Moto Racer 3

Publisher: Atari
Developer: Delphine Soft.
Genre: Motocross Racing
Release Date: Jan 31, 2002
ESRB: EVERYONE
Number of Players: 1-8

Released six years ago by Electronic Arts, the original Moto Racer capably blended the two distinct disciplines of superbike and motocross into one explosive package and proved to be one of the first truly satisfying PC motorcycle racing games ever produced. 1999's Moto Racer 2 offered numerous new perks and even more options, yet it failed to deliver an appreciably better ride at a time when motorcycle racing was really beginning to take off with the likes of Microsoft's Motocross Madness. Now, with Moto Racer 3, returning developer Delphine Software and new publisher Infogrames have upped the ante considerably by somehow squeezing almost every conceivable form of two-wheeled competition on a single disc. From speed-drenched blacktop racing to dirt-encrusted supercross and motocross, trick-crazy freestyle, painstaking trials, and even a certifiably suicidal "traffic" mode, the game seemingly covers all the bases. Unfortunately, it also feels awkward and incomplete. In attempting to be all things to all PC motorcycle enthusiasts, Moto Racer 3 isn't quite as enjoyable or as polished as it could have been.

That's not to say it is not without its charms, the foremost of which is its stunningly diverse selection of racing alternatives. In speed mode, you'll hurtle through long and accommodating paved racecourses at breakneck speed, the wind buffeting your helmeted head as you negotiate wide straightaways and huge sweeping corners. In supercross/motocross mode, you'll bounce and be bounced over a series of sadistically undulating dirt tracks, thrilling to the inevitable air time you'll experience yet struggling to keep your tires on the ground, where they can translate the power you so dearly want to apply. As a freestyle rider, you'll use ramps, knolls, moguls, and whatever other launching devices you'll find strewn about the vicinity to grab the biggest air and perform the most death-defying stunts before the constantly ticking timer counts down to zero. In the trials mode, you'll slowly and meticulously balance and maneuver your steed over an obstacle course designed to topple you to the ground at just the slightest miscue, and in traffic mode you'll blitz through the virtual streets of downtown Paris, trying to outride your single opponent to the finish line without first being beaten into escargot by a frenzied Parisian rush-hour motorist.

Minimum System Requirements
System: PIII 450 or equivalent
RAM: 64 MB
Video Memory: 16 MB
Hard Drive Space: 650 MB

Recommended System Requirements
System: PIII 600 or equivalent
RAM: 128 MB
Video Memory: 32 MB

Screen Shots