Jet Moto (video game)
Encyclopedia
Jet Moto is a racing video game developed by SingleTrac
and published by Sony Computer Entertainment
for the PlayStation video game console and PC
. The PlayStation version was released in North America on October 31, 1996, in Europe in February 1997, and Japan on August 7, 1997. The PC version was released on November 30, 1997. On February 4, 2007 Jet Moto was made available for the PlayStation Portable
and PlayStation 3
via the PlayStation Network.
Gameplay in Jet Moto revolves around the use of hoverbikes
to traverse a race course, similar to modern day motorcross, but with the added ability to traverse water. Reviews for the game were mixed, with the PC version holding 75% and the PlayStation version 78.9% at gaming aggregator GameRankings. Reviewers felt the game had solid gameplay, but criticized its high difficulty. Jet Motos popularity would earn it a spot in the PlayStation Greatest Hits in August 1998, and it went on to gain two additional sequels, Jet Moto 2
and Jet Moto 3
.
or motorcycles. Players are introduced to the fictional sport of Jet Moto. The bikes, known as jet motos, are hovercraft
which can traverse both land and water. The bikes race in groups of twenty in the game's equivalent of motorcross. Characters are split into teams, and bikes are adorned with logo
s of products such as Mountain Dew
, Butterfinger
and K2 Sports
similar to real-life sponsored racing..
In Jet Moto players control hoverbikes
in a fictional motor sport. Players race three laps on a given course and earn series point
s based on their placement at the end of the race. Players can choose to race a single race, a season of races, or a custom season. Players can also unlock additional tracks and a stunt mode by doing well in season competitions.
Courses range from beaches with debris-littered water to swamps and ice covered mountains. The game has its variant of the traditional race track
, but also introduces a new course type known as a Suicide course. Instead of being a continuous loop, these tracks have checkpoints at either end of the course, and the starting grid in the center. Riders race to one end, then turn around to head for the other checkpoint, repeating the process until all laps are complete. This provides a new gameplay dynamic as often the player must navigate oncoming traffic.
Jet Moto also utilizes a magnetic grappling system. Pressing the assigned button near a red energy pole creates a magnetic attraction between the player's bike and the pole, allowing riders to traverse tight turns and clear large chasms otherwise be impossible. In addition to the grapple system players are given four boosts per lap, which provide a temporary burst of speed.
The PlayStation version of the game allows for two player splitscreen
multiplayer, however no AI racers are present, which limits the competitors to two. The PC version allows for fourteen players over an IPX network, Internet TCP/IP
and modem-to-modem connections. The PC version also features 3Dfx
hardware acceleration, which allows for higher resolution gameplay and visual enhancements such as reflective water.
Developers originally intended for players to be permanently out of a race when falling far off a track, however they came to realize that it was not fun for players "to be forced to go slow or suffer an instant defeat." An attempt was made to give three "strikes" to a rider. Once the rider fell for the third time they were out of the race. However once implemented developers noticed that the number of racers remaining at the end of the race was too random to be deemed any fun. In the end the decision was made to simply respawn the character on the track. The PC version was ported in large part by John Olsen, who worked on the port as his first task at SingleTrac. Axiom Design created the user interface shell
for the game, which has a comic book-inspired feel. The music for Jet Moto was produced by Big Idea Music Productions.
Several reviewers praised the overall gameplay of Jet Moto, with IGN
calling it one of the best racing games available for the PlayStation. In its PlayStation 3 Retro Roundup, IGN pointed out the game's direct competitors at the time, Wave Race 64
and the Wipeout series, then stated Jet Moto was "still a pretty fun experience more than 10 years after its original release." Electric Playground praised the design of the jet moto bikes, stating the design was imaginative and vibrant. Several reviewers also praised the soundtrack to the game. Game Revolution
called the Dick Dale
-esque music which seemed reminiscent of spy film
s such as the James Bond
theme. The surf guitar was a strong point for Electric Playground, who cited it as one of the best video game soundtracks of 1996. GameSpot
reviewer Shane Mooney also praised the energy of the soundtrack.
Reviewers felt the game had an extremely high degree of difficulty. GamePro
cited overly skilled AI racers and poor collision detections as reasons to avoid Jet Moto. Several reviewers cited the games graphics as a down point in the game, although GameSpot's review of the PC port praised the 3Dfx
support. Electric Playground also compared it to Wave Race 64, but called the game "light on the great graphics".
, also developed by SingleTrac, and Jet Moto 3
, developed by Pacific Coast Power & Light
. Two other titles were cancelled during their development. Pacific Coast Power & Light was also developing Jet Moto 2124 for the PlayStation, set over a century after the first three games, however the game was cancelled when Jet Moto 3 showed poor sales. Jet Moto: SOLAR, developed by RedZone Interactive, was also cancelled. SOLAR would have been the first title in the series to appear on the PlayStation 2
.
