MX 2002 Featuring Ricky Carmichael

The first time we saw Charmichael on Game Boy Color, the title was met with numerous limitations, mostly due to the little power Game Boy Color was able to provide. While still receiving fair reviews, it seemed the only thing hindering the progress of the game was the system. Now we are seeing what difference the Game Boy Advance hardware makes.

MX 2002 attempts to present a 3D environment throughout the game. This is quite a commendable effort on Tiertex's part as few others have even attempted this on such a small screen size. While the 3D aspect of the game gives MX 2002 some visual flair, some parts of the graphics are just awkward on the tiny screen of the GBA.

Textures used off-road and on the dirt trails make things slightly nauseating or even confusing at times as similar patterns are used. Staying on the track can be a problem when you are unable to tell the surrounding areas from the track due to similarly toned textures. Riders will find that they have a high tendency to drift and crash because of this. In addition, some textures cause the pace of the game to feel slow and a bit dragged out with no real sense of speed, giving everything a tired feel after a while. The different weather conditions are a nice addition to the track variety though. Also, do not forget to put the right parts on your bike for the race conditions.

The sidelines of the track are sparsely decorated with people, trees, and buildings. The problem with this is that they are overtly two-dimensional and remain flat in contrast to the 3D graphics. The game pits up to eight players competing on each track at the same time. The amazing thing about this is that nothing here really causes the game slow down and each rider model remains complete even when they're all displayed at once.

Controlling this game is no sweat. Given that the game runs in a 3D environment, players will be able to tilt their bikes up or down, gaining more or less air time as a result. Additionally, riders can perform a number of freestyle moves depending on what direction of the control pad they press along with the shoulder buttons. Tricks won't take more than a minute to get down pat. Being able to land the bike at the end of a trick is the key to success.

Music found in the menus of the game fits MX 2002 nicely, and doesn't have time to get repetitive or annoying. However, the in-game tunes don't flow as well, and after a while becomes trying on the ears. Your best bet is to leave the in-game music off in the options menu, and listen to the humming sound of the bikes on the course. Funny thing about this is, that the in-game music is set off as a default, making you wonder why it wasn't improved or even taken out before MX 2002's release. Nothing besides the droning of the bikes and occasional sounds of crashes with other players can be found sound effects wise, but these are done well enough to be the only two bites needed to fulfill the audio department of the game.

MX 2002 offers three different modes of play, the first being the race for the Championship. Here, you complete a season of competition on either 250cc or 125cc bikes, in order to advance to the Final Heat and win the Championship. Besides both the 250 and 125 circuits, Championship also contains a Freestyle mode where you compete with other riders, taking turns at earning points for a chance to prevail as the games Freestyle Champ.

Though it seems like the Championship Mode is the majority of the game, MX 2002 also gives players the chance to enter in the THQ U.S. Open. This places you and seven other riders in an indoor area to advance through the brackets and triumph over the final round competition. The last mode is the game's Quick Race, which offers a number of open tracks that provide one race in either engine circuit or the games freestyle mode.

Through the different classes, there are up to 30 different riders available. Besides Ricky Charmichael, the lineup also consists of playable riders like Mike Larocco, Kevin Windham, Ezra Lusk, Carey Hart, Trevor Vines, Mike Jones, and James Stewart. With the amount of riders, players can take advantage of using them all and extend the value of the game just a bit further than normal.