I've Done It: Discovering Moto Racer as the Greatest Racing Game of All Time

I'm thrilled to have found it – I said it couldn't be done, but I've done it. I've found the greatest racing game of all time. The proof is right there on the game box. They wouldn't put it there if it weren't true. Of course not.

Moto Racer was developed by France-based Delphine Software and published by Electronic Arts in 1997 for Windows PCs and the Sony PlayStation. While DSI was famous for all sorts of things, the lead developer on Moto Racer was actually none other than Paul Cuisset. Yes, the same guy who developed games like The Stealth Affair, and most famously Flashback and its sequel, Fade to Black.

I'm not entirely sure how I ended up with an Australian limited edition box in America, but I did, and this is it. Not much different than the normal U.S. release, except that it lacks the fold-out front cover from the American one. The non-limited edition has a less awesome box than the regular edition – go figure. But hey, it's still a sweet box because it's big and it has ink printed on it that I approve of.

The box also brings back waves of nostalgia, since the first time I saw this box was in a CompUSA store in Greensboro, NC. The box was sitting proudly beside a PC showing off the new 3dfx Voodoo graphics card, and of course this game was the one installed to show it off. This was one of the earlier games to really push 3D acceleration of the Glide, Matrox, and Direct3D varieties.

Inside the box, you get the game on a CD that for some reason has an Australian OFLC sticker on it. I'm not sure what kind of magic that sticker has, but I'm sure Paul Cuisset didn't put it there by accident. The fact that Moto Racer was installed to show off the 3dfx Voodoo graphics card is just the icing on the cake for me – it's a testament to the game's impact on the racing genre back in the day.

