Games for Lunch: Honda Superbike World Championship
In a nutshell: A game for superbike superfans only.
6/26/2008 6:18 PM | 0 Comments | Page 1 of 3
Developer: Valcon
Publisher: Milestone
Release Date: March 21, 2008
Systems: PSP (reviewed), PS2
ESRB Rating: E10+
Official Web site
0:00 I tend to like bike racing games, and this one sounds positively Super. Eh? Eh?
0:01 "Bikes included in this game may be different from real bikes in performance, shape and color," reads a quick disclaimer. So is there any way in which they're realistic?
0:02 Some grainy video of what looks like a real bike races play through an odd filter. Inappropriate opera music swells in the background. The only exciting part is when the bikers fly off the bikes during the crashes. Otherwise, it's kind of dull to watch.
0:03 Most of this minute spent loading the menu screen. At least there are a couple of pictures of pretty girls to keep me occupied.
0:04 The menu screen features more gratuitous hot girls, along with more decidedly low-res video of bike racers. Points for the effort, though.
0:05 The options screen lets me toggle a wide variety of simulation options, including "launch control system," "manual rider weight" and "motorbike damage." Luckily, I can just pick the "arcade" setting and not worry about poring over the options.
0:06 I can jump into a Quick Race, but I choose Championship because it's part of the game's title. I can choose between a few different bikes, each with their own horsepower and weight stats. Or I can ignore that and just choose based on the simple ten-point scale, which I guess just measures the general awesomeness of the bike. Why no stats for things like handling, brakes, etc., I wonder?
0:08 I settle on the perfect-10-rated Alstare Suzuki, and then get to choose from a grand total of one rider: Yukio Kagayama. One more, Max Biaggi, is apparently unlockable. It seems the available riders are each wedded to a specific bike. This might be realistic (for all I know) but it comes off as cheesy to a newcomer like me.
0:09 The number of laps is set at "15 %" by default. To me, that suggests that a full race would be so mind-numbingly boring that the designers felt the need to tone it down. Not a good sign.
0:10 A video vignette introduces the Doha, Qatar speedway. The grainy stock footage shots aren't really getting me pumped up here.
0:11 Good lord! Here's the full list of the races available during the "race weekend:" Free Practice 1; Qualifying Practice 1; Qualifying Practice 2; Free Practice 2; Superpole; Warm Up; Race 1; and Race 2. Sheesh! Who has time to do all that stuff? I'm a busy guy here! Luckily, I can skip most of the prelims and jump straight to "Race 1."
0:12 This entire minute spent looking at more girls on a loading screen.
0:13 Even MORE settings! I can adjust the tire types, the suspension, the handlebars, the gears, and more. Points for the nod to realism, but I really couldn't care less about bike tuning.
0:14 We're racing. The graphics are decent enough -- for a
first-generation game on the original PlayStation! Oh yeah, I went there.
0:15 After jumping ahead of the pack in the first straightaway, I have to jam on the brakes to make a long, super-slow turn. Repeat this process for turns two and three. I don't brake hard enough on turn four and spin out on the grass. Note to self: motorbike + grass = bad combination.