Present-day wishlists for video game sequels have often included Jet Moto. 1UP.com
listed a fourth Jet Moto in their "Sequels We Want, and the Formulas They Need" feature, stating that Jet Moto "symbolized everything that made the original PlayStation cooler than anything else at the time". IGN felt similarly, listing Jet Moto in their "Dirty Dozen: Revival of the Fittest" feature, calling the game "a novel racer with enough staying power to make it an instant hit".
SingleTrac
SingleTrac Entertainment Technologies was a video game developer, mostly for the PlayStation platform. The management team and much of the original development team came from Evans & Sutherland, bringing their 3D graphics and software engineering skills into the video game industry.Its most famous...
and published by Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
for the PlayStation video game console and PC
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. The PlayStation version was released in North America on October 31, 1996, in Europe in February 1997, and Japan on August 7, 1997. The PC version was released on November 30, 1997. On February 4, 2007 Jet Moto was made available for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
via the PlayStation Network.
Gameplay in Jet Moto revolves around the use of hoverbikes
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
to traverse a race course, similar to modern day motorcross, but with the added ability to traverse water. Reviews for the game were mixed, with the PC version holding 75% and the PlayStation version 78.9% at gaming aggregator GameRankings. Reviewers felt the game had solid gameplay, but criticized its high difficulty. Jet Motos popularity would earn it a spot in the PlayStation Greatest Hits in August 1998, and it went on to gain two additional sequels, Jet Moto 2
Jet Moto 2
Jet Moto 2 is a racing video game developed by SingleTrac and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to the game Jet Moto. It was released in North America on October 31, 1997, in Europe in April 1998, and in Japan on August 6, 1998...
and Jet Moto 3
Jet Moto 3
Jet Moto 3 was released exclusively for the PlayStation video game console on August 31, . It was the first and only Jet Moto title released by developer Pacific Coast Power & Light and publisher 989 Sports. It has been released only in North America...
.
Gameplay
Jet Moto differs from that of a traditional racing game with carsAuto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
or motorcycles. Players are introduced to the fictional sport of Jet Moto. The bikes, known as jet motos, are hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
which can traverse both land and water. The bikes race in groups of twenty in the game's equivalent of motorcross. Characters are split into teams, and bikes are adorned with logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
s of products such as Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew is a citrus-flavored carbonated soft drink brand produced and owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in the 1940s by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman and was first marketed in Marion, VA, Knoxville and Johnson City, Tennessee. A revised formula was...
, Butterfinger
Butterfinger
Butterfinger is a candy bar made by Nestlé.The bar consists of a flaky, orange-colored center—somewhat similar texture to crisp caramel, with a taste similar to peanut butter—that is coated in compound chocolate.- History :...
and K2 Sports
K2 Sports
K-2, Corporation. was founded in 1961 by brothers Bill and Don Kirschner on Vashon Island, near Seattle, Washington. K2 is known for pioneering fiberglass ski technology, which made skis significantly lighter and more lively than their wood and metal contemporaries...
similar to real-life sponsored racing..
In Jet Moto players control hoverbikes
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
in a fictional motor sport. Players race three laps on a given course and earn series point
Score (game)
In games, score refers to an abstract quantity associated with a player or team. Score is usually measured in the abstract unit of points, and events in the game can raise or lower the score of different parties...
s based on their placement at the end of the race. Players can choose to race a single race, a season of races, or a custom season. Players can also unlock additional tracks and a stunt mode by doing well in season competitions.
Courses range from beaches with debris-littered water to swamps and ice covered mountains. The game has its variant of the traditional race track
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
, but also introduces a new course type known as a Suicide course. Instead of being a continuous loop, these tracks have checkpoints at either end of the course, and the starting grid in the center. Riders race to one end, then turn around to head for the other checkpoint, repeating the process until all laps are complete. This provides a new gameplay dynamic as often the player must navigate oncoming traffic.
Jet Moto also utilizes a magnetic grappling system. Pressing the assigned button near a red energy pole creates a magnetic attraction between the player's bike and the pole, allowing riders to traverse tight turns and clear large chasms otherwise be impossible. In addition to the grapple system players are given four boosts per lap, which provide a temporary burst of speed.
