Jeremy McGrath Supercross World
Score: 30% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Acclaim Developer: Acclaim Media: GCD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Racing
Graphics & Sound: After seeing what the GameCube is capable of, I would have expected more out of Jeremy McGrath. Actually, just from looking at the back of the box I would have expected a little more. Unfortunately I was given nothing but boring levels, drab textures, and a few instances of draw-in and pop up. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, I ran into some of the nastiest, stiffest looking animations I have seen on the GameCube yet. I mean, I have seen better-animated corpses. Sound effects are just as dull as the rest of the game. The soundtrack, which features bands like Sevendust and Millencolin, is probably the only plus in a generally mediocre presentation.
Gameplay: With Jeremy McGrath, what you see is what you get, an arcade racer with a touch of sim thrown in. You can choose one rider and race on any track you want, or you can choose the Career mode and compete in Indoor, Outdoor, Freestyle and Baja competitions in order to earn points towards improving your rider. You can also choose between different bikes, all varying in suspension, acceleration, and traction. And, well - that's about as deep as things get. This wouldn't be such a bad thing if the boards weren't so boring and flat. I also seemed to me that the game could have benefited from a little more time in testing. It was a little frustrating that my rider, for no reason at all, would fall off his bike when trying to go up a ramp. I also noticed that trick execution could have used some fine-tuning.
Difficulty: Jeremy McGrath Supercross World presents something of a paradox to gamers. The dumb A.I. and sterile track designs present a very easy game. However, the poor control and absence of fun make it hard to play. There are a few sporadic moments of fun, but they are so far in between - waiting for them is kind of a waste.
Game Mechanics: Control is the worst part of the entire experience. I had a hard time controlling jumps and doing tricks. In order to jump and trick, you must pre-load by holding the L-button and releasing it at the peak of jumps. This is where the heart of performing any trick is, unfortunately I found it hard to time, and when I did get some air - the camera angle and sub-par graphics make it hard to judge just how high you are. As you can imagine, this usually results in many a bailed trick. Despite all it's flaws, there are the makings of a good game. However, the sloppy controls and questionable presentation don't help what could have been at least a fun distraction. Hardcore MX fans will probably want to check it out since it's the only one around, other people may want to pass it over.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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