'Moto GP' races in the middle of the pack

Moto GP
Rating: E for Everybody
Created by: THQ
For: XBOX "Moto GP" stands among some outstanding racing titles for the Xbox (i.e. "Project Gotham Racing" and "Rallisport Challenge,") but by comparison it's fairly meager. Despite strong graphics and easily executed controls, something's just lacking. One strong suit the game brings to the table is the option between arcade or simulation modes. In arcade mode, gamers can pop wheelies and perform burnouts to amass trick points, whereas in simulation mode, gamers attempt to outrace the competition with a control schematic that's surprisingly close to real life. Anyone's who's ever ridden a motorcycle before will pick up the controls almost instantaneously. The left thumbstick steers, A accelerates, B allows gamers to look over their shoulders and the triggers on either side of the remote control front and rear breaking. Despite not being nearly as cool as the aforementioned racers, or the PS2's "Gran Turismo 3," "Moto GP" still has many positive attributes. The graphics are excellent, boasting top-notch lighting effects, bit mapping and textures. Many of the little details are captured to perfection i.e. dirt being flung from the backs of tires when bikes veer off the track, skid marks from previous laps and riders waving angry fists when cut off. Gamers can also choose the weather conditions in which they'd like to race in. Despite the good "Moto GP" still offers a lot of the bad. The soundtrack sucks for one: I might've been hallucinating, but I could have sworn that I heard a piss-poor muzak elevator rendition of Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up," while racing. And that was one of the better tracks on the game's soundtrack! Also, it would have been cool for the designers to provide gamers with some off-road tracks and other hidden bonuses. All-in-all "Moto GP" isn't a bad game and is certainly worth a rental, but it makes me wonder when the folks over at Nintendo are going to get off their lazy asses and release a new, revamped edition of the old school classic "Excitebike?"