Shying away from the more over-the-top arcade-like action of Freekstyle, MX Superfly is more of a dirtbike racing sim with some arcade elements thrown in for the high-flying stunts and mini-games. The player can either race exhibitions with more famous racers like Ricky Carmichael, Ezra Lusk and Kevin Windham, perform freestyle for tricks, or create their own racer and start in the career mode (racing or freestyle), where you build up from a rookie and race in the amateur leagues in hopes of getting sponsorship and a shot at the bigger leagues. Based on a more realistic world, MX Superfly presents itself much like the Tony Hawk series does, with solid play mechanics and nice tracks to race on.

Running through the races will require some skill and use of the play mechanics. To successfully finish races, players will need to learn how to preload jumps, turn hard corners through braking and use of the powerslide button, or learning how to use the clutch effectively. Players will have to figure out when to make big jumps and how to land without crashing. If you don't, expect to find yourself at the bottom of a hill, struggling to climb the steep, loose slope with your bike as a reminder of how to take the jumps with skill.

Graphically, the game looks pretty polished. The variety of well-designed courses add depth to the gameplay. Each course presents it's own challenges. A series of small jumps may look like a breeze until you have to race over them - figuring out your timing so you can clear them with jumps and without wrecking. The textures really aid in giving the courses a realistic look and the bikes kick up dirt as you plow through the courses. If you wreck a lot, your racer's outfit starts to get dirty. Much like the courses, the character models are nicely done. My only complaint would be that the character animations tend to feel a little stiff and unrealistic.

The audio portion of the game is firm, both with a quality variety of sound effects that add flavor to the race and a large, varied soundtrack that includes Hoobastank, Dropkick Murphys, Del the Funky Homosapien and Spineshank. The throaty roar of the bikes is always present and the variety sounds of the racers or the wheels screeching on the varied track surfaces really help is bringing the sound portion of the game together.

With as much as MX Superfly has going for it, the physics engine seems to be a little unrealistic from time to time. It's almost as if the developers wanted to make a sim but throw in enough arcade action to make the stunts "fun". Considering the depth of simulation that the rest of the race requires, the "extreme" stunts are just a little too much. Also, some of the mini-games are little more frustrating than they need to be.

MX Superfly is a good dirtbike racer that still has a few unpolished edges. The simulation challenge of the game may turn off non-dirtbike racing fans, especially those looking for a more arcade-like ride. Outside of that, MX Superfly is still pretty enjoyable.

- - Vane