Excitebike 64

    Don't you just love Nintendo. They take the most popular games from older systems, update them, and produce some of the best games on the N64. Exicitebike 64 is no exception. It has everything the original had and much much more. Hell, it even has the original INCLUDED!
    I am a big fan of motocross. I ride motorcycles, I watch the races on TV, and I really enjoy the video games based on the sport. But I think back to all the games I thought were good (Jeremy McGrath Supercross 2000, Dirt Trax FX, Motocross Madness), and I realize they are really crappy compared to Excitebike 64. This is the real deal. While it may not have the official licenses like JM Supercross 2000, it has a couple things that game doesn't: realistic physics, and CHALLENGE! Dirt Trax FX was groundbreaking back in the days of the SNES, but the gameplay sucks. Motocross Madness: it looks pretty good, and there is good challenge (a bit TOO challenging), and is probably the best of the motocross games to simply pick up and play. But overall, Excitebike 64 is better.
    First off, the amazing physics in this game. Everything feels spot on. If you have ever ridden a dirt bike at any speed, and have gone over jumps, you should know what it feels like: and Excitebike 64 emulates that feeling better than any other moto X game out there. Going around corners, over jumps, through whoop setions, and everything else just seems right. Also, the riders themselves are much more animaated than in most moto X games. Their bodies move, their heads look around, and just make the physics seem even more realistic. One glitch, however, is that if your bike gets up next to a wall taller than a hay bale, your rider flies off. That's just f'd up. But, just stay off the wall, and you'll be fine.
    The controls in Excitebike 64 take a bit of getting used to. There are several different ways to control your bike, and it is absolutely necessary to learn them all. Hitting 'b' is the brakes, and will slow you down (duh). "R" locks your front brakes and causes your rear wheel to slide around, so you can take corners sharper and faster. 'B' and 'R' at the same time while turning will whip your rear wheel around even faster, but at a severe loss of speed. And those controls are just for cornering, jumping, landing, and doing everything else takes it's own set of controls. When jumping: use your turbo up to the base of the jump, then let off. At the top of the jump, hit the turbo again for an extra burst. While in the air, look at where you want to land, and angle the bike so your wheels land square, that way you won't lose any speed. Throughout the race, don't just hold down the turbo, because slowing down while your bike cools down will lose you more races than it will win you. Just tap the turbo button throughout straight aways, and always watch the temperature gauge. And, if need be, take out another rider to reset your temperature gauge.
    The actual racing in Excitebike 64 is some of the best out there. You actually have to out race the computer riders to beat them. It's not just a case of taking every shortcut and winning. Sure, you can take shortcuts, but you'll still need to be almost perfect to win. Now, don't think this is frustrating, because it actually is really fun to have conpetition for once. The computer racers don't just take the same line through every lap either. They'll try anything in order to get ahead of you. Also, the computer racers aren't afraid to cut you off and cause you to crash. The AI in this game is actually pretty good, and that is a welcome change to all of the easy racers out there right now. The championship mode is very fun and challenging, and the racing is so fun, you'll want to race every circuit until you win every race in the game (much much harder than you'd think). In fact, the racing is so fun that I do something I almost never, e-e-e-e-ver do: time trials. Trying to get the fastest times is actually very fun in this game. It kicks major ass.
    When you beat the different rounds in each difficulty, you will open up new modes. The original Excitebike is included, as is a Desert mode (like the waypoint races in Motocross Madness) and a stunt mode. Also included are several fun extras. A soccer mode for multiplayer is very well done and very fun. A hill climb mode (easily one of the best modes in the entire game) is very very challenging, and will keep you coming back for more. And, perhaps THE best mode: Excitebike 3-D. Excitebike 3-D is one track, and plays like the normal game in Excitebike 64. But the track is dead on straight, and contains the same jumps and other features as the original Excitebike, only now in 3-D. It's pretty damn fun, and trying for the best time on this mode is really fun.
    Now, for the graphics and sound. At first, when you turn on the game, you will be disappointed. The Excitebike 64 logo when you start the game is pixelated and crappy looking. The riders in the background of the intro are crappy looking. But, it isn't that bad when you actually play it. The riders and bikes look really good. There are some absolutely horrid looking spots in the scenery around the tracks, but nothing that hurts the gameplay. As for the sound: the sound of the bikes is the best I've heard in a game. It's so real. The music, on the other hand, is boring and kinda sucks. The sound effects are pretty good though, and the beeping when your temp is too high is actually useful.
    Overall, Excitebike 64 is a solid buy. The things that appeal to me are the realism in the physics, and the extremely challenging championship mode. Not only do you get a great regular series of races, but you also get all the extra modes and races. It is very fun, and well worth the money. If you are a motocross fan, or just a fan of good racing games, Excitebike 64 is for you!