Imagine those consumers’ surprise when they got home and discovered not only one of the most humorous titles around (in the most low-brow sense, of course), but also a legitimate BMX game from the creators of the Dave Mirra franchise. This discovery was an especially good thing for PS2 owners; Acclaim removed the shirtless scenes from that version. (Your guess is as good as ours why the GameCube version allowed them.)

On the surface, BMX XXX is a skin-flick waiting for a teenaged audience to pop it in and press start. But that attraction is only skin deep. The true beauty of BMX XXX lies in its amazing variety of stunts, its tricked-out gameplay and its no-holds-barred and borderline-offensive objectives. It’s certainly not the extreme-sports game you’d want your youngest child playing, but for more mature (?) gamers, it’s certain to bring about some good laughs and classic BMX gameplay.

Gameplay
Having begun its life as a Dave Mirra title, BMX XXX runs on a third-generation engine that’s good in the graphics department but excels wherever tricks are concerned. With five different riding styles (flatland, vert, dirt, park and street), the tricks literally number in the thousands (2,000), and the well-mapped controls make it easy to pull off just about any stunt and combination in the book.

As in previous Mirra games (remember, this is a second cousin twice removed, not the next of kin in the series), you need to control your balance when grinding and stalling. Fortunately, the system is intuitive enough that maintaining your balance for upwards of 12,000 points will be no trouble at all. The only real control issues are braking and turning around quickly, the first of which can result in some nasty run-ins with vehicles, and the second leading to some occasional frustration during timed objectives.

Individual tricks are mapped to each button and further determined by the direction in which you move the left analog stick. In flatland riding, moving it backwards and pressing X while in a nose manual will result in a pinky squeek. Push the stick forward instead, and you’ll pull off a cliffhanger. And that changes for each riding style. The level you’re playing at the time determines the style and stunts at your disposal, meaning you’ll find yourself stringing together new combos and developing old favorites on each level.

Each of those eight levels fits into one of two categories: Competition or Challenge. Competition rounds require the player to come in at least third place to advance to the next level – and the bar is raised pretty darned high, so be prepared to become true masters. Challenge levels present about two-dozen objectives/challenges each, 10 of which are required to unlock the next level.

Challenges are generally laid out at the beginning of each stage, though exploring the environments and talking with non-playable characters are both rewarded by revealing additional objectives. The missions you undertake on behalf of the NPCs present the game’s funniest (and most obscene) moments. Some will have you laughing out loud, while others will make you cock your head in disbelief at what the character just said. Did that construction worker actually say the port-a-potty was too small, so I need to ride him around the dam to “shake out” his problem? What? Did that pimp I just bunny-hopped by actually threaten me with “I’m gonna cut you, bi**h”? Pardon me? Is my challenge really to escort midget clowns to their car so they can be on their merry way?

If it’s an outlandish stunt, BMX XXX has it on a scale that appeals to the drunk-on-a-Saturday-night gamer in all of us. Yet as outlandish as the challenges and levels may be, they each require an improvement in the player’s stunt-biking skill. With the deliberate pacing and design of each level, the actual BMX gameplay amid these zany objectives is incredibly balanced.

Graphics
As previously mentioned, BMX XXX runs on a third-generation engine, so the framerate never dips below 60 fps and the character models and environments have an “experienced” look about them. The level design is also fantastic, with ramps, walls, multilevel buildings and all sorts of environmental obstacles to grind, tap and ride to high-scoring heaven. They’re even textured with graffiti and posters, as appropriate.

Yet with the amount of tricks you can do and the number of objects on which to do them, the game can suffer from some rather serious clipping problems. These are most noticeable when stalling; in some cases you’ll completely lose your front or rear tire in the platform, though your trick continues unimpeded. At other times you’ll get “stuck” in midair between two platforms, enabling you to rack up points with reckless abandon – until it suddenly plops you on the ground and you crash.

The camera at times can also get in the way, especially if you want to turn around in a corner or you’ve recently done so and are waiting for the camera to catch up. Banging around corners in tight spaces can also jar the camera, but after a game or two you’ll likely avoid the corners and avoid this vertigo-inspiring banging motion entirely.

Sound
Sticking with both the “extreme” and “stripper” theme, the game has licensed some very appropriate songs for its soundtrack, from the hip-hop “I’m an Outlaw” to the classic “Girls, Girls, Girls.” The mix is varied enough that you probably won’t tire too quickly of the five or so songs, though they’re looped for every level, meaning it’s a good thing the songs are of decent quality.

Conversations you have with NPCs and the little quips they make as you ride by are one of the best aspects of the sounds in BMX XXX. Littered with vulgarity like conversations in a guys’ locker room, the conversations will keep you laughing and are delivered by appropriate, though extremely stereotypical, voice actors. The only time you’ll want to hit mute is if you’re consistently crashing with an NPC nearby; they’re only programmed to deliver about two lines.

Environmental sounds in the game are rather muted, though riding near a Scores nightclub or close to a neon sign will generate a subtle drumbeat or electric hum, respectively. Cars do make ambient noises that fade or increase in intensity as you get farther or closer to them, but for the most part you’re playing the game for the tricks anyway, not an orchestral ensemble.

Replayability
How many times have you replayed your copy of Tony Hawk or Dave Mirra? There’s a reason you keep coming back. The crazy stunts. The unfinished yet non-required challenges. BMX XXX is the newest kid on that block.

Aside from the desire to create and build your own rider, rack up the most insane trick combo and get the biggest air, you’ll likely keep playing the game to unlock the new characters, new bikes and, holiest of holies, full-motion videos of female strippers in the Scores nightclubs. Also, since you only need to achieve 10 of the two-dozen objectives in each challenge level to move on, patient gamers will continue coming back to the game until they’ve done it all.

Multiplayer options are for the most part fresh, though they’re kicked off by a traditional "Skillz" mode in which you compete for the highest score during a two-minute run. The first unique multiplayer twist, Strip Challenge, compels you and an opponent to go for the sickest combo. Each time you break a record, your opponent loses a piece of clothing. When either of you is unfit to be seen, you’re unfit to play and the other biker wins. The final multiplayer option, Paintball, pits you against a bicycling sniper who’s trying to take you down while you gather as many boomboxes as possible. The hunter and the hunted alternate between rounds, ensuring that neither of you is left sans-weapon.

Fans of the extreme sport will find a welcome, though surprisingly solid, BMX game when they crack open the package of BMX XXX. It’s not the type of game that will appeal to all audiences, but its easy controls and ballsy humor will have even the most amateur BMXer pulling basic tricks and getting in the groove in no time. Though the game’s nudity got the mainstream attention, its gameplay will get it the consuming audience it needs. I guess even in video games, you can’t judge a book by its cover.