Extreme-G Racing Screenshots   The Final Say! Gameplay 7.5 Graphics 7.5 Sound 7.0 Value 7.5 Extreme-G Racing - reviewed by Tory Favro & Andrew Bistak Review Date: 16 May 2002 Review Score: 7.5/10  Distributor: Acclaim

Who like's futuristic racing games featuring big bikes and exotic weaponry? We do, and that's just what Acclaim have served up to us in the form of Extreme-G Racing. Recorded in awesome Dolby digital sound, this game will keep your heart pumping by Ministry of Sound. Sound is an important factor in this game and with the proper setup, you can enjoy it to its full potential. Surprisingly enough, your main view isn't much to look at, as far as the bike is concerned with your view consisting of primarily the tale of the bike and the real wheel. However, your track and the surrounding landscapes have been rendered with breath taking detail. The game has been well configured to suit the GameCube controller with every action making sense. You will not fumble with the controller whilst playing this game. The effects of the rumble function and subtle and totally add to the realism of this title. One of the great features of this game is the initial customization of your bike, enabling you to choose the engine and weaponry that you will take into battle. A very cool feature available in the game is the ability to upgrade all your devices in the XG mall. These items do need to be purchased with your winnings and a note of caution, whatever you can buy, your opponents can too. A great thing about this game is the simple fact that the sensation of speed is truly evident to the player. You will feel as though you are breaking the sound barrier on your bike. The XG competition takes place in the futuristic 23rd century and there are ten available leagues for you to compete in. Within those leagues, you will have to choose a team you wish to race for, each team has two riders. Showing off the power of the GameCube, Extreme-G racing supports up to four players simultaneously racing each other. It is reasonably memory intensive, requiring six blocks on your memory card.

Be certain to conserve your weapons energy and play this game strategically, there are weapons and shield power-ups scattered around the track, however it is easy to deplete your energy supply and leave yourself open to attack. We found the best strategy was to engage in weapons sparingly and concentrating more on using your airbrakes effectively in negotiating the track.

In summary, Extreme-G Racing is the first game of its genre available for the GameCube and it's not a bad outing. With the many modes available, you will find yourself coming back time and again for more high speed action.