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| Cornering! |
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| Far away! |
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| | Moto GP |
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| Number Of Players: | 2 |
| I-link/Internet: | No |
| Publisher: | Namco |
| Developer: | Namco |
| Genre: | Racing |
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| | Full Review: |
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Moto GP is a title that was lucky to make it out of Japan. After poor sales due to lack of recognition in the East, it looked unlikely that Moto GP would make it to the West. Fortunately, Namco brought it over here, and at the same time, made it much, much stronger. Whilst this is an arcade game at heart, it has also been brought up to the standards of a motorbike simulation.
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| | Gameplay |
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Arriving early on in Playstation 2�s life, Moto GP faced little competition on the racing scene. Upon release, the few racing games available were receiving mediocre scores. At the same time, Gran Turismo 3, the obvious hit, was still being put back, making Moto GP the ideal game to go for during the three month wait ahead. However, with huge hits such as Burnout 2 and Gran Turismo 3 now available, though Moto GP manages to maintain its high level of solidarity, it is easily over-shadowed.
Moto GP is not an arcade game when it comes to handling the bikes. Racing lines, speed and braking are all just as important as in a game such as GT3. This is not the kind of game you can play successfully by holding X and cutting corners. You must learn the tracks and take each one in the same way as an experienced Moto GP racer would. Conversely, it is an arcade game from the point of view of the crashes and falls. A true bike simulation could see you out of the race and into a hospital for the slightest of errors in steering on corners. Whilst it is possible to fall off in a high-speed collision, you are quickly returned to the course, and can continue having only lost a few positions. Whilst this mix of arcade feel makes the game hard to define, it is in fact a nice balance that makes this game fantastic to play.
Basic modes in the game include single arcade races, two player races and season mode. The more interesting of these is the season mode, as this is where you can earn access to more powerful bikes, end sequences and mirror tracks. However, the mode that is of greatest interest is challenge mode. Roughly 50 challenges of impressive variety will take up the bulk of your time on this game. The goals include short sections of track used as time trials (similar to GT3�s licence tests), winning races within a lap, winning whole seasons, and avoiding all collisions. Together, these provide an impressive target, spread over the five main courses: Suzuka, Paul Ricard, Jerez, Donington and Motegi.
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| | Graphics |
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Sadly, the graphical side is where Moto GP loses out to the more recent releases like GT3. The draw distance is top notch, leading to zero pop-up. However, whilst the rider and background details are impressive, they can�t touch GT3�s supreme looks. No matter how hard it tries, it can�t make the trees the way Polyphony did. Still, there are a lot of nice touches which take it a step closer to GT3�s brilliance, in the form of reflections on the bike, visible wind effects, and unrelated events such as planes taking off nearby. For its time, Moto GP was one of the best looking around.
Clever camera action, rising heat shimmer and top class visuals make the replays one of the most impressive features in the game. Were somebody to walk in during a replay, they could be excused for thinking you were watching television!
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| | Sound |
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The sound is actually quite interesting. The engine noises can best be described as a steroid filled mosquito stuck in a metallic barrel. This may sound odd, however it creates a very authentic noise. The music however, is slightly less impressive. Whilst some of the tunes are quite pleasant, there isn�t a special theme, but fortunately this is barely noticeable.
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| | Overall |
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Overall, it�s perhaps a mix of Burnout and Gran Turismo 3, except stuck on two wheels. Plenty of arcade thrills can be found here, as well as some simulation elements to keep motorbike fanatics happy for months.
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| Score |
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| | Gameplay
An odd mix, but fairly good fun. Tough handling.
| 8.0 | |
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Graphics
Good replays, but lacks real track and scenery detail.
| 7.5 |
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Lastability
Lots of challenges, but only 5 proper tracks.
| 7.1 |
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Sound
Decent engines, but not the best music ever.
| 7.2 |
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Overall
It may be platinum, but so is GT3. For motorbike fans mainly.
| 7.5 |
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| | Alternatively: |
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You could also check out Gran Turismo 3, for a more polished driving game. Gran Turismo tackles both the arcade and simulation sides of racing. There is a lot more to think about on top of which corners are where.
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