Just because I recently sold my old BMX bike doesn't mean I still don't like to ride.  Well, I guess it just means that I suck at riding and that I would probably injure myself badly if I tried any halfway decent tricks.  So of course, when you can't do something very well in real life, why not try it virtually?  A few different publishers have tried to capture the excitement of this extreme sport, but all have failed miserably, until now.  "Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX" is a great game for the experienced rider and the poser alike.

If you've played "Tony Hawk Pro Skater", then you'll have a good idea of what this new title brings to the table.  This is primarily because "Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX" uses the "Tony Hawk Pro Skater" game engine, which so far has been superior to all others.  When you fire up this game, you'll first notice the awesome bike-riding video, which easily gets you in the mood to tear it up.  It's not one of the cheesy videos that we've all seen once too many times, but rather, a very impressive, high-quality sequence.

The controls are exactly the same as those found in Tony Hawk, which many people have come accustomed to.  Basically, you hold down the X button to speed up and then let go to bunny hop.  Manuals, which allow you to ride on either your front or rear wheel, are achieved by pressing up then down (or down then up) before landing.  To do air tricks you press either circle or square plus one of the eight directions on the directional pad (or analog stick).  The same goes for grinds, press triangle and a direction.  Such simple and appropriate controls allow you to bust out some impressive moves only minutes after picking up the controller.  Although, the trick timing seems a little different from that in Tony Hawk, possibly because bike tricks do typically take longer to complete.  It may take a couple minutes to get used to this, but you'll figure it out before you know it.

Just about any trick that you can think of is available at your fingertips.  Whether it is a rocket queen, a nothing, or a backflip, "Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX" has it covered.  The special meter has once again been implemented into this extreme sports game.  Meaning, once you consecutively land enough tricks, you will have the ability to do tricks that are not possible otherwise (without special built up) and most of these tricks are just simply amazing.

"Don't pull the thang out, unless you plan to bang."  Yeah, you guessed it - Outkast's "Bombs Over Baghdad" is one of the songs on the soundtrack.  Other noteworthy bands include Pennywise and Bad Brains, but there are many more included from the punk/hip-hop genres.  Music is so important in games like this to get you pumped up and the music choice was definitely appropriate.  The sound effects aren't anything innovative, but they aren't anything to complain about either.  The basic bike sounds, object sounds, and groans (when you wipe out) are included.

Graphically, "Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX" is about the best that you're going to see in a Playstation title.  Still though, it's just what you'd expect from any Playstation game - nothing special, but I'm comparing it PS2 games (it's so hard to go back and forth between the two!).  I didn't notice any frame rate problems, or any other problems for that matter though and resultantly the game play is great.  The riders and their bikes are very detailed as are many objects that you encounter throughout the levels.

There are eight levels to ride in, which are either street, vert, or dirt.  They all seemed to be planned out very well and their layouts allow you to pull off some sweet combos with ease.  There's also a cheat that makes it possible to play some of the levels from the "Tony Hawk Pro Skater" series, which is pretty cool.  Right before you enter a level, you are shown a video of the actual location, which is nice because it illustrates that these are real locations that people ride at from day to day!  So now you don't have to break your neck to ride like the pros (this is a good thing).

Bored with all the default levels?  Well then just open up the 3D level editor and make your own!  Although most people probably won't ever use this feature, it's a great resource to have access to and it's surprisingly easy to use.

It's important to keep in mind that, similar to "Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2," the key to getting big point combos is utilizing manuals.  Once you perfect your manual technique, it's easy to turn a trick that seems like it has no potential into a pretty sweet series of tricks.

You can use such techniques to beat your friends in two-player mode, where you can play HORSE, graffiti, and trick attack.  Or you can play career mode, which is necessary to unlock all of the levels.  You do so by collecting magazine covers, which are rewarded to you when you complete the appropriate tasks, such as getting 50,000 points or knocking down all the vending machines in the level.  As you progress through career mode, you also gain access to better bikes and other stats.  The other modes of play are single session and free ride, used for setting high scores and practicing, respectively.

If you didn't notice, the game modes are identical to those found in "Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2."  While all these game play modes are very entertaining, a new one definitely wouldn't have hurt.  I can deal with it though and I think most will agree: "why fix it if it ain't broke?" - right?

I've been waiting for this game to be released since I played the demo on the "Tony Hawk Pro Skater" CD and I definitely was not let down by the final product.  This is without a doubt, the best biking game to hit the streets so far.  Why are you still here?  Go to the store and purchase this one immediately!

This game is rated "E" for everyone and it requires 1 block on a PSX memory card.

Gameplay: 9.5
Typical modes of play, but they are still undoubtedly fun.

Graphics: 9.0
Just about the best you'll find on the Playstation console, which isn't saying much at this point.  All aspects of the game are very detailed though, and frame rates are smooth (even in two-player mode).

Sound: 10.0
Outkast is on the soundtrack, can you ask for anything more?

Difficulty: 9.0
Fairly easy if you've played similar games, but this game still offers a decent challenge.  Newcomers can pick up the controller and participate without too much practice.

Concept: 9.5
Sure, it's been done before, but never this good.  Give thanks to the "Tony Hawk Pro Skater" engine.

Multiplayer: 8.5
This game is great to play with others and it offers solid game play for hours of competition.  Too bad they didn't include some new modes of play.

Overall: 9.25
If you've been waiting for a good biking game, this is it.  Buy it now.