Motocross Madness

Game review by Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media
Motocross Madness Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 13+

So-so dirt bike racer downplays effects of violent crashes.

Xbox 360 2013
Rate game

Parents say

age 10+

Based on 1 review

Kids say

age 10+

Based on 2 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Motocross Madness is a downloadable racing game that puts a lightly cartoonish spin on a risky sport. Players use somewhat realistic-looking bikes to perform familiar looking stunts. However, the riders themselves -- the player's own Xbox Live Avatar -- generally have a cartoonish appearance, and the courses they race on are fantastical, with incredibly dangerous jumps that would never appear on a real motocross track. However, whenever a rider wipes out traversing these over-the-top obstacles he or she simply tumbles around a bit and then respawns back on his or her bike. Parents should be aware that the game offers open unmoderated chat with strangers online.

Community Reviews

nuenjins
nuenjins Adult
January 15, 2018
age 10+

Budget, novelty racer is about worth the 10 bucks you pay. Nothing more.

Playing as the avatar from your Xbox profile makes this more of a novelty game than a good fix for gamers looking for a great racing title. You traverse various outdoor tracks and trade airborn tricks for speed boost like many titles do. Much like a similar game Joy Ride, you can take a break from the racing to go to a 'sandbox' area to collect loot, but nothing here is as well thought out or executed as Joy Ride is a much smoother, more polished and well rounded game in every way. This game does not have any weapons involved or battle racing so it is a more straightforward, strictly racing game than most cart racer style titles. Although this is perceived as a more kid friendly delivery, cheap deaths, grainy graphics and generic features will most likely cause boredom or frustration before getting too far in to it's forgettable, surface novelties.
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

MOTOCROSS MADNESS, a reimagining of a 15-year-old dirt bike racing game, puts players' Xbox Live Avatars on the backs of powerful motorbikes and lets them loose on tracks in three geographically diverse locations: Egypt, Australia, and Iceland. Players can engage in simple eight-rider races, go up against ghost riders that represent the races of both the game's developers and other players, try to rack up points performing tricks, or simply explore a trio of large, open-world environments trying to track down hundreds of collectible items. As players work through the solo career, they earn medals for fame, experience points to level up their rider, and cash with which to buy new bikes and upgrade their old ones. A separate competitive mode allows up to eight human players to race against each other online.

Is It Any Good?

There's no denying you can have a bit of fun catching giant air here, but Motocross Madness never makes it much past being merely competent. Tricking feels good, but loose bike handling never affords players a proper feel for their rides, resulting in the occasional frustrating crash or missed jump opportunity. Tracks, meanwhile, offer some fun and worthwhile shortcuts, yet fail to fully satisfy thanks to lackluster aesthetics and some downright ugly textures and details.

The action, meanwhile, is scattered across too few races. Excluding the open-world events, avid players should be able to earn gold in most of the solo races in a single night. Online racing, meanwhile, may be of limited value since it's difficult to find anyone to race against online. It may only be a $10 game, but most gamers will likely expect a little more.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about dangers involved in dirt bike racing. Falling off a bike and getting back up again isn't as easy as professional riders sometimes make it look. What sort of precautions and training do you think might be required?

  • Families can also discuss online safety. What rules do you follow when interacting with strangers online? What would you do if you thought someone was behaving suspiciously?

Game Details

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