Granny Vinnie Reviews

7800 Rank: 44th Genre Rank: (Driving) 3rd Awards: 3rd Worst Originality You Would be Psycho if you Dug this Game Pros: 4 Big Tracks/ Ability to Catch Major Air Cons: Feels like a Thrown Together Game Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Overview: Motorpsycho is probably one of those games that you either strongly like or strongly dislike. Even if you enjoy the mind-numbing tracks and the difficult controls, you would have to admit that there are a few flaws in the game that are impossible to overlook. The main problem is the simple fact that this is Pole Position II in a motorbike chassis. We have already played Pole Position II, so why play a rehashed version of the game that offers literally two unique features and nothing more? My only guess would be if you love Pole Position II and are dying for 4 new tracks.

Graphics: Graphically speaking, Motorpsycho does few things well. One thing that is pretty cool and important is that the main character's motorbike looks good, especially compared to his competition. Atari again has unleashed to the gaming public the classic battle between "Red and Blue". The hero commands a blue bike, while the slow and pathetic competition rides red motorcycles. This is pretty lame, because even Pole Position II had different color "dummy" cars to look at. The terrain is not flat like Pole Position II, but hilly like Fatal Run. This breaks the monotony of flat racing pretty well, but not like the radioactive cones and ramps that litter the course. Mysteriously, the cones and ramps in the game glow. Apparently Oak Ridge had a yard sale, and the proprietors of this particular circuit couldn't pass up the good deal of radioactive obstacles. Overall I would say that Motorpsycho's graphics are a hair worse than Pole Position II.

Sound: Besides the roar (or should I say purr?) of the motorbikes as they race around the track and a few explosions, Motorpsycho is void of any quality audio. There is a cartoon-like whistle when you decide to jump your motorbike, and jumping over ramps, signs, cones treats you to another type of whistle. Forgettable, to say the least. I should also say that the opening audio loop at the menu screen is very bizarre.

Gameplay: If you have played Pole Position II, you have essentially played Motorpsycho. Actually, I like PPII better, but that is just my opinion. You race lap after lap, not really racing against competition, but against time. Completed laps earn you extra time to finish the race. If you do not finish the race, your bike stops when time runs out and you are stuck out in the track like you forgot to gas up. This is almost identical to PPII. Missing in Motorpsycho is the nifty qualifying lap, and the racing blimp carrying the banner that says, "Prepare to Race!" What we have instead is the ability to jump our bike, which is really the only fun part about this game. On certain hills, it is possible to stay airborne for three to five seconds. While this is really cool, the programmers must have thought this game was too easy, because on several tracks where we could catch super-cool air, the track suddenly does a hairpin, and we land on signs...exploding into a million pieces. Don't worry, we will reappear...no really..................no really..........we will appear! After about ten seconds after a crash, the computer finds it in its good heart to put us back on the track....only now with little hope of finishing the entire race. The frustrating part is that when we crash, every stinkin' part of our bike has to stop moving. Tires and handlebars bounce for an eternity, as I slowly die, screaming. The most intriguing part of this game is ability to adjust your handling. During pause, flip the difficulty switch to the right, and "Straighten" and "Turn" will appear. You can adjust the settings by using the 2nd player controller, but the bike is hard to control no matter what you do.

Originality: Since this is essentially Pole Position II four years later, the originality score will be low. Motorpsycho failed to improve on graphics, and the two new features it offers does little to make this game fun.

Value: If you love the Pole Position line of games, you will probably like Motorpsycho. There are four tracks to conquer, and two of them are actually difficult. The last track is sick.

Overall: While Motorpsycho is a playable game, it leaves a lot to be desired. I have run this into the ground by now, but I believe this is a cheap version of Pole Position II...and a weak one at that. This game feels like it was rushed to be completed, just because it lacks any type of atmosphere. There is little that is psycho about it, and this is disappointing. The title tends to make you think you will run into crazed lunatics with stun guns on motorbikes, dangerous obstacles, and the fuzz. But this ain't Road Rash baby, if fact, it's more like "Driving Miss Daisy".

Other Reviews:
CV's Atari 7800 Panoramic Froo-Froo: 2.5 out of 5.0 (Weak)
Videogame Critic: D



Additional Info: I would like to take this time to thank Mitch Orman, owner of The Atari 7800 Page for allowing the use of his screenshots for this review.

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Track Selection? Big Airs? The Ability to Adjust Handling? The Box Art?

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