Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 for the Sony Playstation 2 offers the gamer an action packed look into the world of extreme bike riding. Dave Mirra 2 is the second installment in the Dave Mirra Video game line from Acclaim Entertainment and Z-Axis software. The price of this game is approximately $30, which is comparable to many newer titles. According to the manufacturer, the minimum hardware requirements are a Playstation 2 console and one controller. However, optimal game play can not be achieved without a Playstation 2 memory card, and possibly a second controller for multi-player action.

Dave Mirra Freestyle Bmx 2 is an action sports based title with an adventurous twist. The object of the game is to complete challenges on different courses and move up the ranks of the BMX world, while going for gold in competition. The story of the game is that of a young up and comer in the bmx world, having to fight it out and learn the ropes of a bike. As the rider becomes better, by completing challenges the rider earns respect and moves toward better bikes and bigger tricks.

The player has many options for game play, with many choices characters to play as. To try your hand at working up the bmx ranks, select the "proquest" option, or if you just want to tool around and get used to a course pick the "freeride" or "session" option. Or, invite a friend over for a head-to-head multi-player game. In addition to These choices, the player can elect to create their own bmx course and then session it.

The game loads very quickly and provides a adequate interface with the main menu. The opening scenes of the game are some intense short movies of the miracle man Dave Mirra riding, and then the main menu opens. Game play is fast and exciting, The player can choose from three different angles from which to play: top down, behind, or behind/wide angle. There are many special maneuvers that the player must learn to succeed in the game, most are combinations of the directional pad and buttons. Once mastered, the game play becomes very entertaining.

Scoring is based on a few different criteria. The players score is based on tricks, height of jumps and distances of jumps. The player also earns respect points, these are acquired by completing challenges. Also, the player can achieve different high scores some of which are: highest jump, longest jump, longest skid, biggest trick, and many more.

The artwork in Dave Mirra 2 is excellent. Many of the levels are based on actual bmx courses and are rendered excellently in 3-D. Colors are bright and add to the enjoyment of the game. The courses are well tailored with plenty of shadowing and detail where needed.

In typical Dave Mirra video game fashion, the soundtrack is excellent. Big name bands like Sublime, The Cult and Rage Against The Machine grace the soundtrack. Sound effect are very realistic and are delivered at the right time every time.

The only real special feature in the game is the option of watching or saving onto a memory card an interactive replay of the players last run. During replay, the player can pause and change viewing angles of the replay allowing for very realistic looking playback. In addition, the player can restart and stop the replay at any time. In addition, there is a park editor mode where the player can create their own extreme courses to session at will.

The owners manual is helpful, without revealing too much of the game. It offers insight into each character in the game. Game controls are defined as well as information on how to change some options in the game like sound volume or camera angles.

The only obvious bugs I noticed in he game are in regard to the camera that is following the player around during game play. On occasion, if the player is close to a wall with their back toward the wall, the camera cannot get into the space between the player and the wall and will assume a profile camera angle, making game play difficult. Also, intermittently the player will find their self trapped inside of object like boxes that clearly they are not supposed to venture into.

The most fun element in he game is the fast paced action. For three minute intervals the player is completely engrossed in game play racing against the clock to complete challenges or place well in competition. In addition, multi-player games are competitive and challenging. In my opinion, the competition sections of the game offer the greatest challenge, and are the most entertaining sections in the game.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I do have a few complaints about the game. In the later levels, some challenges become ridiculously hard for the average gamer. On more than one occasion I found myself swearing at the screen in frustration because I could not complete a challenge. Additionally, the competitions later on in the game are very challenging, and nearly impossible to place first in.

Other games in this genre include Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 1 (the prequel), Dave Mirra Maximum Remix (a spin off of Dave Mirra 1), Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX series of games and BMXXXX. Dave Mirra 2 is years beyond it's predecessor, it looks better, control is better, and it is more fun to play. In contrast with the Mat Hoffman series, Dave Mirra 2 is less true to real life( 40 and 50 foot high jumps), but in this reviewers opinion makes it much more fun to play. BMXXXX is much like Dave Mirra 2, control is identical, motion in BMXXXX is a bit smoother, and is a bit more realistic(BMXXXX was supposed to be Dave Mirra 3, but Dave Mirra removed his endorsement from the game because of questionable content.).

Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 seems to be geared towards teens and up. The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) gives the game a teen rating for "mild lyrics", but in my opinion the soundtrack is no more offensive or questionable than MTV or mainstream radio. While I would think that Dave Mirra 2 would be enjoyable to any gamer, true bmx fans will experience the most satisfying game play.

Dave Mirra 2 is for the most part mistake free in the design department, aside from the few bugs mentioned earlier. I would like to see some more camera angle choices, a first person angle could be fun. Also, the follow camera angle should be able to follow no matter if there is something in the way or not. The Dave Mirra 2 concept is a carry over from Dave Mirra 1, so the design team has had time to correct most mistakes.

In summation, Dave Mirra 2 is a ver fun and entertaining game. It is action packed, and offers varying degrees of challenge. While negative aspects of the game are at a minimum, they are present, but take away very little from game play. Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 is definitely a game to purchase, with expansive levels and seemingly endless challenges, one would be hard pressed to complete the game in any rental period of time from the local video store. Improvable elements of the game are minimal and really are more of personal preference. With these things in mind, I think Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX is a great game that would offer most gamers an entertaining look into the world of bmx, and a must have for any true bmx or action sports fan.

GAME REVIEW

DAVE MIRRA FREESTYLE BMX 2

Mitchell Dodes

CIS 487

9.30.2003