2XL Supercross Review: The Prettiest Dirt On The iPhone

Saying that there have been a lot of apps released for the iPhone since the launch of the App Store would be an understatement. There isn’t really any way to describe the deluge of digital gadgetry that the “cell phone” offers other than awesome, and, along with that, the sheer number of games that have been released for it is staggering. While many of these games have been shovelware, demos, and blatant rip-offs, there is no denying that there are actually good games available on the device… some that even take full advantage of all of the unique features that the iPhone has to offer. “2XL Supercross” from 2XL Games is one of these games, and it has come out of the gate with a strong lead in the graphics and features usage races.

Motocross games have never really been my thing. In fact, up until the recently released, and aptly named “Dirt” any racing games involving a lot of… well… dirt haven’t been my thing. Not since since Ivan Stewart slapped his name on arcade machines have I really sat down with any game that focused on a man-made indoor arena made completealy of earth. However, one look at “2XL Supercross” on my iPhone, and I started thinking a bit differently. Sure, it’s your basic motocross game; but it is beautiful. If you are a fan of motorcycle racing, motocross, watching people fly through the air, loud noises, or just generally playing in the dirt, then this game is for you, but everyone else might need a little more convincing.

A lot has been, and is going to be, said about the game’s graphics, but that’s because they are beautiful. They’re a first of their kind for the platform. While they may not match up to what you might be used to on your PS3 or Xbox 360, they can compete with any portable you may have – far surpassing the best the DS has to offer, and giving the PSP a solid run for its money. While the look of “Supercross” might compete with the PSP’s games, those are UMD based; this game is a download, and a small one at that, coming in at less than 70 MB.

The game offers some very iPhone specific controls, taking full advantage of the accelerometer, for the twists, turns, and flips on the course. While it does take a while to get used to, it’s a great use of the motion controls, which are well baked into the game design, creating an overall smooth experience. However, if you aren’t up for the challenge of figuring out how to land your jumps just right while taking a corner, and turning your cell phone to the left, there is an option for onscreen controls, which make getting around the course quite a bit easier, especially for beginners.

Racing games usually don’t offer much in the way of plot; it’s usually just get from here to there first, and “Supercross” is the same. But, what it lacks in depth, it makes up for with actual game. There are a lot of different tracks (13 in all), so you’ll never get bored of going around the same course too much. You’ll get to chose from three different classes of bikes, so you can have choose what works best for you, and what you’re up to the challenge of. Additionally, you can skin your character and bike in a whole variety of colors, if that’s your kinda thing. And, as if that wasn’t enough, “Supercross” has online leaderboards (via the game’s website live.2xlgames.com) to see how you compare to other racers around the world. For $8, it’s a pretty complete package.

For some reason I think Apple, and all their iPhone developers are in a really great spot right now, where there are a lot of iPhones in the hands of people who are eager to try new things. However, those same people have had really low expectations for games since the first day. Sure, some great games like “Trism” and “Enigmo” rose to the top, but a lot of the games were extremely basic, and not really engaging. And then, once the major publishers got involved, releasing mediocre takes on their console games, or rehashes of some of their classic franchises, that didn’t help things much either, still leaving a lot of iPhone owners skeptical about whether or not their phones can serve as a viable gaming platform. So, us iPhone owners have low standards, it’s not necessarily a bad thing, it leaves a lot of room to be impressed when something good comes along, and “2XL Supercross” does a great job of impressing. 2XL really demonstrates their extreme racing pedigree with this game demonstrating that some time an effort went into making this “Supercross.” They’ve created a solid game that shows off the impressive technical capabilities of a fancy new device unlike any other game available on the platform, and (quite possibly the best part) they can do all this for less than $10.

Rating:
 
 
“2XL Supercross” was released for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch on April 8th, 2009.

Related Posts:

• January 27, 2010 -- Dev Box Interview: Press Start Studio’s Philippe Rapin
• January 20, 2010 -- Dev Box Interview: Little Guy Games’ CEO Tom Frencel
• October 7, 2009 -- Dev Box Interview: ANIMA Entertainment’s Tobias Weber
• July 3, 2009 -- Transformers CyberToy Review: Robots In Your Pocket
• July 1, 2009 -- Dev Box Interview: The Jackie Button’s Creator Jackie “The Joke Man” Marling