Game Review: Nitrobike
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know the game is rated "Everyone 10+"
primarily due to some female riders who are dressed
provocatively. There is also some violence while wiping out on
your nitro-powered bikes, with bodies flying. Kids can go
online
to race others in multiplayer modes, but Common Sense Media
does not recommend this for children who are under age 12.
Families can talk about if this game holds up against the likes of Excite Truck, a hyped Wii launch title from '06. Are Wii games better now, more than a year after its launch? Do better graphics and online play make up for the same old core game-play?
Common Sense Media Review
Fans of Nintendo's 2006 Wii launch title
Excite Truck might also enjoy the mayhem of off-road
racing in NITROBIKE, which lets you race a motorbike around
plenty of tracks, but throws in nitro-powered rockets for added
fun. Taking advantage of the console's motion-sensing
controller, players can hold the Wii Remote horizontally and
simply tilt left and right or forward and back to steer your
bike. The "+" button activates your nitrous boost to soar past
your opponents, but be careful how and when you use it as you
might find yourself without control, and thus performing a
face-plant into the dirt. While in the air you can perform
slick moves, including combos, by pressing other buttons on the
controller.
If you grow tired of the 20 levels and dozens of events to partake in, this arcade racing game also supports six simultaneous players over the Internet, but it could be difficult to find others because of the lack of available riders (at the time of this writing) and the somewhat confusing online lobby screens. That said, once you're vying for the finish line, the multiplayer racing is fast, smooth, and fun.
A PS2 version is planned for the spring.
Other recommended racing games for the Wii include Need for Speed Carbon and Excite Truck . For the Xbox 360 or the PS3, try the open-world racer Burnout Paradise . For younger kids, you can explore Cars .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
