Motoheroz review

[xy_game]Mixing the best parts of Excitebike and Mario Kart, Motoheroz looks set to be one of the best WiiWare games to date. With the Wii release lineup looking about as healthy as an advert for Unicef, Motoheroz looks like it arrived just in time, cue hero pun…

In a nutshell, Motoheroz plays like a trials game mixed with Donkey Kong. The idea is to navigate the levels as quick as possible, whilst collecting various items along the way. The game is heavily influenced by physics, with realistic tumbles, flips and jumps. Unusually for this type of game, there is a storyline which is gradually revealed as you unlock secret items. On top of that is an amazing multiplayer mode, which is the jewel in Motoheroz crown.

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Control wise, Motoheroz is a little tricky at first, despite being simple to play. The vehicles are controlled using just the Wiimote, using the ‘2’ button to drive forward and ‘1’ to reverse. The pad is used to control the tilt of the cars, which takes a few attempts to master. During play, your car will often end upside down, it can then be flipped with a shake of the Wiimote. Power-ups are activated with the A button. The handling works really well, but will only be mastered with extended play. Landing jumps perfectly, for example, take a lot of extended play. Easy to play, Hard to master.

The game is incredibly fast paced, running at a lovely 60fps. Most levels can be completed in around a minute or two, there are so many of them that they never feel repetitive. The levels themselves take place in the usual videogame clichés, such as desert and forest settings, using the same backgrounds. However there is always so much going on in the foreground, that you will scarcely notice. The game also has a random track maker which means you’ll hardly ever play the same tracks over and over. Sadly the option to build your own tracks is not possible, due to the WiiWare memory constraints. Creating and uploading levels is definitely the way forward in this sort of game, so maybe in the future eh Redlynx?

Playing alone is very pleasing experience. The quest mode has you traveling around the worlds racing against ghosts. These ghosts are vital in the story and is an interesting way to race. Along the way you can find secret routes, which often lead to coins and secrets to unlock new cars and levels. Redlynx have gone to a lot of effort to create a decent storyline and characters, which drive the narrative, teasing you to play more to find out more about them. The multiplayer however, is where this game really comes into its own. Get four friends, four Wiimotes, chuck in some beers and you have an awesome party game. This is up there with Mario Kart for multiplayer thrills.  The gameplay transforms into a totally hectic experience, with 4 vehicles, scrambling over each other, spinning through loops, desperate to reach the goal first. Motoheroz is worth buying for the multiplayer alone.

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Visually the developers have done an amazing job for a Wiiware release. The graphics have a great cartoon style, with chunky characters and vehicles, in a style similar to the Donkey Kong Wii game. Motoheroz pays homage to this game, with the inclusion of stylish, vector only levels, using only a two colour palette. The game runs smoothly even in multiplayer mode, with no slowdown with the most frantic action. Sound-wise, Motoheroz is typically Nintendo, with happy tunes and cute voice overs. It sounds like a cartoon, which suits the style to a t.

Motoheroz is a great game, but not without its problems. Already noted is the lack of track editor. However, the biggest problem is the lack of online multiplayer. You can race other people’s ghost online admittedly, but what we want is Mario Kart style races with people around the planet. This is a necessity in modern gaming, which has let the game down significantly. The developers promise new tracks on a regular basis, so it’s not all doom and gloom.

Motoheroz is a superb game. The lack of a proper online mode is a kick in the teeth, but at the price of just £15, you can’t have everything. You will not find a better Wiiware game out there. For the amazing multiplayer and the bargain price, Motoheroz is a must buy.