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MX Superfly Preview

THQ and Pacific Coast Power & Light have some new tricks up their sleeves for the Xbox version of their latest motocross game. Get the details in our preview.

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Since releasing the first Tony Hawk's Pro Skater for the PlayStation in 1999, Activision has become the de facto leader in console action sports games and has been churning out Tony Hawk-styled games for virtually every popular extreme sport since. However, the one area that Activision has yet to dominate is the sport of motocross, which THQ and Pacific Coast Power & Light have quietly dominated with their capable MX series. The most fully realized installment in the series, MX Superfly, was released on the PlayStation 2 and GameCube earlier this year to positive reviews. Now, after a few months on hiatus, MX Superfly is coming to the Xbox, sporting some exclusive new features.

Ricky Carmichael is back and looking sharp on the Xbox.
Ricky Carmichael is back and looking sharp on the Xbox.

The most obvious improvements being made to MX Superfly concern the game's graphical presentation, which has basically been turned up a notch on all fronts, making good use of the Xbox hardware. The game will feature a new shadowing system, which will produce a real-time shadow for every object in the environment and allow for realistic overlapping of shadows. The riders' helmets have been environment-mapped, making it possible for them to dynamically reflect the world around you as you race through the track. The geometry on the tracks and the bikes has been upgraded, and they sport thousands more polygons than those in the GameCube or PlayStation 2 versions of the game, and the textures have all been cleaned up as well. And, judging from the near-final version of the game we've been playing, all of these enhancements have been made without sacrificing the frame rate, which still maintains a smooth clip throughout.

Though MX Superfly will not be playable over Microsoft's upcoming Xbox Live service, the game will use Xbox Live to deliver downloadable content. Upon the game's release, you'll be able to log onto Xbox Live and download two exclusive new levels, as well as 10 exclusive new riders. The two new levels, Backyard Bash and Mall Jump, deviate from the more realistic settings found in the game's other levels. Backyard Bash puts you in the backyard of a huge, palatial estate. The Mall Jump level takes place in an empty, multileveled shopping mall. Of course, both levels are made more playable by an abundance of ramps and other jumpable objects conveniently placed throughout, and both levels, much like the other freestyle levels found in MX Superfly, have some secret, hard-to-reach areas, which adds a touch of exploration to them.

You'll be able to pull off some slick tricks in the air if you're good.
You'll be able to pull off some slick tricks in the air if you're good.

The new riders in MX Superfly for the Xbox veer wildly from the standard racing-gear-clad riders that have exclusively populated previous versions of the game. Though the game will feature 10 new riders, there are actually only four new rider models, which have been textured differently. Among the new riders will be a beer-bellied redneck; a scantily clad, curvaceous female model; a bizarre cyclops-like rider; and a Disco Stu wannabe, complete with leisure suit and Afro. On top of the downloadable content that's already been prepared for the release of MX Superfly, developer Pacific Coast Power & Light has left room for more downloadable content in the future, though players will have to wait and see if this actually comes to fruition.

From what we've seen so far, MX Superfly on the Xbox is shaping up to be the best version of the game yet. All of the changes that have been made appear to be for the better, and it's reassuring for Xbox owners to see a major publisher like THQ embracing the Xbox Live service so quickly. The game is just a few weeks away from release, so stay tuned for further media and review coverage of this promising freestyle motocross title.

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