GameSpot editors' review
-
CNET editors' rating:
stars
Excellent
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 07/01/1998
- Updated on: 05/02/2000
- Released on: 04/30/1998
- Originally published on GameSpot: Superbike World Champions (PC) Review
After a long drought, there is suddenly a multitude of motorcycle racing games from which to choose in the coming year. Castrol Honda Superbike World Champions might be short on features and choices when compared with the others, but what it does have strikes right at the core: It's a solid superbike simulation.
You don't get to ride street bikes and dirt bikes like in EA's Moto Racer, and you don't get to go freewheeling across an expanse of terrain like in Microsoft's Motocross Madness. No, Superbike World Champions simulates one bike and one bike only, the Honda RVC-RC45. Its bulky 749.2cc power train produces 160 horses to push its hefty 324 pounds to a top speed of 187mph. If it's acceleration that you like, try hanging on as it goes from 0 to 100 in 4.9 seconds and back to zero in 3.3 seconds. Riding these bikes is not for the faint of heart.
The bike in the game performs to spec, and with a good PC and a 3D card you really get a great sense of the speed. Responsiveness from a joystick or a racing wheel is smooth and free of the jerkiness that is common in many motorcycle games. You can even adjust the steering linearity while you drive if an analog joystick seems too sensitive.
The game includes ten tracks in five countries (England, Greece, USA, Indonesia, and Montegi), with each country having one street circuit and one dedicated speedway. The graphics for each location are a joy to ride through, even casually at slow speeds. For example, the Porto Korinthos circuit in Greece takes you down along the seaside, past an old fort, and through the cliffs of a mountain pass, all rendered in detail. Another favorite is Sukuh Island in Indonesia, where you ride past large stone sculptures and palm forests with birds flying overhead.
Superbike World Champions is designed with both the skilled and novice player in mind. You can activate or deactivate driving aids, like steering and braking help, at any time. There's even a training mode that puts a ghost bike on the track for you to follow, the idea being that you can learn the track and the feel of the bike by trying to maintain a set distance between you and the trainer.
Continue reading
%20PC%20Game%20reviews%20-%20CNET%20Reviews&srcUrl=http://reviews.cnet.com/pc-games/superbike-world-champions-pc/4505-9696_7-30975838.html){kind=small}