent control issues and mechanics cripple what could be a fun game.

MX World Tour fits the standard look and sound of a budget title. Riders look boxy and animate stiffly. Even when trying to pull off the limited assortment of tricks or crashing, it just doesn’t look all that good. What the game does have going for it, however, are the tracks. Indoor tracks all look the same, so you’re not likely to get much variety while racing Stadiumcross races. But when you move into Motocross, you’re treated to some nice environments. Races take place in several locations around the world like Rome and Tokyo, and feature little ambient details to give some variety. One of the more impressive tracks takes place against the backdrop of the Great Wall of China. Still, the game isn’t much to look at.

On the plus side, MX World Tour features commentary by Jamie herself. Of course, you’re not likely to hear much from her during races. You hear a little introduction before the race and maybe a comment or two during the race, but that’s about it. Music selection is made up mainly of loud, screechy, metal tunes. I suppose it’s meant to get you in the mood to race, but I found it annoying. At least there’s Custom Soundtrack support, which was a pleasant surprise considering the lack of support this feature receives from bigger budget titles.


Gameplay:

MX World Tour features the standard set of modes you expect to see in any racer. The main portion of the game is built around Career mode, which is broken up into three race types: Stadiumcross, Motocross, and SuperMoto (which must be unlocked). All involve racing around a track, with the only differences being race location and track layout. Stadiumcross races take place in (wait for it)... a stadium. Compared to other tracks, these are confined to tight turns and are generally smaller. Motocross takes you outside, allowing for more straight-aways and longer courses. SuperMoto races are like Motocross, only it combines both dirt and hard-surfaces on tracks.

The main objective in Career mode is to earn points and move on to the next set of races. At the same time, you’re trying to work your way up on the leader board in pursuit of the #1 Ranking Plate. As you race through Career mode, you unlock items that you can use to customize your rider and bike. Compared to other MX games, the options are limited, although there’s still enough here to let you get the look you want. You can also swap out parts to get a little more power or handling out of your bike. Customization also spreads to the race modes. Exhibition races can be modified to suit what you’re looking for, letting you set the number of laps and how many opponents you’ll race against.

Playing through Career mode also unlocks tracks for the other modes, making it more a necessity than an option.

MX World Tour is Live Aware, but lacks any type of online racing. Instead, it just allows your friends on Live to see you’re playing the game. All multi-player action instead takes place through split-screen and lets three of your friends join in.


Difficulty:

When you’re not wrestling with control issues, the A.I. offers a fairly decent challenge. Riders aren’t very aggressive, but at the same time won’t roll over and just hand you that #1 Plate. If you can manage to stay on your bike and get a nice lead, you should win. The ramp-up in difficulty in Career mode is great and, to the game’s credit, gives you something to work towards. Now, about those controls...

Game Mechanics:

Handling absolutely kills any fun that could be had with MX World Tour Featuring Jamie Little. Steering is very inconsistent. Sometimes it’s too touchy, other times it’s way too stiff. This leads to constant over-steering and loss of control. Where this really hurts is when you’re trying to hit jumps, which need to be taken head-on in order to be effective (and stay on the track). However, since you’re never sure how the controls will respond to your movements, it’s a gamble.

Once you hit a jump, you can pull off a series of stunts. In most MX games, pulling off stunts adds a bit of risk to taking jumps since there’s the risk of wiping out. This isn’t the case in MX World Tour since you’re constantly fighting at odds with the controls. Once you manage to get good air, you’ll probably find yourself struggling to do anything with it. Of course, considering it’s nearly impossible to crash after taking a jump – unless you run directly into something – there isn’t much risk involved. Even then, there’s still a chance that you won’t crash or ever lose what little control you had over your bike. Collisions are as sporadic as the controls. Sometimes you hit something and crash, other times you just keep moving along.

As a budget title, MX World Tour Featuring Jamie Little is a decent game that might provide some fun for those on a budget. However, for fans craving MX action, there are much better titles on the Used rack (or even brand new) for the same price.


-Starscream, GameVortex Communications
AKA Ricky Tucker

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