| Moto GP 4 review |
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Moto GP is the pinnacle of motorcycle racing and 2004 was a great year for the series. Rossi moved to Yamaha from the class-leading Honda team, and won the championship again. The Brits “Shakey” Byrne and Neil Hodgson joined after having won the British Superbike and World Superbike classes respectively and it was the first year that the season didn’t start at the Suzuki circuit, due to it being dropped from the schedule following the death of Daijiro Kato in 2003.
The latest incarnation of Namco’s motorcycle racing series is based on this classic year of racing, and much has been improved over the last version. Graphics, sound and physics have all had an overhaul, and it shows, in the case of the graphics perhaps a little too much.
Namco have been pushing the PS2 with each iteration of the game, which unfortunately has been too much for the aging console this time around. When there’s a lot happening onscreen there are some definite framerate issues. The good news is that it isn’t crippling, and for the most part it won’t affect the enjoyment of the game. It is pleasing that corners are far more visible with the new graphics engine, it makes picking the braking and turn-in points that much easier, so the odd frame drop can easily be forgiven.
A nice addition to the game is the inclusion of 125cc and 250cc bikes. This might not sound very exciting, but in fact it changes the way the game is played. When riding the Moto GP machines, it’s all about acceleration and braking. When riding the smaller-capacity bikes, it’s all about keeping the momentum. There’s a noticeable handling difference when moving through the classes, and shows that the physics engine has been tweaked. The handling of the different Moto GP bikes is also noticeable. The wayward rear wheel of the Ducati is faithfully reproduced; it’s a struggle to keep it inline, just as Hodgson found out in his 2004 GP début, having previously ridden the 94/95 Yamaha. They even sound right.
Motorcycle games have, for the most part, struggled to capture the noise each machine makes with any accuracy. For once a developer has got it spot on. The Ducati has its unique pitch, the Kawasaki its screaming, high-revving, only-nutters-ride-this-bike squeal, and the 125s sound like hairdryers, because they do. Pity this mechanical choir is killed by a dreadful metal soundtrack, it’s best to turn it off and let the engines to the talking.
Due to the inclusion of the smaller bikes, when starting a new season you have to start on the 125s. Once the season is won, the 250cc class is unlocked and the cycle starts over; winning the 250 season subsequently unlocks the Moto GP class. For some this might be a bit of an irritation, wanting to jump on the bigger bikes straight away. It is still possible to do this via the arcade and time trial modes, but just like the real racers had to do, the season mode forces you to earn the GP ride. This time around you can race more than just the AI though.
The Namco title has lagged behind MotoGP2 on the Xbox in one major area: online racing. Unfortunately this is still the case. Those owners with a broadband adapter are able to hook up to a LAN game, allowing up to 8 players to compete in seat-of-your-pants racing, but the omission of online play still leaves the game in second place.
Despite this, there are other game modes to keep you coming back for more: a training mode takes the player through all the aspects of riding a bike at this professional level. It’s something worth going through to get the hang of things should the previous games have been missed. It’s also a very good grounding for doing the 150 or so missions the game offers, that alone will take a good long time to work through. Challenges range from one-on-one races with the MotoGP stars to time challenges on the tricky areas of the racing circuits. Some are them are very hard, so knowing how to handle the bikes properly is a must if a 100% completion is the goal.
Through all the different modes of the game, GP points are accrued that can be used to unlock a vast array of pictures, movies, bikes and riders from many different eras of this classic racing series. There is sadly, still no Barry Sheene unlockable, but with so much other stuff on offer it’s only a slight disappointment.
All too often sequels to long-running series disappoint, with minor updates to names and events to reflect the changes of that year. Not so with Moto GP 4. The improved physics and the addition of 125cc and 250cc bikes go to make Moto GP 4 a worthy update option for all fans of powered two-wheelers, only the lack of online play spoils an otherwise worthy challenger to the Xbox title crown. It will be interesting to see what that series can pull out of the bag to counter this excellent game. |
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System: Sony PlayStation 2
Genre: Racing
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco
Players: 1-8
Version: European
Reviewed: Jun 2005
Writer: Marty Greenwell
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Pros:
- A significant update to the previous game
- Lots of stuff to unlock
- Marvellous bike noises
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Cons:
- Still no online play
- Some minor frame rate issues with lots on screen
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