"Excitebike" - NES/Famicom

----- Introduction -----

Excitebike! I always pronounced this game "Excite-a-bike" as a kid for some reason. I'm still tempted to if I don't think about it.

I never really got to play this game for real until I was an adult. I had a multicart for the Game Boy Color that had a game that proclaimed to be Excitebike, but I found out later was actually a game called Motocross Maniacs. I'm not gonna lie, I actually thought it was kinda more fun. But not as iconic.

Excitebike is another Nintendo R&D1 effort, owing its design to Shigeru Miyamoto. Nakatsuka, of fame in my latest reviews with Devil World, and Clu Clu Land (some fame) makes a return here to do some little Famicom ditties.

To be honest, I'm not really sure what else there is to say about Excitebike, so let's give it the ol' college try:

To be frank the title-screen is not filling me with overflowing excitement.

----- Playthrough -----

There's two game modes in Excitebike, so let's look at "Selection A" first.

In A mode, you're on the track completely alone, and the only goal you have is to beat the time that's given to you by the game. If you do so, you win and progress to the next stage. If you fail to do so, you lose, and are sentenced to spend the rest of your life in hell as punishment. So, I would read the manual if I were you.

"I've extended my wait for torture for a small amount of time!"

I didn't read the manual because I'm already going to hell, but while playing the game I did learn some tricks by fiddling around. First of all, A is your gas pedal on this bike, but B is your super gas pedal. This allows you to move faster, while overheating your engine twice(?) as fast. That's fine, because speed's the name of the game, here. There are also arrows that you can touch on the track at various times, which will instantly cool down your engine for you. So use that B button whenever possible.

The other thing I noticed was that holding forwards while jumping off a ramp gives you more distance, while holding backwards while jumping off a ramp gives you more height. This is important information, if you encounter obstacles that rely on either height or distance to get past (and you will).

The only other thing you really need to know is to keep your wheels aligned with whatever you're landing on. You'll be okay if you can do that.

Perfect.

That's about all there is to say about that mode, so let's check out the superior Selection B (that sounds really fancy, doesn't it?).

B mode is basically the exact same as A mode, except a key difference-- there are now AI riders flying past you on the track. It's basically just A mode but more fun. I guess A mode is kind of like practice mode for B mode.

It's really only more fun because it's entertaining to watch the other riders constantly crash, and also so you don't feel alone and stupid when you're the only one crashing constantly. In retrospect I kinda feel like this game would have been a natural fit for two player if they could have implemented a split-screen mode, but I don't think they were quite ready to pull that off in 1984.

See ya later, suckers! [said before crashing on the next hill]

The other riders also serve as obstacles, and will constantly change lanes in-front of you. If they hit the back of your motorcycle, you're fine, but if you hit the back of theirs you instantly crash. So basically never approach anyone from behind unless you want to eat dirt. Much like real life.

The last mode available is the track designer, which as you may have guessed, allows you to design a custom track.

Naturally, I set out to make the most annoying track that I could possibly think of, which was just the hurdle obstacle changing lanes every segment. Also some mud patches.

Who designed this garbage...?

Actually, I thought the CPU would rapidly shift in-between all the hurdles, but instead they taught me something else-- you can actually pass over those hurdles by doing a wheelie and not crash. So keep that in mind, Excitebike speedrunners.

----- Review -----

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Innovation:

Does the game show anything not yet seen on this system/ever before?

I'd say so. Excitebike is kind of like some mix between platforming and racing that seemed pretty new for the time. We covered a racing game already, but it really wasn't anything like this.


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Spitting Rage:

Does the game make you want to tear your own organs out of your body?

Maybe a little. Some of the obstacles can be frustrating, and the crash animations can be hilariously long at first, but when you've crashed 3 or 4 times in a row it starts to feel a little ridiculous. It's good to remember that it's completely your fault though.

Stick to Game B and you'll just be laughing anyway.

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Intuitive Design: 

How easy is it to intuitively understand the game?

I think I figured out everything from the game intuitively without much help. I didn't know the hurdle thing until I saw the AI doing it, and now flipping through the manual (which I did after linking it), I don't feel like I misunderstood anything. So it must be fairly intuitive!

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Satisfying Gameplay: 

How rewarding does playing the game feel?

It's so-so. I don't really find racing that satisfying, and in Selection B there's really nobody to "beat". If you crash, you'll notice that a never-ending string of racers will rush past you, yet you can still get 1st place if you beat the times given. Landing jumps isn't really that satisfying, but it does take some skill.

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Game Depth: 

How deep/long is the game?

A little bit. Knowing about the jumps provides a bit of depth, and there's a decent amount of tracks to play. On the whole though, it's mostly still just a racing game. It's not a Paradox Interactive game or anything.

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Sound Design: 

How's the sound?

I like the tunes by our new friend Nakatsuka just as much as I like them in Clu Clu Land and Devil World. The sound effects in the game are pretty standard fare. I mean, there's really not that much to expect in ambiance from an NES title, though.

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Graphics:

How's it look?

It looks fine. The little bike riders are pretty iconic at this point, and the game has an interesting take on the almost-isometric style with the track and background.

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Personal Chord: 

Does the game have that undefinable "something" for me?

Maybe a little? I don't really like racing games, and honestly I find Excitebike to be a little more revered than maybe it should. Still, it's a fun and cute little game and it's not hard to see why people like it. I don't think I'd wear it on a t-shirt though.

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Should You Play: 

Is there a reason to even bother with this one?

Maybe. It's a piece of NES history that everyone seems to remember. It's good to be aware that it exists if you care about gaming culture. You can impress your children in 2040 when it gets referenced in the newest Smash Bros. again. Honestly though, I think you will probably live without adding this one to your must plays.

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