Video games today are always trying to duplicate the feeling or excitement
of sports and Extreme Bullrider is
no different. Granted most sport simulations usually focus on the basics. Basketball,
baseball, football, soccer,
racecar, hunting, are some of the more popular sport simulations. Recently,
more "extreme sports," such as, snowboarding, motorcross, skateboarding,
and streetbike have arrived into the gaming world. For some
reason bullriding doesn't seem to come to mind. That was my primary interest
in reviewing this game, to see
what "extreme" bullriding was all about.
Extreme Bullrider (the first ever rodeo simulation for the PC) gives you the
opportunity to strap onto a bull and
try for the infamous 8 seconds, or put on your war paint and go head to head
with a bull as a rodeo clown.
Naturally playing itself up with what I read on the box, it had me completely
thinking something else prior to my
playing the game. In Extreme Bullrider you can be one of 20 riders, choose from
10 bulls to try and tame, 10
rodeo clowns, 6 unique arenas. Features include instant replay, multiple camera
angles, up to 8 players,
commentary by 8 time world champion Don Gay, 3D graphics and professionally
recorded soundtrack.
Though you do have complete control of the game aspects, the controls are lacking
-- to say the least. Your
only options for control of the game include joystick, mouse, and keyboard.
All of which are difficult to control.
When the game isn't running slow, the bull animation is moving too fast for
you to respond to correct your riders
balance. One interesting thing in the game is that all 10 bulls have their own
personality of sorts, and all respond
differently to your rider and controls. The controls for the rodeo clown game
are different in another way. The
controls aren't as responsive as you would hope them to be. If you are looking
to jump over the bull, you had
better give yourself plenty of time or you find yourself stuck to its horns.
Granted, I am looking at Head Games' first go at this sort of game (Feb. 1999
release date). I'm sure that their
next release of this game will be much more to talk about. The graphics are
3D, however when compared to all
the other sport simulations on the market today, the graphics just don't hold
up. I would say that the soundtrack
and commentary are the best part of this game, but for me that just isn't enough.
It takes a certain type of person
to play this game, mainly the same type of person that would do the actual sport.
It comes down to a matter of
interest in the sport and that will ultimately make you decide whether you would
like it or not. Extreme Bullrider
does however spare you the pain of having a 600 pound beast trample on your
small intestine.
Head Games under the Activision label
For Windows 95 / 98
under $20.
Released in February 1999
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