Jet Moto

The Good
To call the JetMoto series a racing game is to only cover half of what this game stands for. While ostensibly, the point is to finish in first and unlock new tracks, the insane difficulty and whack physics will put most of you Gran Turismo wussies into a fetal position before the third race. JetMoto, despite it's neo-modern settings (complete with product placement) is about pulling sick stunts, knocking other riders off into thin air, and above all, having fun. A simple game, but an extremely challenging one.

Basically, you pilot a JetMoto, which is a jet ski that hovers and sounds like a lawnmower. You pick from 20 racers, ranging from heavy bikes that have high top speeds and hardly ever lose their riders in collisions, to little zippo bikes that zing around corners and catch rare air.

Since every race features a whopping 20! Motos, you are bound to have some collisions. If a collision is too fast or too perpendicular, the lighter bike's rider will often go flying off into space, accompanied by the requisite bloodcurdling scream and the announcer's obnoxious laugh. Fortunately, you are back on your bike at the point of impact after about five seconds.

The course design in this game is stunning. It's a shame SingleTrac went under, because the tracks here are incredible. They run along three themes, swamp tracks (look out for trees and stumps), snow (lots of air here), and of course the advertised beach. Also, if you can get there, the bonus stunt track is easily the pick of the litter. Each track features lots of hills and ramps for elevatory purposes, and each theme features one "suicide" course. These courses, apparently designed by sadistic mental inmates, are essentially dumbbell shaped, forcing you to turn around at each end and head back around for another lap. What this means is that if you're in the lead, you get the pleasure of rushing head-on into 19 other Motos. Boom, baby!

There are elements of strategy, too. In the grand tradition of arcade racers, you are given a set amount of 'turbo' energy, which you'll usually find yourself using at the beginning, at the end, and during long straightaways. However, you can replenish your Turbo by using the pitch, yaw, and roll buttons to do 360s and backflips, kind of like a primitive Tony Hawk. Also, particularly sharp curves have magnetic "grapples", which help your Moto steady itself and keep from flying off into nothingness.

And to touch one more base here: The music in this game is top-quality. You get a kitschy 60s spy theme for the beach courses, a kick-ass bluegrass rock tune for the swamps, and the snow course theme is a very grandiose orchestral/rock tune reminiscent of Metallica or the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. This is one of the few PSX CDs which has earned a place on my mp3 playlist. Pop it in your Discman!

The Bad
You'll notice I haven't mentioned the graphics yet. This is a second-generation PSX title, which means lots of pixelation, low resolution, and flat, 2D shortcuts taken whenever possible on the courses. The game doesn't slow down, but it can get choppy when lots of Motos are around, and during two-player mode. Don't expect to be wowed here.

Even though I've mentioned the difficulty several times, it bears repeating: this is not a game for the easily defeated. When professional game review sites like Gamespot, IGN, and Game Revolution mention in their reviews that the game is tough, you'd better be ready for a battle.

An annoying design flaw is that after a crash, you're put at the point of collision with no momentum. So if you crash right before a ramp, you won't have enough speed to make the leap and will be forced to turn around and gain some speed, then attempt the jump.

And although it breaks the mold in many other respects, JetMoto retains the fine racing tradition of the annoying announcer. Thankfully, his comments are few and far between, usually when you crash or pull off a nifty stunt.

The Bottom Line
JetMoto harks back to the pre-Final Fantasy games, when a game didn't need realism, plot, or even good graphics to be a hell of a lot of fun. If you're looking for a good, twitchy challenge, look no further.