Go the distance in Extreme Bike Trip!
Extreme Bike Trip is an enjoyable side-scrolling arcade game for iOS7 that is a followup to iOS' Extreme Road Trip 2.
Spin me right round
The object of Extreme Bike Trip is to drive your bike as far as possible. Flying off ramps, completing stunts, and successfully landing add speed boosts to your bike. Along the way you collect cans of gas to keep your bike running and stars which can be used to purchase upgrades. One-time use upgrades such as ejector seats, energy drinks, and what looks like rocket fuel can be bought at the beginning of the race to help your rider get those extra meters.
The game also allows for a fair bit of customization. Initially you ride the mounds on a Vespa-style scooter, but better bikes can be purchased with stars. New outfits and helmets in Extreme Bike Trip are also available through spent stars.
Watching your poor biker tumble through the air and crash onto the ground via rag doll physics is entertaining at first, but can be a bit of a drag waiting for him to stop falling when you just want to continue onto the next race.
Extreme Bike Trip also has a multiplayer mode that allows players to compete against one another simultaneously or at a later time. A key difference between the multiplayer and the normal gameplay is a 35 second timer that causes both bikes to explode when it expires.
Controlling your bike
Controls are fairly simple and straight-forward. Building upon its predecessors, biking in Extreme Bike Trip is controlled by placing a finger on either side of the screen and using them to spin the bike backwards and forwards. There isn't a wide variety of stunts and you'll find yourself mostly performing backflips or frontflips. Speed boosts from landing in Extreme Bike Trip are completed by tapping both fingers at the same time when your biker lands.
Look and Feel
Extreme Bike Trip has a cartoonish look to it that has been improved upon compared to previous games. Backdrops and props are generated randomly which helps keep the appearance fresh. The desert levels look they could be straight out of a Wile E. Coyote cartoon. The ingame music in Extreme Bike Trip is similar to classic console games. It's not catchy, but it provides a nice touch to the game and doesn't grate after multiple listenings.
The Verdict
Extreme Bike Trip builds upon previous incarnations with improved graphics, multiplayer, and customisation options.
