Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX: Maximum Remix
Score: 90% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Acclaim Developer: Z-Axis Media: CD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Sports
Graphics & Sound: For those who have played the original incarnation, Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX, Maximum Remix doesn't change much, which is a good thing. The backgrounds are done rather nicely, and show a lot of variation. Riders look good as well, although one minor gripe I had was that they have no necks, but if I'm finding little things like this, then you the rest has to look good. One thing I really liked was when your rider gains a new sponsor, you are allowed to change their outfits to reflet their new logo. I had a bit of a problem with the actual speed of the game. You never feel like your going fast, and while this doesn't ruin the game entirely, it does mess you up at times. The replay sequences are excellent and even make some of the minor tricks, such as simple jumps, look like impressive feats. The sound effects are right on. I was happy that none of the sounds were overdone, and all sound like they would in real like. As for music, it's top notch. The soundtrack not only features many popular bands such as Pennywise and Rancid, but also includes tracks from other little known bands, like 98 Mute and Vision. While the featured bands my not be for everyone, they work so nicely with the game, it's hard to complain. As an added bonus, the game's soundtrack is included on a separate Radical Remix CD. I would also like to personally thank Z-Axis for making a Rob Zombie (or more precisely, Dragula) free soundtrack.
Gameplay: Like the graphics, nothing has changed from the original. You are given control of Dave Mirra and nine other real riders (like Ryan Nyquist and Mike Laird) and full run of 12 different parks in order to do just about whatever you want. Just think of Tony Hawk only with a bike. You are given your choice to either ride in Freestyle mode, Proquest, Session, or 2-Player. My personal favorite was Freestyle because, unlike Proquest, you are allowed to just ride and not have to worry about the added pressures of time limit and trick goals. Proquest is the real 'meat' of the game, and the only mode you are able to unlock different riders, courses, and outfits. At the start of each level, you are given various mission objectives, such as gaining a certain amount of trick points (points earned for various tricks) or doing a certain trick at a specific point in the level. After completing these objectives, you move on to the next course. In addition to the objectives you must complete to continue, secondary objectives can also be completed to not only add some challenge, but also open some hidden extras. Session is just Freeride with a time limit. As far as tricks, players can pull off not only separate tricks, but also link them together for a grand total of 1300 tricks. Some are easy to pull off, such as a grind or jump, while others, like the 'Superman' and Triple back flip are a little more daunting.
Difficulty: Maximum Remixis only as hard as you make it. There's a good range of tricks to perform, and it's good that Z-Axis planned this game out with a wide skill range in mind. You begin the game in Greenville, and progress through different levels such as Woodward Lot 8 and Eastwood Ramp Park. The farther you go into the game, the courses become larger and objectives more difficult.
Game Mechanics: The controls take a lot of getting used to and some memorization. Everything is handled exactly like the original, which again really isn't a bad thing. Basically, each button does a different move depending on whether you are on the ground, in the air, or in mid-trick. While listing the button commands would take WAY to long and seem very complicated at first, after a few runs in Freestyle mode, you'll be doing tricks with little problem. This is where the lack of speed factor comes into play. No matter how much you tap the button, you never seem to gain any speed and can never tell when to try some of the more difficult tricks. The big question for people who own the original: 'Is this version worth buying?' If you're a die-hard BMX fan then by all means buy it; otherwise don't feel like you're missing out on much.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Tribes: Aerial Assault NFL GameDay 2002