MotoGP review

The Valentino Rossi of PSP racers

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Beautifully rendered tracks and bikes

  • +

    Eight-player WiFi multiplayer

  • +

    Perfectly balanced difficulty

Cons

  • -

    Falling off in simulation mode

  • -

    No wet-weather racing

  • -

    It's not the fastest racer ever made

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Monday 23 October 2006
For all PSP's racers, the console is lacking a brilliant racing simulation. We're still waiting for Gran Turismo 4 Mobile to appear but, until it does, this could well offer the precision and quality you're looking for.

Offering the full line-up of bikes, tracks and riders from the 2005 and 2006 MotoGP seasons, this is a comprehensive product of the series. You'll start with a decent selection of teams to race for, although the best will only offer you a contract once you've earned a seat by getting good results.

But if that fills you with dread, fear not. This isn't as cumbersome as Formula One 06's career mode and it's not like the whole game's locked away when you start. Basically, you're given a position to beat in the championship standings and as soon as you start doing well, it's all there waiting for you.

Surprisingly, considering its realism, the game is incredibly accessible. The default difficulty is perfectly tuned, offering you some stability assistance but thankfully not auto-braking for you (although you can switch it on).

And while you'll be able to finish in around eighth place from a pack of 21 without much trouble, actually finishing first takes some doing.

More info

DescriptionPS2's realistic but fun motorbike racer makes a fantastic transition to PSP with eight-player WiFi play
Platform"PSP","Xbox","PS2"
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
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Justin Towell

Justin was a GamesRadar staffer for 10 years but is now a freelancer, musician and videographer. He's big on retro, Sega and racing games (especially retro Sega racing games) and currently also writes for Play Magazine, Traxion.gg, PC Gamer and TopTenReviews, as well as running his own YouTube channel. Having learned to love all platforms equally after Sega left the hardware industry (sniff), his favourite games include Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams, Zelda BotW, Sea of Thieves, Sega Rally Championship and Treasure Island Dizzy.