TT Superbikes

Digital Jester's motorbike driving sim will attempt to create a following of its own stateside.

While Europe has the WRC, MotoGP, F1, racing in the United States is still mostly focused on NASCAR and the Indy 500. Formula 1 tried to make in-roads but spectacularly failed with the Michellin debacle, leaving the North American audience mostly confined to stock car racing. TT Superbikes is another Euro-niche, and Valcon Games is attempting to bring the racing series' suicidal allure stateside.

TT Superbikes is based off the (in)famous Isle of Man TT race, a 33.73-mile course known for killing professional racers annually. As the bikes get quicker the risks get higher; in 2004 alone 12 people died, many while burning through the asphalt at 150+ mph. Due to the extreme risks involved, the motorsport has a small but dedicated following... and the staff at Digital Jesters in one of them.

The insanity of riding on pocket rockets is faithfully brought to life in TT Superbikes (minus the brutal fatalities). Your high-powered technological terrors are machines to be respected and treated with care--mash the throttle without leaning forward and you'll quickly find your bike flipping over and crushing yourself. Braking and turning is a completely different story from cars, so even if you fancy yourself a Gran Turismo/Forza pro it doesn't make much of a difference.

While scalable in realism, the big downside to the game is the lack of a tutorial, which makes it hard for newcomers to get into the hardcore racing aspects of the game. Also, 37 miles feels long even when screaming down the straight-aways at 170 mph, and having only one location makes the game feel a bit repetitive.

Visually it's crisp and features detailed bike models, but the level could use some sprucing up with higher resolution textures and fleshed out scenery. The ubiquitous engine buzz is overwhelming, and it would've been nice to hear more environmental sounds (such as wind noise).

Still, TT Superbikes is a noteworthy achievement, and well worth checking out for motorbike racing fans. Car racing fans may not get into it, however, and fairweather fans may still want to stick with MotoGP.

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