GENRE
	Racing
	DEVELOPER
	Konami
	PUBLISHER
	Konami
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-2
	CONNECTIVITY
	No
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One of Konami's first ventures on to the Game Boy was Motocross Maniacs. Even today, it remains one of the finest racing games on the system. Now, just a few years later, we finally get Motocross Maniacs 2, in full color. It does not disapoint.

Motocross Maniacs 2 has made the jump to color flawlessly. Detailed animated backgrounds become a feather in the peacock's plume of graphics. The pretty pictures, while not adding a whole lot to the action in the game, make for a great overall impression. The sweetest eye-candy in the game is the nearly photo-realistic clouds in the background of some levels. They don't look like they're patterned at all. As for your motocross racer, he's small but easy to look at. The animations are smooth, without any flicker whatsoever.

The background music in this game is some of the best on the system in a sports game. It sets a fast-paced mode and the game isn't the same without it -- which says a lot for a Game Boy title. Sound effects aren't bad either. The rev of your engine quickly fades into the background music, which is probably a good thing, because engine noises can only sound so realistic on the Game Boy, and like I said, this game has excellent background music. For the most part, sound effects are generally few-and-far-between. I could count the number of sound effects in a level on one hand -- the engine reving at the start, picking up a powerup, taking a tumble, and using a nitro boost. That leaves me with a thumb left to give a big thumbs up to Konami for the wonderful audio.

Motocross Maniacs 2 uses a simple formula for big time bliss. Your goal: finish the course ASAP. Now's the time when I draw the inevitable parallels between MM2 and the original Excite Bike. Since Nintendo opted never to port Excite Bike to the Game Boy, Motocross Maniacs has always been king of the portable. Both motocross racers have you racing the clock, but Excite Bike also had you dodging and weaving through an infinite stream of opponents. Both games rely on well-timed speed boosts to pass the level. And of course, both games feature a killer level editor. Both games are wonderful, but Excite Bike's opponents put it over the top as the better game.

In MM2, you race against the clock or your ghost time along a single track. Limiting the game to 2 dimensions simplifies the action, so there's more emphasis on flips. Pulling off flips in mid-air can reveal hidden powerups that can shave precious seconds off your time. The powerups in the game include nitro boosts, a jet pack, a miniature racer that follows you, and an itty bitty icon that gives you the inability to crash and lose your other powerups.

The coolest feature of MM2 is the level editor. You can create, save, and trade up to three custom levels on your Gameboy, and the editor is very well done. Using any of the available blocks in the game, you can make a level, complete with wackiness to taste. The creation element adds a ton of replay value, making the fun last even longer.

See Gameplay above.

Motocross Maniacs 2 is probably the best motocross game available on the Game Boy today. I pray every day that Nintendo will have the good sense to port Excite Bike over to the Game Boy. Until then, pick up Motocross Maniacs 2. It's an absolutely excellent, action-packed, hell of a game. Buy it.

9.0/10