Enjoy A Race In Cyberspace
ENJOY A RACE IN CYBERSPACE
TIRED OF VIEWING THE same old race videos while you wait for the spring thaw? Well, for multimedia-equipped motorcyclists, Cyclemania, a new CD-ROM-based motorcycle video game from Accolade available at computer stores nationwide, brings thrills and spills to your IBMcompatible personal computer.
Cyclemania offers two types of racing. There’s the irresponsible squid frenzy, where you go wheel-to-wheel with other maniacs on heavily traveled public streets. Or you can turn off the cars, cows and cops in the options menu and shred the road. It's just you and the boys on a clear stretch, with only the dirt shoulder and occasional guardrail, embankment, cliff or tree to keep you in check.
You start by selecting a stock CBR900RR, FZR1000 or GSXR1 100. Prize money earned racing buys an upgraded exhaust, shock, tires or engine. The game offers five routes, with digitized video of actual roads.
U n fo r t u na t e 1 y, Cyclemania's great-looking road reproduction and stereo sound out-perform actual game play. The game’s perspective lacks the exciting visuals and tilting horizon experienced from the saddle in the real world. Steering, throttle and brake control is via keyboard or joystick, and auto or manual shifting may be selected. Throttle and brake control is poorly modeled, lacking a linear feel. Try and ride a real bike like that and you'll wind up on your butt, which happens often in the game.
While there is progress to be made, Cyclemania does represent a broad leap in motorcycle video game technology. The game is entertaining, too, and at $60 suggested retail, is a much cheaper, digitized way to meet the asphalt than with mistakes made on the pavement.
-Don Canet
