Ok guys I've spent a lot of time with this game since it came out, it's amazing how addictive this game can be. It's definitely worth the $10 bucks the game costs. I have yet to try out the motion controls for the game but from what I heard they work good. Starting the game the only two options for controls are the classic nes control style and a motion control style which is basically the same thing except you tilt the remote to angle the bike.
I first started out playing through the main "World Tour" section of the game, which is comprised of four cups with four races in each cup. These races are time trials much the same as the original excitebike except instead of getting a first,second, or third place you are given a grade. The highest possible grade is an S, followed by A, B, C,and D. You must get a B on all races to complete the cup.
The game itself I feel plays great and has a good sense of speed to it at times. I never realized how much strategy was actually involved in excitebike til playing this game. The game play built on the same model as the original with a few additions that work very well. The main two additions are power-ups which alter the terrain and the ability to cut off other bikers or land on them and automatically cool your engine down.
There are three separate camera angles including the original, and two that angle slightly from behind to give the game more of a 3D effect.
The part of this game that got me addicted was the ability to unlock extra paint jobs for the bike. This seems like a minor unlockable but it's pretty cool to play online with paint jobs most other players don't have so they can see how much better you are, haha. Most of the paint jobs you get from completing the cups are just basic solid colors. The better paint jobs are achieved by either getting an "S" grade in all the cup races or getting a certain number of points playing online. So far I have completed all the cups with an "S" grade and got a range of solid color paint jobs but the best of all being a Skull paint job upon completing the last cup with an "S" grade. There are also paint jobs for getting 50,100.250.and 500 points in online play.
Another unlockable I forgot to mention is the "Pro Control" scheme that is available once you complete all cups with an "S" grade. This control allows you to use motion control to steer the bike and control the angle, haven't tried it yet so can't tell you how well it works.
Online play is addicting because it is so easy to pick up and play and most races are done in under 2 minutes. It still lacks some of the online features that I feel the Wii should have by this point but this has been the case for most Wii online experiences. You can either play against friends or play against anyone, only two options you have as far as online play. Before each race starts you can either pick a trick or choose random and someone's choice will be randomly chosen, just like in Mario Kart. Everyone at least gets a point in online races as last place gets 1 point, third 2, second 3, and first 5. You can't lost points and can see how many points everyone else has before a race.
As far as WiiWare goes I think this is one of the best games to come out so far and love the fact that Nintendo is embracing it's roots with games like this.
Thanks for the impressions, Wii-Man! I'm glad to see that there is plenty of replayability. I'd like to try out that "pro control" setup; sounds interesting.
I've only put in a little time with the game so far (only played through the Bronze cup), but so far i love it as much as the original Excitebike. The wheelie-over-opponents thing is a cool addition to the gameplay, even if i forget that i can do it half the time. Also love how if you bounce on an opponent in mid air, your temperature meter clears. I expect to be putting in a lot more time with the game this weekend, including spending far too much time playing with the track editor. =)
I am having a lot of fun with this game but I'm still not very good at it. It can be really frustrating too, especially online. So far I have only gotten first place one time in all the races I have been in. I come very close to winning but then I either crash or overheat. I clearly need more practice.
Forums
Topic: ExciteBike: World Rally First Impressions
Posts 61 to 70 of 70
This topic has been archived, no further posts can be added.