Excetibike

 Today we will talk about Excitebike, a racing game for the NES, Famicom and later N64.

History

Excitebike was a racing game released in Japan for the Famicom in 1984, and was a release title for the NES in 1985. It was directed, produced and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto. It was programmed by Toshiga Nakago, and the music was composed by Akito Nakatsuka. It was released in Japan in 1984, the US in 1985, and the EU and Canada in 1986.

Gameplay

There are 5 total racetracks in excitebike. Each track includes a certain time limit so you can advance to the next track (Ex. In the first track you must finish in 1 minute and 30 seconds to move on to the second track). You can accelerate with either the a or b buttons, but the b button makes you accelerate faster, which means your bike may overheat, and you will have to wait for a cool-down period. When you hit a speed-pad your bike cooldown will reset to the starting position and your speed will increase. When you jump off a ramp your bike will automatically tip backwards. This can be combatted by hitting the left button on the d-pad. If you hit the ground after a jump and you end up flat on the ground, you receive a speed increase.

Review

I used to try to get as far as I could in Excitebike each morning, and it was really a challenge. I did super well up until the third track, and I was always at-least 10 seconds over time. I really love this game, and it's a simple and entertaining play. ★★★★1/2