This realistic riding simulator may drive you into the wall, but is well worth it. Video inside.
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It's not often that a bike game is released, considering the fanbase for motorcycles spans a pretty large group of people. It's even less often that these games are released or developed for the PC. Although SuperBikes: Riding Challenge may leave a trail of breadcrumbs showing it's ported-from-console (in this case, PS2) development, this game is sure to satisfy any true superbike fan.
From the wide selection of bikes, including, but not limited to, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, Ducati, Triumph, and Kawasaki, you will strap on your helmet and take part of a 8-player race to the finish line in the Career mode. There are 3 different riding classes (which in turn offer you the appropriate bikes to choose from) per career season - Naked, Sport, and Super. Of course, each class of bike, and each individual bike therein, handles very differently according to it's real life counterpart. Also, it should be noted, that when you run a race in this game, your competition will be riding the same bike as you - it all comes down to rider skill.
The graphics are very well done for the most part, with rider animation looking good, lean animations done excellently, and with a nice polish to the scenery and surroundings. The only gripe I have about the graphics is that some of the bikes have retained their low-resolution PS2 textures in the cockpit. That means some gauges are blurry, and not up to par with modern day PC capabilities. But you will be able to look past this small niggle, because the rest of the cockpit, and game, looks fantistically rendered.
The controls handle very well, and with this game coming from the developers of Superbike 2001, I wouldn't expect any less. You can highside your bike if you aren't careful with your throttle control, you will easily drop and slide your bike if you hit the grass while turning, and you will have to counterbalance your bike when you launch it, or even on a straightaway, to prevent the front wheel from catching unwanted air. Some people may compare this game to Tourist Tropy on the PS2, but I find the actual physics in SuperBikes to be much better than TT. Too bad there isn't a similair photo-mode like TT has...but at least their is a kickass replay mode.
The sound is done well, with 600cc bikes sounding like the bumblebees that they are, the bigger-bore naked bikes sounding throaty, and the liter bikes sounding, well, loud and mean. The only things true missing from this game that will detract from a buyers standpoint is the lack of online multiplayer...which is a real shame.
Overall, this game is definatly worth picking up if you are any kind of Superbike fan at all. You won't be disappointed.