A Review of the Motorcycle Game Machine
Motorcycle Game Machine puts players at the controls of 176 officially licensed motorbikes. A wealth of assists ease newcomers in, and it’s easy to tailor the simulation level to a suitable challenge.
Clare Edgeley wrote in the February 1987 issue of Sinclair User that Hang-On “launched a totally new dimension of gaming”, offering a “motor bike which you could sit on and tilt from side to side to corner the bends”. This control method is retained.
Motorbike Racing
Back in 1995 Sega set the standard for arcade motorbike racing with Manx TT Super Bike. Using the same Sega Model 2 board as their earlier classic car games Daytona USA and Sega Rally Championship, the machine allowed players to compete against each other in head-to-head racers via local area network play. In an age when video game technology was still relatively new, many players were pleasantly surprised to find that the physical “bike” that they had to lean on actually responded to their movements, and it wasn’t as easy as just pushing the feet against the floor.
Previously, Taito’s Crashing Race was a popular two-player game in which each player attempted to crash as many computer-controlled cars as possible. SEGA’s Road Race was released in February 1976, an early black-and-white game that incorporated an early three-dimensional third-person perspective view. It was so popular that it was rebranded as Moto-Cross and Man T.T and later as Fonz, in a marketing tie-in with Happy Days.
Sega’s 1985 release Hang-On was considered the first full-body experience video game, and it was one of the earliest games to use force feedback technology. The game featured a Grand Prix style rear-view motorcycle racer with Motorcycle Game Machine a wide selection of stages to challenge, and it also included the capability for up to eight machines to be linked in order to allow players to compete against each other.
Raw Thrills’ MotoGP Arcade Game allows players to experience the thrill of racing alongside MotoGP champions including Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez on an authentic MotoGP circuit. The stunning 42” hi-def LCD display and force feedback steering immerse players in the action, while online connectivity lets them see how they stack up against friends and rivals from around the world.
Motorbike Stunts
If you like racing but also love to perform some incredible stunts, this is the perfect game for you. You can choose from 8 awesome motorcycles and race around two huge maps full of ramps to perform dozens of different stunts. The game features cool wind effects from the cabinet and a camera feature that puts you right in the action. Up to 8 players can play at the same time.
The gameplay is simple: you accelerate or brake with the buttons on the right side of the screen and steer with the directional controls on the left. You must master your balance to overcome each gruelling terrain. Completing levels earns you cash rewards that you can use to unlock new motorcycles and rider skins.
This game features a 3D bike that can jump over obstacles, and the levels get increasingly difficult. You have to drive your bike at top speed, overcoming dizzying ramps and terrifying jumps. To win, you must keep up with the stopwatch and perform stunts to earn special rewards.
You can select your favorite motorcycle and race across 6 different locations in the United States. The first location is San Francisco and the game continues on to Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver and Boston. Each city has unique terrain and obstacles that you must overcome to qualify for the next level. The graphics are impressive and the game’s music is evocative. There’s a nice heft to the motorcycle acceleration, which contrasts with the jaunty loop of the simple background music.
Bike Stunts 3d is free to download and play. However, some game items can be purchased for real money. By clicking the “Accept” button, you agree to these terms. You can decline the offer or update your preferences at any time.
Motorbike Simulator
For the first time in an arcade machine, you actually got to experience what it was like riding a bike, courtesy of this 1998 romp. The game had players straddle plastic motorcycles and lean to turn, a different approach to traditional arcade racers of the time. Players could even link up with their friends for head-to-head racing on a single cabinet!
Taking things to the next level, this 2015 game from Raw Thrills gives players the chance to get a feel for what it’s like to drive a MotoGP bike. With 10 perfectly-recreated circuits, a rider-facing fan to simulate wind and licenced riders such as Marc Marquez on the grid it’s a great way to get a taste of motorbike racing.
The graphics here are fantastic and a big improvement on what was going on in the arcades at the time. The lighting is great, with shadows and wild colours adding a whole new layer of detail to the top-down view. And the use of colour on vehicle sprites is a great way to convey the sense of speed and power that you’re feeling as you zoom past other vehicles – especially when they’re trying to block you off from overtaking!
It’s a shame that the sound doesn’t match up with the visuals, as it feels very flat and uninvolving. The basic music is Kids Arcade Vendors fine, but it doesn’t change by stage and doesn’t really add to the overall cinematic atmosphere that you’re trying to create.
One thing that would really make this a more immersive experience is if it was full motion, with the players’ seats shaking and vibrating and maybe even giving them a bit of haptic feedback on their knees and elbows as they lean into turns. Maybe there’s a load cell array that can read the player’s body position and do that?