Overall, discovering Moto Racer as the greatest racing game of all time has been a revelation. It's a game that I remember playing back in the 90s, but never thought would hold up today. But here I am, enjoying it just as much as I did all those years ago.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enI've done it!I said it couldn't be done,but I've done it. I've......found the greatest racing gameof all time.It says it, uh,like, right, right there.On the game box.They wouldn't put it there if it weren't true.Of course not.Balls, yeah, it's Moto Racer,developed by France-based Delphine Softwareand published by Electronic Artsin 1997 for Windows PCsand the Sony PlayStation.Though DSI was famous for all sorts of things,the lead developer on Moto Racer wasactually none other than Paul Cuisset.Yep. The same guy who developedgames like The Stealth Affair,and most famously Flashbackand its sequel, Fade to Black.Not entirely sure how I ended up withAustralian limited edition box here in America,but I did, and this is it.Not much different than the normal U.S. release,except that it lacks the fold-outfront cover from the American one.Yeah, the non-limited edition has a less awesome boxthan the regular edition. Go figure that out.Oh, well, it's still a sweet box,because it's bigand it has ink printed on it that I approve of.It also brings back waves of nostalgia,since the first time I saw this box wasin a CompUSA store in Greensboro, NC.The box was sitting proudly beside a PCshowing off the new 3dfx Voodoo graphics card,and of course this game wasthe one installed to show it off.This was one of the earlier gamesto really push 3D accelerationof the Glide, Matrox and Direct3D varieties.Inside the box, you get the game on a CDthat for some reason has anAustralian OFLC \"G\" rating on it,even though the box has the ESRBKids-to-Adults rating from North America.You also get the game manual,which is surprisingly in-depth forsuch a simple arcade racing game.It covers everything a PC game should,from the basic game premiseto every game mode,to how to tweak the graphics,troubleshoot all sorts of drivers, and more.Probably a good thing, since thegame had a tendency to crap outwith all the new DirectX software and drivers it used.Start the game and you're greeted withDSI's nice, classy opening animation.Followed by a burst of mid-'90s in-your-face radicalness!Once Raphaël Gesqua's awesomesoundtrack finishes melting your face,you're then told to enter your namein one of the single most awesome ways possible.Seriously, I've probably spent asmuch time typing names into thisas I have spent playing the actual game.Those letters... just look so cool!After you finish realizing you're too easily entertained,you can choose to play single or multiplayer modes,all while the announcer dude speaks out your choices.I love when games do this.It's such a nice mix of cheesiness and charm.ANNOUNCER:Play solo.Select your mode.Select your race.Select your mode.SOULFUL VOICE:Practice mode...LGR:You've got three main game modes to pick from.Practice, which allows you to practice race,against the clock or up to 23 opponentsfor however many laps you want.Single Race, which is the same as Practice,except you play the default options only.And Championship, which takes you ona set career path of tracks and bikes,and lets you unlock new tracksand game options along the way.There are two road tracks andtwo dirt tracks in the beginning,though you'll unlock two more ofeach by finishing the championship.And you could also download a new track of each typefrom DSI's website for free,taking the track total up to ten.Then you've got eight bikesfor each type to choose from,each with their own color scheme and statsdetermining their strengths and weaknesses.Not sure why you'd choose one ofthe crazy, unbalanced ones, though,unless you just want to arbitrarily handicap yourself.Choose your destiny andfinally you're on the starting line,and it's time to race some motos.ANNOUNCER:Two...One...Go!LGR:The controls are incredibly simple.Gas, brake, steering and a key for popping wheelies.As you might have gathered by now,it's an arcade racer through and through.Very much in the vein of gameslike Daytona USA, and, uh,perhaps more obviously Ridge Racer.It's fast, it's loud.It's easy to get into.And it's a lot of fun in short bursts.Beyond that, there's not a lot to it,but that's perfectly fine by me.It's one of those racing gameswhere the only thing holding you backfrom a better lap time is yourself,since the driving model is so simple.Memorize the crap out of thosetracks forwards and backwards,avoid crashing into enemies and walls,and as long as you've chosen the rightbike for the track, you're good to go.Though there is a wee bit of strategy to useduring the races in the form of wheelies.You can pop a wheelie for anywherefrom a split-second to several seconds,during which you will have a nice boost in speed,but will have very little control of your steering.And if you hit anything while doinga wheelie, it's an instant crash.Knowing where and for how long you canmanage to pull off successful wheeliesis key to getting a good lap timeand leaving the pack in the dust.Dirt track motocross racing is a bit different, though,since you'll have far more slipperyand complex courses to handle,as well as the ability to go airborne.Whether you're driving on dirt, mud, sand,or something else vaguely resembling poop,the handling is more loose than street racing,but it's just as easy to get used to.However, dirt tracks bring a significant increaseto the twists and turns you'll have to navigate,as well as way more variation in track height.Each hill is a chance to get some airand even perform some tricks and stunts.Though there is no reason to do so,except that it looks cool.And even if you land while performinga stunt, you still don't crash from it.so you may as well just dostunts all over the place.You can still perform wheelies to speed up,but there are far fewer opportunities to do so safely.And you'll want to be carefulwhen wheelie-ing off a jump,since there's a chance that you'llgo flying into the invisible wallson the sides of the track and wipe out.If you're playing in Championshipmode, you'll eventually winand be rewarded with somenew tracks and race options.The first option is Reverse Mode,which is exactly as it sounds.Play the same tracks as last time,except as the Backwards Man.The Backwards Man,you backwards as fast as you can.In fact, you'll have to play all thesame tracks again in Reverse Modeto unlock the next thing:Pocket Mode.That's right, all the bikes have been hit with a shrink rayand are now minibikes,and although they have the same stats,they're all a bit faster andtougher to handle than previously.Can't say I'm a big fan of these, but whatever.It's like Re-Volt's Clockwork Carnage mode:it's cool that it's there, but I can live without it.And that's pretty much it for Moto Racer.Just keep playing over and over againto see all the cool track designsand maybe increase thedifficulty for more of a challenge.Well, there are the multiplayer modes, too,and really, it's the samething as all the other modes,except that you can play withup to seven other real-life peopleinstead of AI racers.You need to have a modem or networkconnection of some kind to play these,unless you've got the PS1 port,which featured split-screen racing.I was always jealous of that.Freakin' consoles being betterthan the PC for no good reason.But whatever. The PC version issuperior in every other way, and I loved it.Frick, I still love this game,if only because of how simple it is.Start it up. Choose a bike. Go fast.Do wheelies. Tune in, drop out.Moto Racer is a fantasticexample of '90s arcade racingand I'd still recommend it if youlike racers without a ton of bloatand just a load of raw fun.Is it the greatest racing game of all time?Eh, no.Don't be ridiculous.But it's definitely the best Moto Racerby Delphine Software in 1997,and that's more than enough for me.\n"