Left Field is a developer best known for its excellent motocross game Excitebike 64 on the N64. The now-dissolved relationship between Nintendo and Left Field opened the path for Activision to commission its new motocross title -- MTX: Mototrax. Aiming to bring more race and less crazy stunts to the genre, console gamers are going to get a real face full of grit and dust early next year. I spent a little time with the latest build of MTX a few days ago at Activision's headquarters in Santa Monica, and my overall impression of the game was a favorable one to say the least.

Activision knows that Left Field has the right guys for the job. The huge success of Excitebike 64 proved this. MTX offers some realistic and fun two-wheeled shenanigans that almost make me believe that video-game motocross could be the next big extreme sport genre to really fly high. Concentrating more on the racing/competitive aspect of the sport as opposed to the flashy big air stunts that previous games have opted for, MTX pulls down a solid crew of real-life professional racers like Carey Hart and Travis Pastrana to headline the show.

Activision was keen to point out that while the game will offer a rock-solid single-player mode, the most exciting feature up for grabs will be the online racing play. Both PS2 and Xbox will feature online gameplay -- sorry GameCube fans, nothing to see here -- taking the racing action to a new competitive level. Xbox Live -- the details of which are still being worked out -- will support up to eight racers per race, whereas the PlayStation 2 version will support a solid four; a decision based around supporting not only broadband but also dial-up users.

"Look! No hands."
As I'd hoped for, all versions are looking like they will achieve the golden 60 frames-per-second, with texture detail and environmental features looking identical across all three platforms. With a huge selection of real-life sponsors and street/professional clothing and outfits to bikes, parts, and upgrades, MTX surely has a lot to offer motocross fans. You'll be able to create your own rider and take him through the hard-earned process to international circuit acclaim.

Starting out, the player will get to cruise around with the number one racer -- Travis Pastrana -- at his own personal estate. Along with insane ramps that enable you to jump clean over his minted mansion, Travis will teach you the ropes as he takes you out on his private dirt track courses. This is essentially the introduction to the game's controls and play. This is where you'll learn about the most important part of racing motocross -- compression. Hitting big jumps and landing them perfectly is the key to maintaining speed and beating the other opponents, and this all boils down to being able to use compression properly. Compression is the method of working your bike's rear and front suspension. Master this and you'll be in fine shape to win cups and competitions as well as beat the waiting online opposition.

MTX goes all out on the visuals, too. Aside from the great framerate, you'll be able to select from a number of cool camera angles including a chase-cam, a high-in-the-sky overhead cam, and more importantly, the first-person view. Hold on to your lunches, though, because the first-person view really takes you on a rollercoaster of a ride. Nothing churns a newbie's stomach like pulling off a 360-degree back flip in first-person view mode. You'll watch the ground pull away and the clouds go soaring past -- all in a matter of seconds. The real skill comes in being able to land your trick while not turning green around the gills. Practice makes perfect.

This is where you push the guy over for the win.
As you'd expect, there are different classes of races and bikes that become available as you progress through the career mode of the game. 125cc, 250cc and 250 master series levels of difficulty all need to be conquered in order to be the best. You'll also be able to upgrade your individual look and bike performance. Close attention has been paid to the different, inherent sounds that the separate bikes make, which all adds to the realism levels of the overall experience.

With a full track editor mode and countless pre-built tracks included, MTX should prove to be an excellent racing title for motocross fans and newcomers alike. I'm rooting for the Xbox version more than the other two, as a juicy high-definition display mode of 720p has been promised, and, of course, if Activision and Left Field can nail a similar online experience to that of Project Gotham Racing 2, MTX will be really hard to ignore. The final game is due to hit the streets some time in February, but expect GameSpy to lay down an updated hands-on preview before then. The only question that remains is how will MTX stack up against THQ's upcoming MX Unleashed? It's going to be interesting watching the battle unfold.