Motocross Maniacs (モトクロス マニアックス Motokurosu Maniakkusu?) is a 2D stunts platform racing video game developed by Konami for the Game Boy handheld console, originally released in Japan in 1989. It was published in North America by Ultra Games and in Europe by Palcom Software, both released in 1990.
Gameplay[]
The player's control over the motorcycle allows moving the front wheel upward or downward, allowing for jumps over obstacles and rotating stunts when in the air. If the player lands incorrectly, the rider will fall off his bike and climb back on it. This results in the main cause of time loss within the game.
The bike is provided with only a limited fuel (represented as "TIME" bar), and the player must complete the course before running out of fuel. The game ends when the time limit is depleted.
The bike also has the ability to use a limited amount of nitrous oxide for a short speed boost. This allows for large jumps and can be necessary for making loops.
Nitrous power-ups can be obtained within a level (marked as a large "N"), but often they will require one to be used to get them in the first place. Thus when the player has depleted his supply, it can be very hard or even impossible to regain more boosts. Furthermore, some levels have sections that require one or more boosts to pass, making it nearly impossible to complete the level without any.
Other power-ups in the game include extra fuel (marked as "T"), increased speed (marked as "S", continues until the player crashes) and enhanced traction (marked as "R", also continues until the player crashes).
One can also retrieve combos by making frontflips and backflips, and consecutive combos grants the player a flying booster (represented by "JET") that allows the bike to jump up high if several boosts are used.
Many levels offer multiple directions for the player. One usually contains extra powerups that requires the use of boosts and agility to successfully traverse, while the other simply requires jumping obstacles on the ground, often including loose sand and gravel that will slow down the motorcycle.
Modes[]
There are eight different levels, becoming harder to complete as they progress. Any level can be selected from the beginning of the game, together with an A, B or C difficulty level which determines the time available to complete the level.
The game has three different modes of play:
- Single player: One player completes level after level until their time runs out.
- Single player versus computer: Same as above, but also requires the player to beat the computer.
- Single player versus second player: Same as above, but with another human player.
For the two versus modes, the second player appears as a silhouette behind the player, similar to time trials in other racing games.
Gallery[]
Promotional artwork[]
