MX Superfly is the first motocross game to be released for the Gamecube, fans of the genre should be pleased with what THQ has brought to the table with this title.  Expect 22 courses, 14 real-life racers, and a multitude of motorcycle models.  MX is a legitimate sequel to last year's PS2 Ricky Carmichael motocross game and when compared to the PS2 original MX is a far more complete game, both control-wise and visually.  There are also a handful of exclusive areas in Superfly, like Loretta Lynnís, the Outdoor Nationals, the Free Ride Moto-X Championships and the THQ US Open.  MX Superfly is not necessarily about high-speed high-performance racing but rather enormous jumps and stunts and negotiating a variety of terrain with split-second decisions.

The main mode is career mode, which offers hours of entertainment and allows you to compete in various events.  You’ll start out at the bottom and work your way to the top gradually.  From the onset, you will have to scrape together enough cash, by completing tutorials and races, in order to compete in a season.  After successfully competing in a non-professional season you’ll be given access to the Pro 125 Class and be able to ride 250cc motorcycles.  Career mode will consistently open up new activities to keep you busy assuming you put in the time to rack up enough cash.  Things like minimal bike-customizations become available, like being able to tweak your suspension from soft to tight.  The rest of the modes included are exhibition race, freestyle, mini-game, multiplayer and a track editor.  Some of these modes can be fun, like the expanded and enhanced exhibition and freestyle modes, which include entire courses specifically created around the concept of pulling off some incredibly impressive big-air stunts.  There is also 11 mini-games to be unlocked (compared to the PS2’s 2) and allow you to do things like deliver pizzas to certain locations within a time limit or play a motor-bike version of HORSE.  Sadly, these mini-games feel like they were thrown in as an afterthought, but its an appreciated addition nonetheless. 

The gameplay elements of Superfly is hands down the most intuitive of any motocross game for any next-gen console.  The basics include moving around with the analog stick, accelerating with the A button and breaking with the B button.  But there are strategies and methods for more advanced controllability included like using the clutch to gain an extra burst of momentum; by holding down the clutch while accelerating and then letting off the clutch to propel you forward you can get an extra burst of speed out of your bike.  Tapping on the B button while cornering will put you into a power-slide that will raise your overall score and help you to shave precious seconds off your run.  Also, while you’re in the air you can push the analog stick forward or back and perform front and back-flips.  Likewise, you can push right or left on the analog stick while in the air to execute full 360-degree sideways turns.  MX also sports a wide assortment of stunts, by holding the r-trigger in combination with face-buttons you can pull off cool stunts like the Rodeo Air, Kiss of Death, and the Shao-Lin Air.  It may take some time to become accustomed to using the r-trigger and face-buttons in tandem but after your comfortable with this method it proves to be an entertaining and addictive facet of the game.

One of the funnest things about this game is negotiating the terrain, every course is meticulously crafted so that those seemingly random inclines and bumps are actually there for a reason, and come in useful when you are running a smooth race.  Bikes feel feather-light and float through the air with incredible ease, giving you the chance to pull off crazy stunts with time left over to reposition your bike in accordance with the ground.  The various bumps and inclines dictate that you position the bike for the smoothest landing.  Obviously taking inspiration from Excitebike 3D, Superfly is all about maneuvering your bike while accounting for all three dimensions.  Luckily, the control is smooth and responsive, cornering takes some getting used to but after about an hour of practice you should be ok.  I do have one gripe about the mechanics of the game however; if you attempt to cut even the smallest corner while racing, the game will automatically make you crash, this may have been a necessary thing to implement to avoid blatant cheating but it still feels a tad cheesy and annoying.

Visually MX Superfly looks good, but it certainly won’t be winning any technical achievement awards.  Some of the textures on objects in and around courses look downright god-awful and seem like they were ripped straight out of a first generation PSX game.  Other than that though, the graphics are sharp and realistic.  The various bike models are detailed and look great, the character models are also rendered very well.  There are around 15 songs that loop repeatedly throughout the process of the game, a few of which are generic, most of which are jarring and annoying, and one or two that are actually entertaining, but even those get old after hearing them for the 50^th time.  Sound effects are appropriate, the roars of the engines sound realistic and commanding.

The amount of mini-game fodder in MX Superfly takes the attention away from the game’s real entertainment: career mode.  Career mode on its own is worth the price of admission but even then, you’ll only get around 10-15 hours of playtime out of the game.  The multiplayer aspects can potentially increase the lifespan of the game for months though, and the fact that this is the first worthwhile motocross game for the ‘Cube and also sports a cool create-a-track feature makes it a title that any gamer should be proud to have in their collection.

Gameplay: 8.1
Gameplay is very easy to pick up and you’ll be learning new maneuvers and control methods well into the game.  The stunt system is a little awkward at first but once it’s mastered you’ll find that pulling off stunts while navigating the complex terrain is incredibly engaging and addictive.  The ability to re-position your bike with ease is also a welcome addition since split-second decisions will have to be made constantly.

Graphics: 7.7
Definitely an improvement over last year’s PS2 offerings but still a little rough around the edges in areas.  On the whole, though, you’ll find that the bikes, racers, and atmospheres are sharp, detailed, and realistic.  Animation is great, if a little floaty, and the various stunts that you can pull off look exceptionally striking.  The environments found in MX Superfly range from out-door mountain terrain to sullied inside courses.

Sound: 7.3
Don’t get me started on the music in MX, its purely personal preference but the majority of songs included don’t seem to fit with the theme of motocross racing and do little outside of being loud and annoying.  Music aside though, the sound effects are great and feel like they were pulled straight out of their real-life counterparts, skids, rough-landings, and the roar of engines are all accounted for and sound wonderful. 

Difficulty: Medium
Getting the hang of the basic control method is simple, learning the intricacies and nuances of the various maneuvers and stunts is something different altogether.  It’ll take a few hours to get up to speed with all the control methods but once you are you’ll be racing toe-to-toe with the best of professional racers.

Concept: 8.2 
A worthy Motocross racing game for the Gamecube?  Sounds like a great concept to me!  The addition of crazy off-the-wall stunts and innovative finely-crafted courses make MX the motocross racing game to own. 

Multiplayer: 8.2

2 players split-screen Only 2 players can compete in multiplayer games at a time via split-screen, but the good news is that you can compete in any of the modes of play, save career mode, simultaneously.  The action tends to slowdown a bit during particularly frenzied instances but overall this is a great addition that extends the overall lifespan of the game considerably.

Overall: 7.8

MX Superfly is the best motocross game currently out for the Gamecube, and arguably any 128bit system, so a recommendation is inevitable.  If your not into dirt bike games though, this may not be your cup of tea.  It’s hard to call Superfly a ‘simulation’ game due to it’s inherent moon-physics, its more of an arcade racer with lots (and lots) of bonus options.  Overall, I’d say it’s worthy of at least a few rentals if not a full-out purchase.