Jet Moto 2 (JM2) is a game
that might appeal to some racing
fans. Sony hypes JM2 as, "3-D
racing like never before". Well,
let's take a look.
You race on a jet powered
hoverbike. There are 10
different riders on 5 different
teams. Each rider's bike has its
own attributes such as weight,
speed and acceleration. There
are 10 unique race tracks. One
of the most exciting tracks is the
roller coaster.
The racing options include: Full
Season (Championship Circuit),
Custom Circuit (Rally and
Championship), Single Track,
and Practice. JM2 also has a
Head-To- Head option so you
can race against a friend.
There are 4 difficulty selections:
Novice, Amateur, Professional
and Master. The number of laps
can be set from 2 up to 6 per
race. There are also options for
turning On/Off the Auto
Centering, Turbo, Grapple and
Handicapping.
Successful racers will acquire
new tracks and the much
coveted JM2 trophies. Each
trophy has a secret code that
activates a feature such as
unlimited turbo or some unusual
camera view.
JM2 claims to have
"TruePhysics Design". The
physics may, or may not be
100% accurate but they're close
enough.
First impression is - the graphics
are stunning but eventually you'll
see some problems. Objects
break apart up close or
occasionally become
transparent. Sometimes it
appears as if you're rider is
going through solid objects. The
ground at times, mysteriously
slides sideways. And, it looks
like someone on the design
team went nuts adding the
colors.
You can race from a 1st or 3rd
person view. Sometimes, during
a critical moment in the race, the
view does not include enough of
the track to prepare you for a
hairpin turn or obstacle ahead.
Watching your rider from the
3rd person view catching air,
performing stunts, or grabbing
the magnetic pole to fling you
around turns is very exciting.
The sound effects aren't that
impressive. Your jet powered
hoverbike sounds like an
uninspired lawnmower. The
soundtrack is elevator music on
speed. It's hard to find anything
that stands out in the sound
department.
The game can be played with
Sony's Dual Analog Pad
(DAP). The DAP has earned a
reputation for being over
sensitive but in JM2 it's not that
bad. The options screen allows
you to calibrate the DAP to an
acceptable range of movement.
The game is more about
controlling the rider who in turn
controls the bike. Using the
controller to roll the bike, lean
forward/back, accelerate,
brake, grapple etc. may
dislocate a few fingers.
Picking the fastest bike is not
always the best way to win a
race. Practice and learn to
handle your bike. If you can
stay on your bike and stay on
the track, you're on your way to
becoming a champion.
Poor riders will crash into things
and fly off cliffs - a lot. Just
before you fall to your death
there's a pathetic scream.
Seconds later, you're back on
your bike and in the race again.
Competitors plow into you and
send you flying while they
continue unscathed. You hit a
solid object at high speed and
don't even chip a tooth or get a
flat tire. The rider and bike are
invincible. The game is an
uneven blend of real and
arcade.
Racing on the different tracks
and performing stunts was fun.
The game is moderately
challenging and has some replay
value. Unfortunately, JM2 does
not reach the level of intensity
and exhilaration found in other
racers.
BOTTOM LINE: "3-D racing
like never before"? Think not!
But, it ain't all that bad either.
It's worth the rental price.
Graphics: 7
Sound: 6.5
Learning Curve: Moderate
Difficulty: Moderate
Control: 7
Manual: Good
Replay Value: Moderate
FINAL SCORE: 6.9
