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BIKER MICE FROM MARS Company: Konami Released: December 1994 Genre: Racing Graphics: 6.0 Control: 6.5 Sound/Music: 7.0 Storyline: 6.0 Review by: Corbie Dillard ©2008 SUPER-NES.COM

I'm going to save some of you the time of reading this entire review by summing this game up in two easy sentences. If you want to know what Biker Mice from Mars is, think of it this way. Take RC Pro-Am for the NES, change the cars into Harleys, and then throw a bunch of thug-like mice on those bikes and what you have is Biker Mice from Mars. It's pretty much a carbon copy of the ideas and gameplay behind RC Pro-Am, with the over-the-top weirdness of the biker mice thrown into the mix. Now while this might seem annoying for those who were never able to come to grips with the odd control style found in RC Pro-Am, for those of us who enjoyed the NES classic, this game is like riding a bike. Literally. While the visuals in Biker Mice from Mars certainly aren't as good as those found in many SNES games, they seem to fit in with the unusual theme of the game. Everything from tropical island surroundings to underground sewers can be found in the game, and each new area has its' own distinct look to it that keeps the game feeling fresh throughout the wild ride. Since the game is presented in a 3/4 style viewpoint, you won't find any mode-7 used, which does keep the game looking smoothly as it scrolls along, even at some of the more brisk paces. So while the graphics aren't what I'd call cutting edge, the outrageous theme of the game comes along nicely just the same. Luckily the music in the game is almost as insane as the visual stylings. The synthesized techno-rock sounds right at home in this game and does a good job of keeping with the up-tempo feel of the game. It's worth mentioning that the voice acting in the game is a little over-done, but as with everything else in the game, it just seems to fit this crazy game. Trust me, you'll be hearing the "Let's Rock & Ride!" going through your head long after you've put the controller down. The only gripe I can really think of is that the game's many musical selections could have used a little more variety, as after a few hours of playing this game, all the tracks begin to sound the same. Other than that, it's a solid musical effort considering what the criteria for the music in a game this off-the-wall must have been. Biker Mice basically has three modes of play. The main race is where you race against the other bikers in order to earn prize money and purchase upgrades for your bike. Think of this as the "story" mode in which you basically work your way up the ranks as you win races and increase the speed and handling of your bike, not to mention purchase better weaponry to use to take competing bikers out on the race track. This is the meat of the game, and in my opinon, the most fun. Next up is the battle mode. Here's where you can take on other players in an all-out shoot-fest. Most of my friends tend to like this mode more as it makes the game a lot more fun if you have multiple players wanting to go at it. Think Super Mario Kart without the balloons. Last, and certainly the least, is the practice mode. All this is is basically your chance to practice the many tracks of the game without any other riders to contend with. This does come in quite handy for the later levels in the game, but since most of the tracks are fairly simple in design, you shouldn't need much practice. As I said above, the control does take some getting used to since the control of the bike is always the same no matter which direction your are facing in the 3/4 viewpoint, but after a half hour or so, it should become second-nature. The gameplay isn't going to set new standards as far as innovation goes, but its' simplicity gets the job done nicely. Sometimes it's nice to have a game that's just completely outrageous. And not many games are as flat-out zany as this one. A simple control scheme, well laid-out tracks, and a fun "earn and upgrade" style of gameplay make this a game any racing fan should enjoy. Just don't expect too much from it. And any fan of the original RC Pro-Am should definitely pick this game up, as it's basically more of the same. A fun ride while it lasts!