Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2

Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 surprised me. I didn't get into the PlayStation 2 version when I rented it earlier this year, so I was a little skeptical as to how good the game would be on GameCube. But within the first thirty minutes of play, I had forgotten about my previous experience with Dave Mirra 2 and immediately fell in love with the game. I can't say that the GameCube version plays better, but I love the game now more than ever, so maybe this is the best version. Surprisingly, the funky button layout of the GameCube controller did not screw up the gameplay at all. I never once had trouble hitting any of the buttons. Acclaim deserves a lot of credit for this, since they are one of the few developers who managed to make a port of a PlayStation 2 game function the same on the 'Cube. I honestly didn't think such a feat was possible, except for racing and role-playing games.

Dave Mirra 2 plays quite differently from Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX. Mat Hoffman is basically a BMX biking version of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 -- you ride around, collect things and try to beat the highest scores to gain access to the next level. It's a lot of fun to play and all, but it's getting to the point where some gamers may begin to get sick of extreme sports games. Luckily, Dave Mirra 2 is much more unique, offering gamers a plethora of different challenges to complete. Sometimes it'll be as easy as gaining a certain point total or knocking over four well-hidden ladders, while other times you'll have to jump 25 feet into the air and jump over several gaps. Respect points are the key to success. To earn them, you must complete every level goal you can and find other bikers who will add more challenges to the list. By completing those challenges, you'll impress them, earning their respect (and gain more respect points).

Game modes include: Proquest, Session, Free Ride, Multiplayer and the Park Editor. In Proquest, you take your chosen BMX biker from a no-name loser with zero respect, to a big-time BMX master who shows the competition no mercy. As stated above, respect points are very important in this mode. For every 5,000 respect points earned, a new bike will be unlocked. The new bike increases your riding attributes (Air, Speed, Spins, Balance, Technique, Manuals, Landing and Wallrides), giving you another reason to earn as much respect as possible. To pass the level, you must complete a specific number of challenges. Some challenges in the game are only available after you talk to another biker. The biker challenges have five different difficulty levels: Rookie, Amateur, Pro, Hardcore and Insane. Fortunately, you don't have to start out as a BMX master to beat Dave Mirra 2. You're only required to complete the challenges through Pro level to beat the game. But if you want to entirely finish Dave Mirra 2, you must complete the Hardcore and Insane challenges as well. I think it goes without saying that this is by far the most entertaining mode in the game.

Session and Free Ride are similar modes. Neither of them require you to complete any challenges or do anything that you don't feel like doing. Session mode allows you to break your high score and set new records, while Free Ride is strictly a "free" ride. It's fun for a while, but the replay value isn't nearly as high as Proquest.

Let's not get into the multiplayer mode, because my Mom always said that if "you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." And I don't have anything nice to say about Dave Mirra 2's multiplayer mode.

Last, but certainly not least, is the Park Editor mode. Tony Hawk 3's park editor is good, but this is even better. The depth is amazing -- anything you do in Tony Hawk you can do in Dave Mirra 2 and then some! The toolbar allows you to place many different things in your park, including: stairs, hips, props, bridges, ramps, kickers, quarter pipes and much, much more! PC games have had deep level editors for many years, but none of them are as fun and easy to use as this. I hope that Dave Mirra 3 is playable online and will allow gamers to trade their home-made parks with each other.

Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 is one of the best games of the year on any system. There are a lot of great games out there, so you may be wondering whether or not that statement holds water. Well, let me tell you -- I've played around 20 games have for the GameCube, some of which aren't even due out until next year. Of those 20 games, which include Pikmin, Rogue Leader, Luigi's Mansion, Wave Race: Blue Storm, Super Smash Bros. and Star Fox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet -- Dave Mirra 2 is my third favorite. Sales figures show that most gamers are buying three games with their new consoles this Christmas. I assume that most of you already have your first two titles picked out, so make your third game Dave Mirra 2. Make it your first if you can. Christmas won't be here for almost a week, so you still have time to tell Santa what you want. If it's too late though, then rent the game as soon as you can. You'll have a biking-good time!

 Gameplay: 8.8
"...And then I played this game -- now I'm a believer! Not a trace of doubt in my mind. I'm in loooooooooove. I'm a believer, I couldn't stop playing, if I tried." Crazy Taxi received a higher score because of the history I had with that game, but right now, I'm enjoying Dave Mirra 2 more than just about anything else on the GameCube. The controls are excellent and the gameplay is very addictive, but challenging enough so that you won't beat it in a couple of days, even if you play it non-stop.

Graphics: 7.5
Giving Dave Mirra's 2 graphics a score was hard for two reasons: 1) this game looks great. 2) But most of the exclusive GameCube games look better. This makes sense, of course, but that unfortunately makes DM2 look less beautiful. The graphics are crisper (a new trend with many PS2-to-GameCube ports) and the backgrounds are more impressive than ever. But after playing Rogue Leader, Luigi's Mansion or Pikmin, and Dave Mirra 2 isn't nearly as impressive.

Sound: 6
Summer Time is a great song, or at least it was a great song four or five years ago when it first came out. Now it just seems kind of dated, as do most of the game's tracks.

Difficulty: 8
Tony Hawk/Mat Hoffman fans may have a hard time playing Dave Mirra 2 at first. The enormous levels are much deeper than any of the stages in Mat Hoffman’s Pro BMX. And while most of Tony Hawk 3's levels aren't necessarily bigger (though some of them definitely are), the scope is much wider, making it a lot easier to find things. Does this make Dave Mirra 2 any less fun? No, it just means that you'll have to practice and explore a lot more to succeed.

Concept: 7.5 
Mat Hoffman was a terrific game, but let's face it -- as a whole, the game was basically Tony Hawk on a bike. Dave Mirra 2 is much more than that. Instead of simply trying to copy what others had done, Acclaim created many new play mechanics and objectives for this game, giving its players a unique experience they won't find anywhere else.

Multiplayer: 5
Can this even be considered a multiplayer game? Two gamers can play together...but they must TAKE TURNS! How ridiculous is that? Tony Hawk 2 offered a split-screen two-player mode on the ancient PSone and Nintendo 64 game consoles, yet Dave Mirra 2 forces you to alternate with a friend. Is it just me, or is there something horribly wrong with this picture?

Overall: 8.7
PlayStation 2 owners are in a really bad predicament right now. They got Dave Mirra 2 first, but GameCube and Xbox owners got the better version, with not one, but TWO brand-new levels! I would like to see this sort of thing continue with future game ports. Generally I'm not overly enthused by old games being ported to new consoles, but if the developer adds enough justify a purchase, then I support them 100%. I can't say that you should buy DM2 if you already own the PS2 version, but if you don't, get it for the 'Cube. Next to Tony Hawk 3, it's the best extreme sports game of the year.