One of the biggest hurdle to overcome when
trying to create a competitive title such
as Mad Skills BMX is in being able to make
it approachable for casual players while still
catering to the hardcore crowd.
Turborilla's solution was an elegant one - focus
on the flow of the controls and the feel of
smoothly sailing through the air to nail that
perfect landing, and newcomers or veterans
alike will be hooked.
Virtual controls are history in Mad Skill
BMX and players can choose to either control
the tilt of their rider via accelerometer,
or (my personal favorite) by swiping on the
screen.
This may sound like madness, but it really
works - swipe up and you'll jump; swipe down
and you'll plummet to the earth and ride moguls
to pick up speed; swipe and hold back or forward
and you'll flip.
Combine them and well... you get the picture.
With 40 levels to conquer you'd think you'd
be at it forever trying to unlock them all.
Thankfully all you have to do is complete
the race to move on - nothing more is asked
of you.
However an AI opponent who's difficulty spikes
at times provides a tangible opponent to beat,
getting you in to the swing of the game's
larger meta-game - competitive riding.
Log in to Facebook and you'll be presented
with a podium list of friends who have the
best times on the current level.
You can view their replays to see how they
beat you or better still, load up their ghost
and beat their best time.
Don't worry, they'll get the message via notifications
if you beat them.
Although Game Center achievements are not
currently available in the game, they will
be included in an upcoming update.
Instead of cheesy goals, players will be asked
to beat crazy times on each level - should
you complete them all something interesting
may happen.
Also, fans of the original Mad Skills Motocross
may be happy to know that a tournament may
also be in the works if the company is hassled
enough.
Mad Skills BMX brings back the simple competitive
joy of games like Motocross Maniacs and in
our books that's almost the highest praise
we can give it - definitely make it your next
purchase if you love your racers and have
a competitive streak; I guarantee you won't
be up for air for a week.
