For as long as I can remember, I've been easily hooked by racing games featuring motocross and ATVs. I can't explain it. I've never owned one; I don't ride them, and I don't watch them race on television. Heck, I don't even know anyone who does! It's not that I think they're unsafe, or that I'm afraid of them (OK, maybe a little on the latter)... but when it comes to video games that feature them - sign me up!

So when MX vs. ATV Unleashed hit my desk, I was a happy camper. It's been a while since I strapped on the leathers, laced up the boots, and donned a crash helmet big enough to protect Jumbo's noggin' (gotta love the size of helmets these days). But when I found out that there was so much more to this game then motocross and ATVs... well, I just about passed out from the adrenaline surge!

This game was "unleashed" (pardon the pun) on consoles last year. Typically, a straight port of a console game is doomed to appeal to gamers on the PC. Why companies think direct porting is still acceptable these days is beyond me, and best left to a tirade for another day. Fortunately, that's not the case with MX. At it's heart, this is you're pretty typical dirt racing game, replete with a slew of different motocross bikes and ATVs to unlock as you make your way through the game. Even though they look different and appear to have different features, there doesn't seem to be that much of a performance difference in any of them. But then again, a gearhead I am not. I'm in it for the drifty and bouncy physics that make you fly like an eagle!

But there's more... a lot more. The only really big difference between MX and all the other dirt racing games that have come before it are the wonderful toys it throws in. It's not just motocross bikes or ATVs. This one includes several different "wheeled" racing vehicles: souped up golf-carts, monster trucks, and sand rails (dune buggies). Not stimulated by the land-based choices? Well, you shouldn't be playing this game then. There is an option to take the skies in bi-planes and even helicopters, but frankly the flying portions of MX are more frustrating then trying to kick-start a Kawasaki without using your legs.

MX is filled with a myriad, a plethora even, of game play modes. So many in fact that exploring all of them will keep you busy for hours. Single-player mode features freestyle, free ride, one-on-one challenges, and individual events like waypoint racing, hill climbs, and short track events. Multiplayer racing allows you to hop online as well as go at it via split-screen (an option that is all but unfeasible on the smaller-than-TV computer monitors, and should never be an "option" in the first place for PC games). There's also a quick race feature and a training mode that teaches you the basics of high-speed dirt driving. All of the single player modes are available online as well.

I found myself spending most of my time in straight-up racing against other opponents (up to six). You can also compete in events such as a points challenge. These types of races have you trying to rack up the most points within a certain time limit. If you choose to complete in the Championship mode you'll be running races in either the Nationals series or the THQ SX series, both of which have 16 different events. The Nationals series features the outdoor courses, while the THQ SX is made up of indoor supercross courses. Both series' feature multiple heats, but are restricted to the ATV and MX motocross classes. On occasion you'll be challenged to race in a different class, such as the monster trucks or biplanes. If you win the challenge you'll unlock another vehicle you can use.

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