Mad Skills Motocross A Fun Racing Game Despite The Challenging Controls on iPad

Mad Skills Motocross iPhone

Mad Skills Motocross iPhone

Mad Skills Motocross [rating: 4/5]

Mad Skills Motocross is a new universal app for the iPhone and iPad from developers Turborilla AB based on the game of the same name that has been available on the PC for quite a while now. I haven’t played the PC version of the game but if it’s anything like this portable version then it must be pretty food.

The game is a sideways scrolling race against you and one other opponent in a race to the finish of 54 different tracks split across 5 divisions. Each track brings it’s own range of jumps, bumps and tricks and it’s your task to maneuver your motocross bike over them all before your opponent.

Controls can be set to either use the accelerometer or onscreen buttons and it’s the onscreen option that worked the best for me although having said that on the iPad the buttons are much too small and also because the game won’t rotate on the iPad’s screen if you are playing the game with headphones in are positioned very awkwardly.

Mad Skills Motocross iPad

There are only four buttons to control your motorbike with, accelerate, brake, lean forward and lean back and so learning the basics is pretty simple. However, as the tracks get more difficult and the opponents give you more of a challenge you will need to use the subtleties the leaning forward and back to take full advantage of the conditions.

Moving through the division is down by completing the previous divisions and this is done by beating your opponent on each of the tracks.

You will find yourself crashing quite a bit so does your opponent so there is always the chance to catch up and win the race. If you do find yourself falling to far back though there is a re-start button which reloads the gaming very fast indeed. This reduces the frustration of crashing and keeps you coming back for more.

The physics of the bike, the rider and their interaction with the environment are very good as are the graphics especially on the retina display of the iPhone 4 where the scenery looks great as it flies past you at high speed.

Mad Skills Motocross High Score

To help you in your racing there are five power-ups which help you complete the course but I found that the sheer speed of your racing is the key to your success.

In addition to the career mode you can also race all the unlocked tracks in time-trial and race against a ghost of your best times. Then there is the integration with OpenFeint which not only provides leader-boards for each of the 54 tracks and 30 achievements.

This all adds up to a great game which offers great value for money especially considering that it’s a universal application. If you are a motocross fan then at $1.99 this is a great purchase for you.

Pros

  • Over 50 tracks of challenging fun
  • A rewarding racer with lots of extras
  • OpenFeint integration adds lots of value
  • Universal app

Cons

  • Small buttons can be easily missed
  • Button layout on the iPad can be challenging

$1.99 (View in iTunes)
Category: Games
Updated: Jan 10, 2011
Current Version: 1.2
1.2 (iOS 4.0 Tested)
Size: 19.6 MB
Language: English
Seller: Turborilla AB
© 2011 Turborilla AB
Rated 9+ for the following:
Infrequent/Mild Realistic Violence
Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1 or later

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