Supercross 3D
Atari Jaguar
by Steve A.
Just picked up Supercross 3D at KB Toy Store for $7.99 (Not one of the more common games there), and thought I'd share my thoughts. First off, I will say that I was not expecting anything spectacular since I read reviews that slammed it for its frame rate a number of months ago. Yet I still had this feeling that the game wouldn't be all that bad.
Unfortunately, the frame rate is just inexcusable. Am I reliving my days with SNES Race Drivin' (THQ)? At least the ground is texture mapped (better than Checkered Flag at least). Jerky animated games grate on my nerves-- especially when they are being played on a system with so much more potential! My Jaguar is better than this!!! Super Burnout is about 20 times smoother and alot faster.
The game itself controls actually not too badly. You can even pull back (push down on the pad) and jump pretty long distances off of hills-- it has a good feel-- sometimes. I've played driving games that handle better and ones that handle worse than Supercross 3D. It definitely can be controlled much better than Checkered Flag, but don't rush out and buy it yet. The jerky frame rate cuts into your ability to control the motorcycle to some extent, making some turns and jumps a little frustrating. As soon as you jump and pull up, if you slightly are pressing to the right or left on the pad, the cycle has a tendency to quickly end up off course. The less than spectacular crash that occurs takes a few seconds to recover from. But as you get better, your battle with the frontrunning cyclists can result in some fun. Still, it's just an average game when it comes to control.
The framerate isn't the only problem that plagues this game. The other major problem is the scenery. The only background is an indoor stadium. I would have enjoyed it more had it been outdoors. The tracks are also pretty drab-- dirt texture mapping on various inclines going in different pathway directions gets old after playing it for awhile.
There just really isn't too much to this game. I wish I could say more good things about it, but the game's developers just didn't allow the game to be all it could have been. If you get it for under $10 or $12, I suppose it's not that bad of a deal. But I wouldn't buy it for it's usual price ($29.99 at EB). I would rate this game 5 out of 10 (6 would have been average). Maybe I'm a bit on the generous side (should I have given it a big fat zero?), well . . . hey, it can be played competitively (if you're into gameplay instead of graphics you may even think this games a 6.5). Oh well, five is pretty reasonable if you ask me.
Comments are welcome.
(No scores provided...)
--Steve A.