Publisher: Infogrames, www.infogrames.com
Ages: 8 and up
Parental Advisory: Motorbike arcade game with the typical wipeouts.
Violence
Rating: 
If you want to race virtual motorbikes, Infogrames' Moto Racer 3 offers bikes,
good graphics, and diversity. With its various events that include Street,
Supercross, Motocross, Freestyle, and Traffic, there's seemingly little that
you can't do in the game. Although it probably appeals more to arcade players
than those who want a large dose of virtual reality.
The title's strength is its diversity that presents various motorbiking experiences. The traffic mode lets you fly through downtown Paris during rush hour. A speed mode offers long, paved racecourses with wide turns that let you race as fast as you can. The supercross and motocross modes take you onto unforgiving tracks to catch serious air. Finally, there's the crazy, stunt-laden freestyle mode that lets you perform outrageous tricks and a trial mode with challenging obstacle courses.
I've never been a big fan of motorbike games, but I liked the way that Moto Racer 3 made me feel as if I was flying down a raceway or hurtling through the air. The physics in this game are quite good, although the game is more of an arcade game than a true simulation. The game is approachable for novices, but has enough options to keep experienced gamers fairly happy.
While racing in the game is easy to enough to learn and perform, configuring the game is a different matter. I don't think I've seen a game with a more cryptic setup menu for some time. Other disappointments, the game lacks a track creation mode that was in the prior game, and there are no varying weather conditions.
Graphically, Moto Racer 3 is quite good and does a good job of depicting details, such as the way racers bounce in their seats and the effects of the bikes on the various tracks. On the other hand, the game doesn't do as well displaying damage. Audio effects are par. And there are some enjoyable multi-player games that let you compete over a LAN or online, however, there's no matching service.
In all, Moto Racer 3 is a satisfying game. But while the game seems to present the gamut in motorbike racing, it's actually more of a sampler.
