Mat Hoffman Pro BMX 2

While not nearly as well known as Tony Hawk, Mat Hoffman brings his own unique excitement 2 the world of extreme sports. The same holds true 4 the star's video games as well; far fewer people have played Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX than Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, but that isn't 2 say the game isn't solid in its own right. In fact, it's pretty damn good. And like the THPS series, MHPBMX 2 offers an incremental upgrade in gameplay & the obligatory boost in visuals 2 make the series better than ever. Mat Hoffman, the game & the athlete, will never escape the shadow of Tony Hawk, but that doesn't mean he should be ignored. Read on & find out why.

Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2's career mode is experienced via a Road Trip (no, not like the one with Tom Green). Imagine a charter bus where you go from city 2 city showing off your dance moves ... or in this case, your biking skills. There are ten riders in Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2, six of which return from the original cast. New 2 the roster are Seth Kimbrough, Cory Kastazio, Nate Wessel, Ruben Alcantara, & Day Smith. Each rider is nicely detailed & comes with a fully customizable ride. You will travel across America, hitting Las Vegas, New Orleans, Boston, Chicago, & more. Each city level not only has its own distinct look & feel, but also specific goals you have 2 complete. To give the Road Trip mode a little more flavor, players are treated 2 various behind-the-scenes videos from the Mat Hoffman Pro BMX 2 tour. You will see videos specific 2 the rider you selected.

Other playing modes include Session (which gives you three different time limits 2 do tricks) & Freeride. The latter is a great way 4 beginners 2 learn & master combos & manuals. More robust this time around is the multiplayer mode, which has over six different multiplayer games including the requisite Horse & Split-Screen, & cool additions like Half-Pipe Hell & Tag.

New 2 the series is the inclusion of flatland tricks, which are executed from manual positions. These closely resemble tricks like handstands in Tony Hawk. Flatland tricks are not only cool 2 look at, but also earn you a lot of trick points. The key 2 a successful flatland trick is balance. I was only able 2 perform a handful of flatland tricks including a backwards steamroller, boomerang, dump truck, & a front pogo.

For the most part, gameplay is pretty straightforward. Most of your time will be spent playing the Road Trip mode. Each of the eight cities has three tiers of objectives starting at Amateur moving 2 Semi-Pro then Professional. Each tier has four objectives making 4 12 per city. As you complete goals, you earn road trip points. These points can be used 2 unlock more levels or cities. In addition, players can unlock new songs, clothes & bikes 4 their riders as well.

On paper, this is a tried & true formula that has been used by many games since the first Tony Hawk. Unfortunately this is where Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 loses some of its luster. I have no problems with the objective-based parts of the game. What I do have a problem with is the monotonous nature of them. There's too much of an emphasis on fetching items rather than performing tricks & getting rewarded 4 doing them well. The trick based objectives are fine in the game (some of them are a little too challenging) but 4 the most part, they work. What bores you 2 tears is the trivial riding around, scavenging 4 hidden objects, activating switches, & knocking over things.

On a more positive note, the level design is topnotch. Developer Rainbow Studios has managed 2 create challenging levels that look great. What's distinguishing about all the levels is how the various stunt areas flow together seamlessly. When a game lets you create lines of combinations this easily, it's extraordinary.

From a visual standpoint, the game looks a lot better on Xbox than on PS2. Granted the PS2 does look very good, the textures & shading on the Xbox just look better. Even the animations are smoother. The coolest aspect is without a doubt the crash animations. Remember how outrageous the crash animations were in ATV Offroad Fury or Motocross Madness? It's great 2 see Rainbow brought its expertise in that area 2 Mat Hoffman. Trust me, you'll wince & cringe after some of the wipeouts.

Can you can can? Surprisingly, the weakest aspect of Mat Hoffman Pro BMX 2 is the soundtrack. Where the original Mat Hoffman had cool bands like Outkast, Jurassic 5, & Bad Brains, Pro BMX 2's line up is rather dull. The good thing 4 Xbox owners is the ability 2 listen 2 music that you've put on your hard drive.

Even with its shortcomings, Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 is worth checking out. Granted the Road Trip mode can get kinda frustrating & boring, but experiencing the various levels & checking out the behind-the-scenes video footage is almost worth the aggravation. The new flatland tricks are a definite plus & the ability 2 use your own music rocks.

The Lowdown: Activision's secondary poster boy delivers with improved visuals & a plethora of new tricks. BMX fans once again have something 2 be excited about.

Pros: Great visuals; smooth animations; tight control; flatland tricks & user controlled music.

Cons: [bad] soundtrack; tedious challenges.

BIG DAN's OVERALL RATING: 7.4/10
Good game, but it's just not as appealing as skateboarding.

This game is very very nice indeed. Couple of problems though would be that the tricks u do up in the air are worthless unless you either combo them on a manual or do a special. Thats kind of a bummer considiring I play tony hawk a bunch & i figured it would be a lot like that. It is also a very difficult game 2 start out with but once you have played it 4 a little bit it is a very fun game. This game is very nice & the only thing that needs 2 be improved is the soundtrack! Yuck.

