is a 2000 racing video game developed by Left Field Productions and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the second installment in the Excite series, acting as a sequel to the 1984 NES game Excitebike, and is the first 3D game in the series. Many real-life dirt bike gear brands are extensively featured throughout the game, such as Bell Helmets, Alpinestars and No Fear.

The game received positive reviews from critics and was later re-released for Wii U via the Virtual Console in 2016 and on the Nintendo Classics service on August 30, 2023 but with the removal of every Fox Racing brand logo. A third game in the series, Excite Truck, was released in 2006 for the Wii.

Gameplay

thumb|left|Top: Canyon Chasm track with stunt, Excite 3D, Editor original Excitebike<br>Bottom: Soccer, Desert Track, Track Editor

Players can choose from one of six riders, each with their own pre-set handling attributes. Players control the bike by using either the control stick or D-pad. They can use the gamepad to accelerate, brake, slide and use turbo boost. As in the original, holding down gives the player more air on jumps, while holding up aims the front wheel forward to enable landing on slopes. The player can also tilt the bike to the side while in the air, to adjust the angle at which they hit the turns, and can sideswipe their opponents. Besides the tracks main course many of the levels have hidden shortcuts, that require the player to slow down and change direction, or use a speed boost for jumping over chasms, from hill to hill, over other vehicles and buildings, choosing to follow the original game in its "extreme" jumps and physics.

Features

The main game features a 20-track season mode. Completing races unlocks more tracks and features. There is a tutorial that teaches players how to play through the 17 different tracks. There are a variety of exhibitions and time trial modes that lets players do more activities other than the main game. A major feature is the track editor, where players can create their own fully functional track and save it into the game. The announcer, Limua, shouts out the tricks and crashes throughout the race. Also featured is an emulated version of the original Excitebike and a 3D remake of it with the same obstacles called Excite 3D. There are also several other mini games such as a Stunt Course, Hill Climb, a Soccer game with a giant human sized soccer ball, and an "infinite, randomly generated" Desert Track where the player needs to put out ten campfires by driving over them, which Nintendo Power called "one of the coolest concepts ever". As bonus features to the game, cheat modes were introduced, requiring the player to press buttons in a certain order to unlock a hidden "Cheats Menu". From there they could enter passwords that unlocked additional features, such as Invisible riders, Big heads, Debug mode, Midnight mode and even unlocking a picture of the programmers in the game's credits.

Development

While in development some of the main features they concentrated on were the game's sense of speed, the jumps and the ability to perform tricks, similar to the original game, as well as taking inspiration from the earlier released Wave Race 64. To recreate the riders' movements and tricks the developers used a technique called 'inverse kinematics' to create a life like feel. The game was shown playable the next day.

Reception

The game received "generally favorable reviews", just two points shy of "universal acclaim", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. In another GamePro review, Dan Elektro said, "While you can't help but feel that Excitebike 64 is a few tweaks short of greatness, it's still a quality, enjoyable ride."

While the game received high praise, certain publications voiced complaints. GameCritics said, "The game isn't perfect — I would have liked even more tracks to race on as well as a few more racers." GameSpot opined, "Some will cry about the frame rate, and some will wish the game featured real riders." This led some to feel that it was released too late in the system's life and if it "had appeared earlier... it would have been a bigger hit".

Nonetheless, the game ultimately went on to sell approximately two million units, according to information provided by former employees of Left Field Productions.

The game was nominated for the "N64 Game of the Year" award at The Electric Playgrounds Blister Awards 2000, which went to Perfect Dark.

See also

  • Nitrobike
  • F-Zero X
  • Road Rash 64
  • Supercross 2000
  • Top Gear Hyper Bike

Notes

References

  • Official Nintendo Japan Excitebike 64 site
  • Official Nintendo of America Excitebike 64 guide