Back in the ‘90s, one of the first things I did upon upgrading to a Pentium processor was boot up Moto Racer. The ‘90s road bike racer was a bit of a technical marvel at the time, but after a line of ambivalently received sequels the series kinda disappeared and, to be honest, I don’t think I’ve thought about it since I was a teenager.
That’s about to change, because Moto Racer 4 is set to release this October 13. Developed by Artefacts Studios, the game will be overseen by original designer Paul Cuisset. As in the originals, the game will feature both road and dirt bike racing, as well as splitscreen multiplayer and online for up to ten racers.
Oh, and it’ll have fifteen game modes, including:
KING OF THE HILL: Each rider starts with the same time on the clock. While time runs down for the leader, the other racers get extra turbo. The first player to get their counter down to zero wins the race.
LAST MAN STANDING: The last player to pass each checkpoint is eliminated.
SURVIVAL: The race starts with very little time on the clock. Players gain time by passing the checkpoints. In single-player mode, the aim is to survive for a specific length of time. In multi-player mode, the winner is the last player with time left on their clock.
CATCH-UP: Opponents begin the race with a headstart and the player reach first place by a specific time.
WOLF PACK: The player begins the race with a headstart and must maintain it for a certain length of time without being overtaken.
GHOST BIKE: The player starts the race in last place and is not allowed to deviate from the road or collide with others. S/he must finish in a specified minimum place.
GOLDEN HELMET: Competitors must earn the one golden helmet up for grabs during the race. To do this, they must be first past the initial checkpoint. If the player wearing the golden helmet is hit by another player, s/he surrenders it to that player. If a player falls off their bike, s/he loses the helmet and it is automatically sent to the next checkpoint.
We've not seen the game in action yet – and the screenshots provided aren't exactly illuminating – but publisher Microids has promised some more info in the near future.
