Review By: Jared Black
Developer:	Namco
Publisher:	Namco
# of Players:	1-2
Genre:	Racing
ESRB:	Everyone
Date Posted:	11-1-00

Gameplay modes include Arcade, Season, Time Trial, and Versus. In Arcade mode you race one race, in Time Trial mode you race to get the best time on that particular track (this includes the ability to race a ghost of your previous fastest time), and in Versus mode two people can race split-screen. In the Season mode, you start out by picking a racing team to race for as well as the number of laps you want each race to last. Each season consists of five tracks, with the option to practice and qualify (if you opt not to qualify you start last) before each race begins. Depending on the difficulty setting for your Season, you'll compile points (based on your finish in each race) over the course of three to five seasons. At the end of those seasons, whoever has the most points is the winner. Depending on your performance, at the end of each season your racing team will either give you a contract extension or release you. If you're released, you then go to another racing team and compete for them.

The control setup for the game is very simple. There's one button each for gas, brake, and up/down shifting. The controller setup is very standard (such as the X button being used for gas), and takes very little time to adjust to. What does take time to adjust to is the actual handling of your bikes. Since this is an arcade game, a lot of moves that would cause you to wreck in real life (such as bumping other bikers at high speeds) merely slow you down a little. You still can wreck, but it takes a very direct hit to cause you to eat concrete. The main hurdle in the controls is mastering the constant breaking and accelerating required on each GP track. This game requires much more braking than your typical racing game, and handling the twists and turns on each track is essential to victory. Flooring it the entire race won't cut it here.

Even in the motorcycle handling, it's evident that Moto GP has an arcade heritage. Although the bikes do mimic real life in that you have to stay on the brakes a lot to make each hairpin turn (just like a real motorcycle race), the computer will assist you by slowing down your engine artificially as you steer through the turn. This sounds worse than it really sounds; it allows the action to stay fast and furious and makes the game more accessible to novice players. With the simulation mode turned on, this computer assistance goes away and you'll wipe out much more often. Thus, if you're a stickler for realism and don't like the computer assistance it can be turned off.

Unfortunately, this game's arcade background is also its main downfall. Since the game only features five tracks and a limited selection of drivers and teams, you quickly run out of new things to see. This problem is only made worse by the similar feel of every bike. Namco did attempt to fix this distinct lack of replay value by including things to unlock (including real pictures of different tracks and drivers, mirrored tracks to unlock, additional drivers, etc.) if you meet certain challenges, but to be honest most of these additions are extremely lame and feel like they were thrown in at the very end of the development cycle. Only the hardest of hardcore motorcycle fans will care that they've unlocked a picture of Driver X holding up a trophy. I'm a hardcore Baltimore Orioles fan, but that doesn't mean I want to unlock pictures of Cal Ripken in my next baseball game.

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