GameCube

Freekstyle

Freekstyle is an excellent entry into the MX category. With its fun single and multiplayer modes, as well as the numerous things to unlock, Freekstyle is sure to keep gamers busy for a long time.

Adding one more sport to its growing "Big" library, Electronic Arts has teamed up with Page 44 Studios (cooperatively ported to GameCube by Hypnos Entertainment) to produce another adrenaline-infused offering that introduces the same outrageousness to the sport of motocross that SSX did to snowboarding. Properly named Freekstyle, the title brings forth the fastest, most tricked out, over-the-top MX racing ever. It is by no means a simulation, and it does nothing to attempt to be. It's complete arcade action with a few real-world ties to the sport of MX. Big air, huge tracks, and break-neck speed await those interested.

Wer SSX Tricky gespielt hat, weiß, was mit dem neuesten Pferd im EA Big-Stall auf ihn zukommt: Unkomplizierte Renn-Action mit Wahnsinns-Stunts, die eigentlich genügend Potenzial für einen sicheren Hit mitbringt. Doch vor allem die Steuerung mit ihrer äußerst ungeschickten Trick-Belegung dürfte vielen ein Dorn im Auge sein und für starke Frust-Momente sorgen. Auch die auf Dauer wenig abwechslungsreichen Spielelemente könnten bei manchen ein Gefühl der Langeweile auslösen. Trotzdem: Dank mangelnder Konkurrenz übernimmt Freekstyle auf dem GameCube unangefochten die Spitze der Motocross-Racer. Mal sehen, wie lange es sich halten kann.

However, Freekstyle is the kind of game that truly rewards skillful play, and like SSX before it, is a true joy to play once you've attained full mastery of the intricate controls. If you think games nowadays are just too simple, then give this one a shot -- you won't be disappointed. Freekstyle isn't SSX Tricky, and if you're looking for SSX on two wheels, you may be surprised. If you're a fan of adrenaline-pumping gameplay, then you may want to check this one out -- it's the fastest thing the GameCube has going for it.

Freekstyle est un excellent défouloir pour qui aime les motos et les sensations fortes. D'une qualité technique très appréciable et d'un fun indéniable, on ne peut qu'accrocher à ce titre en dépit de son relatif manque d'originalité.

EA Big is just full of surprises. First they come out of no where to deliver arguably the best launch game for the PS2. Now, they put tons of effort into making everything in Freekstyle perfect, only to let something as dumb as rubber band AI destroy it all. If you like extreme sports games or racing games you might want to rent first. The difficulty level isn't for everybody.

It's not just a matter of finishing three laps of huge courses in first place once; you'll need to finish twice in the top three and first once. When all the racing tracks are opened you'll need to unlock all the freestyle courses by racking up points for landing tricks. Winning races also unlocks bikes and gives you extra ability points. The game hub includes a Freekout meter that increases when tricks are landed and decreases when you fall. Once the meter is full you can perform special fourbutton tricks, resulting in spectacular bursts of speed. This game is great fun, but why do they make you jump through so many hoops to get to the best bits?

This game is definitely worth the rent, if not a purchase. It will provide you and your friends with hours of fun and/or frustration, but as mentioned above you really have to give it a good play before laying down your opinion. The first race could easily turn off a gamer. Learn to pull some tricks though, and experience a Freekout, and you'll be running home just to play this.

The game's humor, sick tricks, and sickness in general will have you jumping out of your pants. It also has a decent replay value, so you may be playing this game for quite a while. Answering the question I asked in the top paragraph: Will this game make gamers Freekout? Hell yeah. FreekStyle is recommended as a purchase for those who aren't on a tight budget.

Freekstyle, the newest brainchild of the EA Sports Big team, arrives for the GameCube. Freekstyle is bringing its teeth-grinding stylings to the GameCube, providing gamers with a visually slick and compulsively playable racer although its steep difficulty may confound some. The name of the game here is to string together as many tricks as possible to gain speed boosts and thrust you ahead of the pack. Similar to SSX Tricky’s Tricky Meter is the Freekout Meter that, when filled by performing four-button sick tricks, grants you a demon-powered speed boost accompanied by wicked motion blur effects and a searing sense of speed.

Freekstyle looks great, from the expressive character animations and stunning variety of tricks to the imaginative, expansive track designs. The game relies pretty heavily on earth tones, but that's only to be expected, and you'll at least appreciate the subtle variations in the colors on the tracks--you'll soon learn to steer clear of the darkly colored mud, which slows you down. The game moves at a fast, smooth 60 frames per second, though admittedly it looks pretty much identical to the PlayStation 2 version released earlier this year. The loading times are a lot faster on the GameCube, though.

Freekstyle is a fun racing game, but is limited to the number of courses you can race on. It’s little more than an adrenalin-injected version of Excitebike, but should satisfy the thirst of would-be MotoXers without having to endure the pain of a piercing or tattoo.

While Freekstyle is mostly fun, it has a few minor annoyances. First of all, having to race the same tracks over and over in single-player mode gets old, especially since they tend to be so damn long. The game is also very unforgiving when it comes to nailing the landing after a trick. You'd better be seated for a full second before you hit the ground or you're sure to wipe out. Finally, this game seems to keep races artificially close, letting you unfairly come from behind, or lose a substantial lead in the final homestretch. It's definitely rough around the edges, but this "extreme" racer is still worth a look.