Motocross Maniacs Advance
Score: 35% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Konami Developer: Konami Media: Cart/1 Players: 1 (1 - 4 w/ System Links) Genre: Sports
Graphics & Sound: Since this is my first GBA review, I find the only way I can give an accurate description is to compare this game with those that appeared on the Super Nintendo (SNES). Motocross Maniacs Advance has actually got a lot of business happening on the screen, but it doesn't detract too much from the gameplay. The racetracks are designed fairly well, and the background images are lush with color. Player sprites are basic, yet effective, and are fairly distinguishable from the racetrack and its elements. Unfortunately, even on SNES standards, Motocross Maniacs Advance could have had a lot of improvement done on the music and sound fx. Granted the little cartridge can't hold a ton of data, but what comes from the speakers is still very grainy. It's as if the developers combined the graphics of the SNES with the sound of the original NES. A nice music track to go along with a racing game is usually a must.
Gameplay: For those of us old enough to remember Excitebike (on the NES) and the thrill it first gave us, then Motocross Maniacs Advance fills the void that has been lacking since the early 80s. Just think of MMA as Excitebike with wild loop-d-loops, floating jumps, and, of course, endless power-ups. And for those of you too young to have ever played any classic games like Excitebike, Motocross Maniacs Advance is basically a side-scrolling motorbike racing game, where you take on three other racers in a quest to be the best. When you first bust out the game, be sure to skip over the story behind the game in the manual, or it will ruin any fun you may eventually have. Motocross Maniacs Advance has got probably the single-worst storyline ever. In short, you are racing for, get this, FOOD. No, not money, not even pride... just FOOD. Utterly insane. Apparently no work went into actually making a decent back-story for a semi-decent game. Once you get past the story, you'll realize that Motocross Maniacs Advance also has more to it than just the Championship Mode. The game also includes an Action Mode, Attack Mode, and the Multiplayer Modes. Unfortunately, these extra modes offer little enjoyment that will soon fizzle into oblivion. At least the multiplayer games don't necessarily require multiple game paks. With one game pak, up to four gamers can play simultaneously in the Action Mode, which includes: Zombie Attack (blast through Zombies using nitros to score points), Hidden Lab (wheelie jump over ice blocks and collect gold stars for points), and Bomb Tag (don't be left with the bomb when the timer runs out). With multiple game paks, however, you and your buddies will also be able to compete in Championship Mode, each on your own GBA. This is the heart of Multiplayer, since the extra modes of play will most likely lead to boredom quickly.
Difficulty: Motocross Maniacs Advance does offer three levels of difficulty to choose from, but in reality it will all depend on one thing and one thing only: learning the tracks. Once you get comfortable with controlling your motorbike, it is actually very easy to win a trophy in each of MMA's six cup races. In fact, I was actually able to obtain gold without ever busting into my power-up items. For this reason, the replay value of the game drops severely. So getting your friends together is an absolute must with Motocross Maniacs Advance.
Game Mechanics: MMA takes advantage of all four of the GBA's buttons. The A and B buttons work as the accelerator and nitro boost, respectively, while the R button is used for braking; the L for using power-ups. Chances are you won't ever hit the brakes (I didn't), and I never used a power-up (and still got gold) throughout the entire Championship Mode. Of course, power-ups may be a bit more useful when playing against your friends. Motocross Maniacs Advance is a simple, yet addictive, Excitebike clone. Unfortunately, the Championship Mode is very limited and doesn't offer much replay value. The extra modes of play are also so basic that they won't offer much in the fun factor department. In order to get the most from MMA, you will have to get your buddies together and sport some moto battles of your own. I would strongly suggest renting Motocross Maniacs Advance because you will most likely conquer the single-player game within your rental time. But do rent this title if you at all liked the Old Skool gaming of Excitebike; you won't be disappointed. Unfortunately, buying MMA may make your pocketbook tingle. You're better off saving your cash for another title.
-Woody, GameVortex Communications AKA Shane Wodele
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