Excite Bike 64 is sure to be a classic.

This game was tested with the memory expansion installed.

The long awaited sequel to Excite Bike is finally here. 20 tracks, a track editor, 6 authentic riders, the original excite bike, and several multi player game modes. This motor cross motorcycle racer has it all. Superb graphics, a good frame rate, and realistic physics.
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The graphics on Excite Bike 64 are excellent. The riders and tracks look realistic with out the blurry and muddy textures Nintendo 64 is infamous for. And the backgrounds look photo realistic. There is occasional clipping, but not enough to detract from the game. I was a bit worried after reading some previews in Electronic Gaming Monthly, but they are notorious for there shoddy coverage of the N64. Some of the effects are excellent, like the rain and the lightning. Others like the lens flair are a bit far fetched. The lens flair in this game almost looks like a stop light. I assume they were trying to make it look like a light spectrum. Let me nitpick about some vines and vegetation in the rain forest, that have that familiar flat look that has been in other racers. It's really a nitpick of the whole graphical look, but it really is the only thing that may make you suspend belief that you are racing some mean bikes. Both the riders and bikes look excellent. What I like is the attention to detail. For example, the exhaust, you can see the smoke coming out of the exhaust, and when you over heat the smoke turns black. The option for letter box high resolution graphics is there, but to tell you the truth I can't notice a difference, except the frame rates slow down and the viewable screen is smaller. I would have given the game a 10 in graphics except for the over used lens flair, occasional clipping, and a few, very few, flat graphics.

GRAPHICS: 9.7
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The controls are excellent trigger is the turbo, blue is the gas, green is the brake and backs up, and the R button puts your foot down so you can slide your bike through the turns. After about 10 minuets you'll catch on. I highly suggest a quick run through the tutorial. Beating the courses in season mode unlocks extra tracks and new multi player modes. I was ecstatic to see the original Excite Bike included in this game. It becomes available after you complete the tutorial. The bikes handle good, with the exception of occasionally getting stuck on the track walls. After playing for awhile you'll be able to catch massive air. One of the biggest rushes you'll feel is taking a jump, just the right way, slinging you into massive air, landing on the down slope going into the next jump and repeating. It truly is exhilarating. And the best part is when you wreck. Riders and bike fall realistically. I found myself laughing at myself when I wrecked and my rider flipped of the handle bars and rolled, then grabbed his leg. The physics in this game are superb. The bikes actually dig differently into different terrain. The AI is pretty smart also. I often sweared at the computer when he stopped on the corners and wrecked me, then put his fists up in the air as he rode past me. The computer doesn't ride a preset path like most racing games. Instead you will see them wreck, and flip off their bike when they make a mistake. I also have a small gripe with the fact that the computer only tries to wreck you and never the other riders. Another complaint with the way this game plays is the few times I get my bike stuck on the wall and can't seem to get it off. The riders get better as you progress through the ranks from novice to amateur to pro, which leads to stiffer competition. This game is actually challenging.

GAME PLAY: 9.5
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The track design is excellent. There are both indoor and outdoor tracks, and when you get tired of those you can create your own with the track editor which is included. The track editor only lets you create indoor tracks, so they are limited in length. About 20 tracks are included in the game. The conditions on the tracks vary. I found myself racing through a rainstorm and when lightning struck my jaw about hit the floor. The early tracks are pretty easy, but as you advance the tracks get narrower leaving less margin for error. The tracks are also memorable. I don't think I can forget racing through the rain forest during the thunderstorm, or the huge make it or break it jump across the canyon in the canyon course, and then there is the section of the gravel pits where you jump not one but two trains. Another thing I like is the variety of this game. The outdoor tracks have short cuts, so it pays of to explore, while the indoor tracks have no short cuts and it's just heads up racing that determines the winner. Two thumbs up for track design. The biggest problem with racing games on the Nintendo 64 is the lack of tracks, with Excite Bike 64 this is not a problem.

TRACKS: 10
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This is the first motor cross game on the N64 to actually sound like a motorcycle. The music is hardly noticeable once you start riding. The commentary is the same over and over which tends to get a little old. Wrecks are decent, but could use a little more intensity. I did notice a sound glitch in lefty's mill track. The sound becomes a static mess as you drive over the wooden floor. It's alright after you get out of the short tunnel, but it sounds horrid while your in there, especially with a few other racers in the tunnel. However, I'm giving it a good score because the engines sound great.

SOUND: 7
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There are several modes of multi player action. You can race a friend in an exhibition race on a pre made track or one that you created yourself. You can play a soccer game, where you are on a field and have to hit a giant soccer ball in your opponents goal with your motorcycle. You can challenge your fiend to an uphill climb and see who can get the farthest up the hill. All in all I like the soccer mode and uphill climb a lot. The frame rates drop a bit in multi player, but not enough to impede game play. The split screen races are cropped. In 2 player races the left and right sides have black bars, making the windows smaller. On my 32 inch TV, this isn't too much of a problem, though it is slightly annoying. On a smaller TV it could be a turn off for some. The 4 player is cropped slightly, but not bad. Making the windows only very slightly smaller. I'm assuming this was done to have a better view of the jumps ahead, without these jumps covering your entire view of what's ahead. Not too many games offer this many modes of multi player action.

MULTI PLAYER: 9.2
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Excite Bike 64 gets my blood pumping. The graphics are some of the best on N64, and I'd love to put it up against the Dreamcast any day. The air is huge and the sense of speed is there once you learn how to keep your speed up around the corners and through the jumps. The inclusion of the original Excite Bike is sure to bring back good memories for those older gamers, the track editor allows you to design an infinite number of tracks, and the amount of different game play modes was a nice bonus. I bough Excite Bike 64 the day it came out. I didn't put it down. I played and played and played. Then I looked at the clock. I had stayed up all night playing and it was time for work in an hour. What else could I do? I skipped work and kept playing! I highly recommend you buy this game today!

TOTAL SCORE: 9.3