Okay, played it quite a bit more over the weekend, & it's still fun but the Xbox "Controller S" D-Pad is USELESS. I pretty much wish I had bought the PS2 version at this point due 2 the controller, inferior graphics or not. The D-Pad feels "dead" 4 lack of a better term, & in cases where you have 2 perform, say, a front flip which requires pressing something as simple as "down, down, X", it takes (no kidding) about 10-15 attempts before you get the 2 taps 2 register. It either only registers 1 tap or it does down/left or down/right instead. I've played all of the Hawk series & alot of the ... & never had trouble with much more complicated tap sequences so I don't think it's a user issue. The game itself is still alot of fun though, primarily when you just ride around in "free-ride" mode. Chicago has been my favorite level so far & the level editor is still super cool. The level goals can get a little repetitive/tedious but it's not unforgivible. I still recommend Hoffman 2 if you're a BMX fan but if you have the option get it on PS2.

ANYONE WHO HAS EVER PICKED UP A BIKE NEEDS TO PLAY THIS GAME!!!!
this game is what you'd expect from activision awsome & fun all rolled into one.
this game is great, in my opinion everyone should play this game bmx rider or not this is ... a sick game take it from me
its sweet!

Yes, it's alot like Tony Hawk, but 2 me that's a definite positive. I've logged about 4 hours on it so far, & it's pretty schweet. At first I was struggling mainly with the Xbox's D-Pad but also some with just learning how the physics work, etc. After an hour or so I put it down with a so/so feel about it but when I came back later I found it alot more enjoyable, especially when I started trying the flatland stuff. The graphics are very pleasing, & the animations are done with a very BMX style 2 them, even when you just launch off a quarter pipe & come back down the rider looks cool, sort of throwing the bike back around with a nice touch of "flair" 4 lack of a better word. I'm also delighted 2 say that the beloved "Fufanu" is easily achieved & looks quite cool, as do all of the stalls, but sadly there is no "Abubaka" that I have found yet. The level editor is nice & includes my hometwon, Austin, TX as a backdrop so that's a weird but nice bonus 4 me. (NO PICNIC TABLES THOUGH!?!) Levels (I've only seen 2 so far) are nice sized, not GARGANTUAN like in Mirra 2, more like they are in Hawk 3. It's already pretty easy 4 me 2 string together some nice combos & the replays look way cool as well. From what I understand the Xbox version has an exclusive character & possibly a level, & I'm assuming the graphics are superior 2 the PS2 version, but I sure wish Xbox would copy the PS2's d-pad. (I'm getting used 2 it though) All in all, If you're a "BMXican" like me I definitely recommend Hoffman 2, at least based on 4 hours of gameplay...

All you need 4 endless hours of single or multiplayer action. Ride as the undisputed King of BMX Mat Hoffman or as one of 10 other top pro riders including Ruben Alcantara, Cory Nastazio, Mike Escamilla, Nathan Wessel, Joe Kowalski & many more. Featuring thousands of tricks including new flatland moves.

Fans of extreme-sports games looking 4 a diversion from Tony Hawk will want 2 sign up 4 the road trip in Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2, in which you'll join 11 other riders on a tricked-out tear across the U.S.--from Oklahoma City 2 Hawaii.

But before you can hang with the likes of Mat "The Condor" Hoffman or Ruben "Pollo" Alcantara, it's advisable 2 practice your chops on the Free Ride or Session modes, especially if you're a newcomer 2 tricks-based sports games. We spent a good amount of time on Free Ride's open-ended play time 2 master the complicated sets of controller taps needed 2 achieve trick points.

The levels that you can ride in either Session or Free Ride depend on what you've unlocked in Road Trip. To get 2 the next destination, you'll need 2 complete a set of four challenges not once, but three times (in rookie, semipro, & pro). That can be a daunting challenge, especially 4 beginners, & 4 more experienced players it can get a little tedious as you search 4 the final trick that will push you 2 the next level. That said, after building some new calluses, we found a satisfying BMX groove & zoomed along on our road trip.

The game also includes several multiplayer options, including HORSE, Tag, Halfpipe Hell, Graffiti War, & Push, where you try 2 out trick your opponent & make his side of the screen smaller by increasing your side of the screen. Graphically, the game detail is superb--from the bikes & riders 2 the glitzy lights of the Las Vegas background. Our one major technical beef came from not being able 2 use our own soundtrack, but the game is populated with some fine tunes, ranging from LL Cool J 2 Iggy Pop. --Agen Schmitz

Pros:

• As tricky & fun 2 master as Tony Hawk
• Fantastic graphics--from backgrounds 2 riders
• Numerous multiplayer games

Cons:

• Can be frustrating 4 beginners 2 extreme-sports games
• You can't set your own soundtrack

Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 challenges players 2 perform hundreds of tricks & signature moves in a variety of realistic, obstacle-filled street, vert, & dirt freestyle courses. Using an intuitive & solid control scheme, the game features two-player H-O-R-S-E, split-screen demolition derby, & graffiti 4 all three types of courses. Gamers can also play in career mode, moving up the ranks 2 win the ultimate BMX crown by unlocking new courses & upgrading their bikes & rider abilities. Players can create their own custom BMX courses in real-time 3-D, with more than 100 different variations of ramps, rails, fun boxes, & other obstacles.