" ‘Cause I know a lot of people think that kind of stuff sucks donkey. For me, though, it can be almost as addictive as crack "

   Title: Championship Motocross 2001 by THQ

   Format: Game Boy Color Racer

   Reviewing Monkey: Dungapult

   The Hype: It’s a motocross racing game for Game Boy Color. That would make it…Um…Racarific fun? Damned, I don’t know. Hype it how you want. Oh! Wait! It’s got Ricky Carmichael in it! *Whew* Almost had nothing there.

      What This Monkey Thought...

   Graphics: Championship Motocross heralds the second truly great graphical achievement for the Game Boy by THQ (Buffy The Vampire Slayer being the first). These graphics, while of course still limited to 8-bit rendering, are a kick in the pants. The riders, bikes, terrain, and objects all look as pretty as you’d hope. This is also one of the few games out so far that makes truly good use of the Game Boy’s color palette- a nice visual treat vs. so much of what’s out there. 5 out of 5

   Sound: You know, there may be nothing harder than trying to grade sound on a Game Boy. I mean, seriously, what the hell is that little speaker capable of? High pitched whines, low-pitched whines, and if the programmers really bust butt, medium pitched whines? Ah well, you can tell what’s going on in the game and I guess that’s all you can really ask for. 3 out of 5

   Game Play: Fore warned this game could be a bit of a pain in the ass when you first pick it up. It has far more options than you’re ever used to seeing on a system like this and the controls, comparatively, are pretty complicated. However, once you get past that, you’ll find what is the most rewarding Game Boy racer I’ve ever seen. Smooth gameplay, tight controls, great AI, and fully customizable bikes give you just about everything you could ask for. And, with the inclusion of 4 different types of events, complete with an effective stunt mode, this game becomes one of the best hand held of all time. 5 out of 5

   Level and Environment Designs: How accurate they are, I, of course, can’t say for certain. However, THQ (and Ricky Carmichael through the intro) claim that they have reproduced some of the greatest motocross tracks from across the country. Regardless, the fact that they made an attempt is keen and overall the effect is good. Off track distractions are entertaining, Jumps and bumps are spaced appropriately, and most importantly, the proportion of turns and their sharpness doesn’t suck ass. If you’ve ever played a motocross racer before you know that how tight the turns are can either make or break a game…And 2K1 keeps things tight enough that even with the lame ass Game Boy D-pad you can keep it going. 4 out of 5

   Multiplayer: N/A

   Replayability: As is typically on games like this, Replayability is found in trying to string together tougher tricks and faster race times. Does that sound like lots of fun to you? ‘Cause I know a lot of people think that kind of stuff sucks donkey. For me, though, it can be almost as addictive as crack…so I’m still playing it long after I "have" to. 3.5 out of 5

   Story/Dramatics: Normally, I feel that just because it’s a sports game doesn’t mean it gets away with not having a story. However, on the 8-bit Game Boy, it’s more than forgivable. N/A

   Instructions and Learning Curve: Some people- some pathetic, mutant, non-Monkey, short a chromosome, throw backs from the shallow end of the gene pool (or just people who aren’t used to playing motocross racers) may have trouble picking up the controls at first. If you’ve ever played one before, though, you shouldn’t have a problem. The instructions are nice and clean and in color, which is cool. However, they are written entirely without attitude (something no motor cycle game should ever be) and have pictures of the stunts that were crayoned by forth graders (or Ricky Carmichael…I’m not sure which). 4 out of 5

   Installation and Real System Requirements: I dare say this little thing pushes the Game Boy just about as far as it’ll go. 5 out of 5

   The Verdict:

       Definitely the best racing game I’ve seen for the GB. A must have for fans of the genre, gear heads, and anyone looking for that final non-Mario game to keep in with their travel bag. A permanent inclusion into my GB library.

   The Good: Graphics, game play, options, and customizability.

   The Bad: : No true draw to keep you playing.

   The Overall Ugly: It beats the hell out of playing more side scrolling "jump and fire" games.

   What it's Worth: Market