MX Superfly
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Pacific Coast Power & Light
Genre: Racing
Release Date: June 17, 2002
Opinion: Kenny Lee
Probably the best MX game I've ever played on any system, MX Superfly has gone unbeknownst to thousands of gamers since its release in 2002, and completely went off radar when bigger brand titles like EA's Freekstyle hit the market. In my opinion, if there ever were to be one MX Superfly is the complete successor to the great Excitebike 64. Both games took MX racing seriously, giving gamers a somewhat simulated feel to the control mechanics of real motocross racing, but slammed players into ridiculous environments with exaggerated physics.
That's probably MX Superfly's most redeeming quality. It's not completely an arcade game, but it sure as hell is not a simulation either. It's got such a perfect balance between the two, providing constant arcade-like action, but avoids the shallow feeling most fast-paced games get after an hour or two. The reason these two forms mix so well probably relies more on the simulated aspects to this title. Although being relatively easy to begin with, a clear level of mastery is required to progress in the game, all chipped in with arcade-style levels. Give it time, and soon enough you'll be mapping every curve and hump in the game, figuring how far you should prefetch your suspension at each jump, so that you pass obstacles without losing speed. Once you get good enough you reach a zen-like state (at least I did), and without the competition nipping at your heels, zooming through the stage becomes a great stress reliever. Seriously, I never felt calmer playing a video game.
Aside from the single-player races I had a ton of fun with, it also sports a freestyle mode to pull tricks on. Blah. You're given a nice array of tricks to do, and they're fairly difficult to pull off, but who cares about that when you're given 5 multiplayer modes and 11 mini-games (also multiplayer capable) to compete in? They're not exactly mini mini-games though, and this is really where MX Superfly says goodbye to Excitebike 64, and becomes so much better. While some mini-games do indeed suck, others clearly had the thought put in. Take the high-jump for example. It's just you and/or a friend, running off a sand dune ramp and trying to pass the hurdle. Each time either of you passes it, it gets higher and you try again. It becomes a hectic competition because each time you pass the bar your timer resets, and you're given one minute to do it again. The man who masters the prefetch wins the day. And that's just one of eleven games, but happens to be one of my favorites.
Please don't be mislead, even though race is great and so is multiplayer, freestyle does not skimp, kind of. In freestyle mode, MX Superfly sports specific goals for you to accomplish in each level. Some of the smaller skill goals require you to say, pull a wheelie or a stoppie for a couple seconds. It's hilarious when you make a competition of it with a friend, as both of you are balancing on one wheel, bouncing around like idiots the first time on their bikes. And better yet, some of the non-skill objectives are brilliant in their execution. In all honesty, what other MX game sits you in an abandoned Western town in the middle of a massive canyon, and tells you to find the UFO crash landing site? Because of the fantastic level design, you (and a friend as it should be) will be ramping off walls, doing your best to find the secret passages that lead to your alien buddy. Once you find it, the satisfaction that washes over you makes it all worth it.
I can't stress enough how great MX Superfly is. It's got problems, like the slightly floaty physics, perhaps the tame graphics (though it was made in 2002), and the extremely weak level designer, but I never cared in the slightest. I've been recommending this game to anyone who will hear me, and for some it did not ignite the spark that it did with me. That's a true shame, because for me MX Superfly provided an experience that was truly rare. If you're interested in what I've been saying, make sure you're not an absolute action arcade freak, because the game has some nuances that will fly by those who don't have the patience. Bottom line, if you really enjoyed Excitebike 64, with its undoubtedly lower price MX Superfly should be your next best thing, if not better.
