Excitebike: World Rally
Excitebike: World Rally, known as in Japan and Excitebike: World Challenge in PAL regions, is a racing video game developed by Nintendo and Monster Games and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the fifth and final title in the Excite racing series, and is the first since the original Excitebike to feature classic 2D racing. The game was announced through the NOA edition of the Nintendo Channel in October 2009, via an episode of Nintendo Week, and was released shortly after as a WiiWare title in North America on November 9, in Japan on February 2, 2010, and in PAL regions on February 5.
World Rally borrows the same concept as the racing title released for the NES in 1984. The game's core design is that of a time trial arcade racer; that is, each race sees players attempting to get to the finish line in the shortest period of time possible. In contrast to that NES game, the game included an online multiplayer mode, where the players could play anonymously over the internet, or with friends in a similar fashion to Mario Kart Wii. The game received mixed reviews from critics.
Gameplay
World Rally follows a similar premise as the original Nintendo Entertainment System title released in 1985. The game's core design is that of a time trial arcade racer, that is, each race sees players attempting to get to the finish line in the shortest period of time possible. The player's bike has two options, an accelerator and a turbo function, the latter increases the player's engine temperature and overheating will cause the player's bike to stall. As in Excite Truck and Excitebots, the game features ranks players by S, A, B, C, and D grades which are determined by how well the player performs in races. Only gaining a rating of B or higher will allow the player to progress to the next stage. Getting an S rank will unlock a new bike color. Races take place throughout different fictional tracks around the world, and include locales from London, America, Japan and Mexico.World Rally included an online component, where the players could play anonymously over the internet, or with friends in a similar fashion to Mario Kart Wii. Depending on which place they finished, they received points. If the players got a certain number of points, a new bike design was unlocked. Much like the original title, Excitebike: World Rally has a level editor, which allowed players to create tracks and share them over the internet. Unlike the original title, there is no option to race alone.