SORE THUMBS - Video Game Review (DC)
Suzuki Alstare Extreme Racing - "Blackouts, blisters and the cycle of life."
by Charlie Baird

So you say that you’re looking for a way to completely destroy a beautiful day, wile away a drizzly afternoon or fill the lulls of an insomniac’s nightmare? Call me Yenta the matchmaker, I’ve got a treat for you. Ubi Soft has landed the motherload with the release of Suzuki Alstare Extreme Racing. Fast-paced action, insanely detailed environments and an addiction level that would leave ol’ R. J. Reynolds sporting a chubby all exist as a mere appetizer for those desperately combing the streets, looking to slake their thirst for a first-rate motorcycle game.

Go ahead, tell me I sound like the bastard lovechild of Susan Powter and Don Lapre, a Mr. Popeil for the digital age. I’m not trying to sell you on this or any other game; I’m trying to get it out of my system. Knowing that this little racer is a mere 5 feet away from me, no methadone clinic, no prune-cranberry concoction, no multi-level substitutive patch, not even an ethereal plunger capable of flushing my synapses, cerebral cortex and even my very soul could ease the temptation to swap my present task for the ergonomically-stupid Dreamcast controller. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the priorities of today’s workload, the game is just that good. By all means, wrap yourself around this game. But before you do, allow me to offer the most miniscule caveat.

Yesterday I rolled out of bed around 8, brewed a delightfully aromatic pot of Gevalia’s Chocolate-Raspberry coffee, stared at the TV Guide Channel for several minutes and resigned to the phenomena of too many channels with nothing worth watching. Fine, I thought, a few races will pass the time until a fresh cycle of television programming offers more than Bryant Gumble and infomercials for juicers and all-purpose cleaners.

Ten hours later, the coffee had burned (despite my inner voice’s plea to carpe café), regularly-scheduled programs were completely ignored and hands, eyes and bladder were all crying the dirge of the oppressed. It took a full-scale intervention from 2 outsiders to force me to surrender to a mutually-satisfactory viewing selection. What are you going to do when your girlfriend and your roommate would rather suffer through another inane episode of Friends than enjoy a good race?

I had no idea I had pissed away the entire day. In fact, I thought it only remotely strange that the ambient illumination had grown dim, and even more surreal that there were other people in the house. Was it possible I had experienced a John Daly-sized blackout?
One facet of my experience that no 12-stepper can dispute is the quality of construction inherent in Suzuki Alstare Extreme Racing. True, single-batch this and medical-grade that mean little once you reach the stage where an intervention might be required, but once you have had the best it’s hard to settle for less.

The graphics roll by seamlessly and are smoother than the surface on which Cuban cigars are assembled. Of course, they should be; this is a Dreamcast game. But it is always nice to see care taken to preserve the authenticity of the periphery.

Look at the sky in many console and PC games and prepare to be underwhelmed. Not only have the game developers at Criterion Studios done a splendid job of matching environmental effects and course characteristics, they have birthed digital ecosystems. Arid desertscapes, orchards abundant with deceptive curves, tropical beaches, sordid city grids and virginal mountain courses twist through their respective surroundings with clarity of design and function.

Whereas this game’s graphical excellence is easily sifted from the chaff released by other developers, the soundtrack and foley artistry require more time to appreciate. I tip my hat to those producing games with musical accompaniment provided by renowned performers and cutting-edge composers, but it is nice to hear a soundtrack that opens a window every so often to let in a little air. At times the music is subtle, barely perceptible, giving way to a distant rumble as towering thunderheads collide. Other moments the music is obvious, but never vociferous or outré.

Adjusting to the use of the Dreamcast’s joystick control after spending many tedious hours molding my grip to fit precisely around a PSX controller takes time and is undoubtedly the cause of many of my initial wrecks. Though after 20+ hours of game play the blame inevitably shifts from controller to computer opponents. I swear they force you into guard rails and support pylons.

The game allows for multi-player, single race and a sort of career mode. The latter progresses through 9 sessions, each with three to six heats. Placement in these heats is critical as session advancement is completely dependent upon your ability to collect points. A point system, comparable in premise (though, thankfully not complexity) to any racing circuit, is set up to award points per race ranging from 10 points for first place to 1 point for sixth place. Alas, there are 8 racers vying for those points (some more willing than others to jam your kit into stationary objects). This is not the gentler, kinder arena of say, public schools where everyone is a winner. There are losers…you will be one of them…case closed. Do what you can to get ahead and, more importantly, stay ahead.

Ready for the Oompa-Loompa in the nougat? You have to finish first in points to advance to the next session. This is key if you want to unlock courses and bikes, but more importantly, so you don’t feel as though you have sacrificed 10 hours for naught.

