Motocross Madness
Motocross stunts by Microsoft
If you like stunts and that kind of acrobatic stuff, then, Microsoft Motocross Madness is a game for you. The game looks different from Moto Racer as this one is more focused on making stunts, more than properly racing. It looks more like an arcade than a simulation as the physics engine does not seems to take in account all the reality details (you will notice while playing). The graphics is typical from that period, a bit budget maybe, but still something you can manage to watch. Since the scenarios are mainly deserts, developers had to deal with a minor level of complexity. The soundtracks are heavy rock music. It's okey in the intro, but it can become overwhelming during the gameplay, though you can turn it off for sure. Controls are okey. There are a couple of stunts keys that, in combination with the arrows (or joypad) will make that acrobatic stuff, while watching them from an aerial extra camera (another special key for that). The nicest thing is that the game offer various kind of racing type. You can jump (literally) in a stunts challenge, or a few racing options. Overall it's a nice game, though you may find more interesting the Moto Racer saga, in particular if you're looking for a racing simulation.
Where dirt track biking and midair tricks collide!
Motocross Madness is the first in a series of relatively realistic dirt bike racing games, though certainly, by today's standards you could as well call it an impetuous and ambitious arcader. At any rate, if you're in for the fun of riding bikes and executing spectacular tricks mid air, through an easy though sturdy control system, in Motocross Madness you've sure got it all. The game gives you a few distinct types of challenges: you've got cross, Supercross as well as stunt quarries and also endurance tracks. Basically, if a discipline of motocross exists in reality, Motocross Madness will most surely have a version of it. The stunt based tracks can be pretty impressive, as you'll be asked to perform tricks of different difficulty levels. At the controls levels it all breaks down to key stroke combos, but it works pretty well and you'll get a really good overall experience. Graphically, the 3D tracks and bikes are alright, actually, given the time of the release, pretty impressive, so I think that even very exigent players will find it satisfying. However, for an even more generous graphical display, try Motocross Madness 2, which ups the ante a bit graphically, while remaining true to the original. Plus, there's lots of violent bits and a few cool bugs, not the kind that break the game, but the kind that are just very cool to look at!