Castrol Honda Superbikes - EA Sports - Review

[F1FansClub]

Game - Castrol Honda Superbike Racing
Genre - Racing (DUH!)
Publisher - EA Sports
Developer - Interactive Entertainment
Console - PSX

Castrol Honda Superbike Racing is a huge disappointment. The original idea behind video games was to entertain, so how did this idea get lost on the developers? This game is sub-par and is less welcome in my house than the flesh-eating disease. I can't believe EA would put their name on this one. They have been responsible for some of the best games I've ever played, heck, this year alone, so their track record is pretty darn good. We understand that not every game is a masterpiece and this one sure isn't. I think I saw stink lines coming out of my PlayStation.


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Highs:
Being Able to Bite the Big One, Unfortunately it's Only Pretend
14 Tracks
Sim Aspects

Lows:
Wacky Framerate
Poor Animation
Gross Graphics

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First off, the graphic engine must have been pulled out of a videogame from the 40's because it just looks B-A-D. I haven't seen splotchy, blocky textures like this since the early days of the PlayStation. Not only are the graphics poor but the framerate is lousy. The original moon landing looked smoother than this. Tell me how it is possible that in one second you are driving at 140 mph and everything is flying by and then you speed up to 160 mph and it looks like you are coming to a complete stop? Huh?

Castrol Honda Superbike Racing features 14 courses, each offering its own unique challenges. You'll have to navigate courses all over the world, including Japan's killer track. Once you choose your bike, you'll have a few options to choose from. Let me recommend qualifying first, because if you place, your starting position will be further ahead of the pack compared to dead last if you choose "Race". Of course, you can either jump into a Championship mode or the Single Race.

Controlling your bike isn't too bad. You can use the X button for acceleration and the analog control for steering which is my favorite control scheme. However, the greatest control in the world will only go so far if the rest of the game is up to snuff. If you haven't guessed already, it isn't. The framerate is so choppy that besides making all of the animation look stiff and robot-like, it distorts your view of the upcoming track which makes for numerous wipeouts. The sim elements of this game are cool, in that if you choose to, you can be affected by real damage to your bike or even bite the big one in an accident. If you blow a tire and slam into a wall head-on in the pro mode, 6 of your best friends will be renting tuxes and hitting on your gal, so watch out. Crashes are animated poorly, draining the last shred of realism out of this game. Your guy will slam into walls curled up into the fetal position while your bike will magically flip from lying on one side to the other. I swear each racer has about 5 frames of animation, and I may be over-estimating.

Compared to the excellent Moto Racer games, this one can't even hope to compete. Of course, many people will buy it on the strength of the EA name alone. Where the heck is EA's quality control? For a company that pumps out amazing game after amazing game, you know they know a good game from a stinker. This game is to quality what Pauly Shore is to comedians. Avoid this one and buy Sled Storm or any of the other zillion EA titles that will make your jaw drop out of your head.

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FINAL MARK

Graphics - 3.0
Control - 4.0
Music/FX - 5.0
Frustration - 8.0
OVERALL - 3.0

Ally Mitchell