I ride a bike; not professionally or off-road or anything, but I still ride a bike everyday back-and-forth from home to school and sometimes to the local grocery store.
In the last few months of riding, I have gotten into a couple of accidents. I won't get into details, but in retrospect, they were pretty funny. I've been looking a bike video game that gives the spirit of no frills bike riding but still makes me cringe when I get in an accident. That's what made Downhill Domination so interesting to me. There aren't any half-pipes, strippers or anything else that previous BMX games have suffered from. It is pure downhill bike racing.
I was impressed right from the get-go because it had my Trek bicycle complete with the Rock Shox and dark gray paint. They also had a character that sort of reminded me of, well, me. He was tall, kind of paunchy, and likes to ride hard and fast... on the bike that is.
The game features courses from around the globe that range from Japan to Siberia to Utah. When playing in Career Mode, there are different modes of play for each course. In freeride mode, you have to do whatever you have to to get down the mountain. There is no set path except for the one you make. Mountain cross mode features tight turns, high jumps, and a short course. The mountain cross gives you a chance to test some of the sickest tricks seen in an extreme bike game. Technical downhill gives you a definite path to follow, but if you get away from the beaten path, you had better watch for hazards like trees, rocks, and the occasional wild boar or polar bear.
Downhill Domination
Platform: Sony Playstation 2
Developer: Incog Inc. Entertainment
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment of America
Downhill Domination was developed by Incog Inc. who also developed the classic Twisted Metal series. Knowing those crazy guys, you had to expect a little battle between the riders. Don't worry it's there. You can take out the other riders with the fists and feet, but my preferred method is chucking water bottles at their heads. Later in the game, you get to unlock a level that is a huge bowl where you and some of your friends can duke it out with the various weapons available. That is totally fun.
The graphics are pretty basic for an extreme sports game. They look better than the Mat Hoffman series but not as good as SSX. The graphics do keep you guessing though because when you're flying through a group of trees, you really need to look out or else you'll turn into George of the Jungle. The sound effect of your rider smacking into a tree or rock or whatever just makes you cringe. The blood flies a little bit, and you even have to wait a half a second to get up and going again.
The music is awesome. You get to enjoy some Propellerheads, Brian Setzer, Black Eyed Peas, and the godfather of soul himself, Mr. Please, Please, Please, James Brown. Actually James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)" is a remix, but it still keeps the spirit behind the godfather's music alive. You actually feel good when you hit a tree on the "I feel good" lyric.
I hate to do this, but I did have a few problems with this game. What was with all the advertisements? If I see one more amazon.com, ebay, Oakley, or Camelbak ad, I swear I will swerve my bike into on-coming traffic. There will billboards all over this game. It was a sensory overload. The ads were useful in respect that they showed where the out of bounds areas were located. I thought it was funny that when you hit one of the billboards, you left no bloodstains unlike when you hit other objects.
Also, I was disappointed with the lack of online play. I know I probably sound like a broken record, but online play is where the future is and none of the video game companies, except for maybe Electronic Arts, are harnessing it.
In conclusion, if you're looking for an all out, no frills downhill mountain biking game, look no further than Downhill Domination. It's fun and will keep you guessing for the best short cut to win - just watch out for that tree!
Ryan Eilders is the webmaster and video game reporter for the Web Devil. Reach him at ryan.eilders@asu.edu.
