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The MX series, published by THQ, is a long running attempt at
perfecting the true Arcade style of motorbike stunt-racing, and with
the release of
MX Vs. ATV: Unleashed on the consoles it was seen to have
reached a
pinnacle not yet achieved by any Arcade Motocross videogame.
This production of the game, MX Vs. ATV: On The Edge, is for release
on the PSP, it’s presented as a slightly-updated-port from the
PlayStation2 version, including all the features that graced in the
title in the first place. You start the game with the choice of a
few bikes and a couple of ATV’s and a couple of Nationals and
Supercrosses to race on. You can choose the number of laps, number
of opponents (only a maximum of three in this version of the game)
and difficultly before you start the race, along with setting up
your bike’s CC, and customising it, and customising your rider. Once
you’ve done all of these you start the race, this will be on average
a five-lap race around one of the very many and varied courses,
doing tricks whenever possible, trying, by a combination of luck and
skill, to come first.
Tricks are done by using Triangle or Circle, or a combination of the
two with the D-Pad, these button combinations
 allow
huge amounts of different tricks to keep you amused, you can also
tweak every trick with the R Button, Tracks are actually really well
designed, each jump and corner if taken perfectly will set you up
for the next one, which, if then taken perfectly will set you up
again for the one after, there’s never a jump or a corner that seems
to be put down just to make the track simply difficult, but instead
to make it more challenging.
As you come first on each Track a new one will be unlocked,
sometimes you will also get, Hill Climbs, Waypoint Races and Short
Tracks to add to your racing repertoire. If you get bored of these
you can partake in the Freestyle and Follow-The-Leader stunt
challenges. Here you get to go around specially designed tracks,
doing either your own stunts or the stunts shown at the bottom of
the screen to gain the highest possible Score and win the Challenge.
These also, when completed, unlock more Levels to play on.
Each time you complete a race or Challenge you will earn Points
based on the tricks you’ve pulled off through it,
these Points can be spent in the in-store shop, giving you access to
more options in-game. There’s more outfits to customise your riders
helmet, jacket, gloves, leggings and boots, more Bikes and ATV’s,
and then when you can earn enough Points to unlock them, there’s
Golf Carts, Dune Buggy’s, Sand Rail’s and Monster Trucks. There are
also the options of upgrading your Bikes and ATV’s with different
coloured and branded plates and guards, plus you can buy higher CC’s
from 50cc to 500cc. There’s also the very many Tracks and other
gameplay modes you can unlock with these Points.
MX Vs. ATV: On The Edge won’t be famed for pushing the PSP to it’s
limits. Comfortable and a step-up from last year’s PlayStation2
series release, MX Vs. ATV: Unleashed while never really displaying
any talent we haven’t yet been benefit to on SONY’s sure-fire
portable power-house. The sound quality is pleasing, offering the
whirrs and grinds of Motocross with credible aural achievement, but
again falling-short of mastering it’s chosen format’s
peak-performance.
What we end with, after many hours of fun on this game, is a true
port of what the PlayStation 2 version
 accomplished,
a great, enjoyable Arcade Motocross game. The minor problems of this
PSP version, are the worst loading times I’ve seen in an MX game
ever, and the limited number of computer opponents you can have,
which does make the challenge a little less challenging. Apart from
these, the graphics are more finely tuned for this release and there
is no lack of the sheer enjoyment factor found in every other MX
release so far. A definite choice for anyone missing the bikes from
their portable machine.
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