Motocross Maniacs is a fun, but ultimately flawed portable racing experience
To understand these flaws, I have to briefly explain the gameplay. It is very similar to Excitebike on the NES, the difference being that you can only travel in two dimensions instead of three. The tracks are also a bit more extreme than Excitebike, featuring large loops and giant ramps as well as annoying gravel roads which slow your bike almost to a complete stop. To win a race you may have to either finish within a time limit or beat a computer controlled opponent. To help you win, your bike can use several nitrous boots - and this is where the game starts to break down.
You only have a limited amount of these boosts and when they run out, your bike will be unable to get off the slow gravel track and will inevitably lose the race. Sure, there are plenty of extra nitrous pickups you can grab along the track, but these are impossible to get if you run out of boosts. In some tracks, there are some ramps and loops which are impossible to get past without the precious boosting substance, so what do you do if you run out? You just sit there while the timer runs down until you lose.
Another annoying thing about the game is the difficulty level. Of course, the nitrous boosts (or lack thereof) make it difficult for you, but the game was already punishing to begin with. Good luck beating the 8 tracks on easy difficulty, let alone on the hardest setting. The CPU opponents move at the same speed as your bike, but unlike you, they seem to have an unlimited supply of nitrous boosts, so they can just speed through every obstacle on the course.
That's not to say everything about Motocross Maniacs is bad. When it's not making you tear your hair out with its obnoxious boost system, it can actually be a fun game. One of the most enjoyable features of it is the multiplayer mode, which allows you to race against a friend, provided they own this obscure title.
The music in the game is also a highlight. It doesn't just reprise the same music for different tracks, and features many different, catchy pieces throughout the whole game. One thing that does get repetitive are tracks. They are different, but they all seem to look like the same mix of loops, ramps and rocks. The background graphics are also repetitive, which consist of nothing more than a few signs on a blank, white background. The overall graphics are solid, though, and you are never left wondering what one of the sprites is supposed to be. What does the nitrous boost look like? A giant square with an N on it. What does the extra time pickup look like? A giant T. Motocross Maniacs' simplicity is one of its biggest assets.
Motocross Maniacs has all the makings of a solid racing game, but ultimately this is ruined by the boosting system and stupidly difficult gameplay. If you're not afraid of a challenge, and are prepared to attempt to conserve your nitrous boosts, why not give Motocross Maniacs a go?