 

Panel	Graphics	Sound	Playability	Replayability
Eric Schofield Editor-In-Chief	9	5	9	10
	Lean into it! You know the graphics are good when your body is swaying to and fro while you make high G-force turns! The colors are stunning and the detail is remarkable. When you wreck, your body goes flailing through the air quite realistically. From the 1st person perspective view (on the bike – not behind), you can truly feel the speed of the bike as the entire screen vibrates as you accelerate, remarkable!	Yawn. Maybe this first batch of Dreamcast games is a little chintzy on the sound because they were rushed. The sound effects were mundane with the high pitched motorcycle whining and the music left little to get excited about, though it wasn’t obtrusive like it is in other games. The sound effects are very simple with little variety.	I LOVE the Dreamcast controls. The analog triggers are great because you can truly control the amount of throttle or brake you employ. The controls are a little sensitive but are easy to master and the use of the analog pad allows you to control how much you lean into the turns. Very important for a motorcycle racer!	Holy sore thumbs, Batman! I haven’t had this much fun playing a racing game since GT2! The thing that keeps you coming back is the 1 player mode. The game is easy to master but in order to advance, you have to be very consistent. It keeps you coming back for more because you get soooooo close and with practice, you can advance to the harder stages.
Lane Singletary Design Editor	10	6	9	9
	Awesome graphics and attention to detail really stand out in this game. Each bike is rendered with sharp detail and an exact likeness to the real thing. The tracks are also portrayed with unpixelated quality and sharpness that you would expect from Sega Dreamcast. Even the racers stand out with custom racing leathers that can be changed throughout each stage or race.	Soundly speaking, not bad. The effects for the bikes are pretty cool but they are lacking the high reving screams that sport bikes usually posess. Crashing your bike into a wall or guard rail brings out grunts and ahhh’s that sound pretty painful. If your hoping to hear a killer soundtrack while your racing, turn on your radio, not much musically in this game.	Great racing game, with superb playability. The single race mode lets you race individual tracks or take on a buddy for some high speed action. The main game mode allows a player to race his way around several levels of play accumulating points that allow you to advance to the next stage or race. Certain time limit restrictions and computer opponents, usually seven, add to the difficulty to obtain wins and advance to different levels. Finnaly, with an awesome array of tracks and bikes, dude, the fun never stops!	There is no question about this games replayability, pretty damn good. With unmatched locations to race at such as Tobacco Road and Brooklyn, boredom will probally never set in. With awesome race tracks, an uncanny selection of bikes and the difficulty of play this game has it all and should be on your shopping list for your local video store.
Steve Egan Photo Editor	8	7	8	8
	As with most Dreamcast games the graphics are phenomenal and far above the current crop of gaming systems. The visuals had a much-maligned sense of realism. There were many times in the game when I was guffawed at the realism, detail, and overall crispness that it offered. I was disappointed with the lack of trailers. Although a nuisance most of the time a good trailer can do more to draw you into a game than you might think.	Decent sound. I was impressed with the noises that the motorcycles emitted. No bee-like buzzing but a true throaty tuned bike sound. The music, as subtle as it was during game play, was adequate and non-irritating. With its acid house style of drum beats and melodic synthesizers I found myself even tapping my foot on occasion. Although not realistic actually in its sound it is the best I have heard in a while.	Upon first play of the game I found the control use a little difficult. Instead of using the traditional directional pad to control your direction you MUST use the toggle button. UGGhhhhh. At first this really bothered me but after a few races with the control realized that this was actually the better way of controlling the high paced racing. The game is extremely fast paced and required just about all of your concentration to keepon the track but is very fun. I found the palms of my hands getting sweaty from playing so much with my controller. The Game controller, get your minds out of the gutter.	The replayability is fabulous. There have been very few games that have actually made me physically ill. The game actually caused a small bout of motion sickness. Unlike sea or air sickness video game sickness is easily cured by downing a tall frosty mug of your favorite drink and a good rubdown by a member of the opposite sex, but I digress. Suzuki racing will offer the ground steady game player with hours of fun and sore thumb action.
Troy Parrott Marketing Manager	9	6.5	8	9
	The Dreamcast certainly brings game playing to a new level. The graphics are rich in detail and color and the animation occurs at a blazing frame rate with no performance drag. The crashes were great as body and bike go soaring through the air. More detail could have been added in the beach scenes as the water didn’t really splash as I lost control and ditched the bike into the surf.	The sounds of the motorcycles are fairly realistic when compared to the high revving engines of Japanese bikes. Unfortunately, there was little else to get excited about regarding the sound quality. The crashes all ended in a muffled thud and the music was uninspiring.	I initially struggled a bit with the analog trigger system of the Dreamcast controllers. Once you get used to it, you’ll be fine but it certainly takes more skill than a simple press of a buttton. The controls responded quickly and at times, overly so. But with a fast paced game like this, you need to have responsive controls to keep your bike on course.	This game will grow on you. It is a little difficult at first because you’ll struggle to master the sensitive controls but once you become accustomed to the controls, the game appears to get easier. You go cruising along kickin’ some motorcyle ass when all of a sudden, the difficulty level starts to get harder and advancement requires 1st place session finishes. You know you’re proficient but you have to really work at making the next level. Before you know it, 4 hours have expired. Addicting game, indeed!