The PlayStation version of the game allows for two player splitscreen
Split screen (computer graphics)
Split screen is a display technique in computer graphics that consists of dividing graphics and/or text into non-movable adjacent parts, typically two or four rectangular areas. This is done in order to allow the simultaneous presentation of related graphical and textual information on a computer...
multiplayer, however no AI racers are present, which limits the competitors to two. The PC version allows for fourteen players over an IPX network, Internet TCP/IP
Internet protocol suite
The Internet protocol suite is the set of communications protocols used for the Internet and other similar networks. It is commonly known as TCP/IP from its most important protocols: Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol , which were the first networking protocols defined in this...
and modem-to-modem connections. The PC version also features 3Dfx
3dfx
3dfx Interactive was a company that specialized in the manufacturing of 3D graphics processing units and, later, graphics cards. It was a pioneer in the field for several years in the late 1990s until 2000 when it underwent one of the most high-profile demises in the history of the PC industry...
hardware acceleration, which allows for higher resolution gameplay and visual enhancements such as reflective water.
Development
Jet Moto was conceived as a "science fiction motorcross." The developers chose to create jet motos instead of wheeled motorcycles due to concerns over polygon limitations. Travis Hilton, one of the programmers for the game designed Jet Motos physics engine. Due to hardware limitations of the PlayStation, only the player used this physics system. Programmer Jay Barnson was tasked with developing a simpler physics system to handle the nineteen AI riders. During development a set of courses set in a stadium were dropped as the developers felt it did not fit the theme of the game.Developers originally intended for players to be permanently out of a race when falling far off a track, however they came to realize that it was not fun for players "to be forced to go slow or suffer an instant defeat." An attempt was made to give three "strikes" to a rider. Once the rider fell for the third time they were out of the race. However once implemented developers noticed that the number of racers remaining at the end of the race was too random to be deemed any fun. In the end the decision was made to simply respawn the character on the track. The PC version was ported in large part by John Olsen, who worked on the port as his first task at SingleTrac. Axiom Design created the user interface shell
Shell (computing)
A shell is a piece of software that provides an interface for users of an operating system which provides access to the services of a kernel. However, the term is also applied very loosely to applications and may include any software that is "built around" a particular component, such as web...
for the game, which has a comic book-inspired feel. The music for Jet Moto was produced by Big Idea Music Productions.
Reception
Jet Moto received varied reviews among critics, with the PC version averaging 75% and the PlayStation version averaging 78.9% at gaming aggregator GameRankings. Due to the game's popularity it was added to the PlayStation Greatest Hits in August 1998.Several reviewers praised the overall gameplay of Jet Moto, with IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
calling it one of the best racing games available for the PlayStation. In its PlayStation 3 Retro Roundup, IGN pointed out the game's direct competitors at the time, Wave Race 64
Wave Race 64
is a racing game for the Nintendo 64 that was released on September 27, 1996 in Japan and on November 5, 1996 in North America. In Wave Race 64 the player races on jet skis in many different weather conditions, on a variety of different courses. The game was sponsored by the Kawasaki Heavy...
and the Wipeout series, then stated Jet Moto was "still a pretty fun experience more than 10 years after its original release." Electric Playground praised the design of the jet moto bikes, stating the design was imaginative and vibrant. Several reviewers also praised the soundtrack to the game. Game Revolution
Game Revolution
Game Revolution or GR is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots, and videos...
called the Dick Dale
Dick Dale
Dick Dale is an American surf rock guitarist, known as The King of the Surf Guitar. He experimented with reverberation and made use of custom made Fender amplifiers, including the first-ever 100-watt guitar amplifier.-Early life:Dale was born in South Boston, Massachusetts and lived in nearby...
-esque music which seemed reminiscent of spy film
Spy film
The spy film genre deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way or as a basis for fantasy . Many novels in the spy fiction genre have been adapted as films, including works by John Buchan, John Le Carré, Ian Fleming and Len Deighton...
s such as the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
theme. The surf guitar was a strong point for Electric Playground, who cited it as one of the best video game soundtracks of 1996. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
reviewer Shane Mooney also praised the energy of the soundtrack.
Reviewers felt the game had an extremely high degree of difficulty. GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
cited overly skilled AI racers and poor collision detections as reasons to avoid Jet Moto. Several reviewers cited the games graphics as a down point in the game, although GameSpot's review of the PC port praised the 3Dfx
3dfx
3dfx Interactive was a company that specialized in the manufacturing of 3D graphics processing units and, later, graphics cards. It was a pioneer in the field for several years in the late 1990s until 2000 when it underwent one of the most high-profile demises in the history of the PC industry...
support. Electric Playground also compared it to Wave Race 64, but called the game "light on the great graphics".
Legacy
Jet Motos popularity would spawn two additional sequels, Jet Moto 2Jet Moto 2
Jet Moto 2 is a racing video game developed by SingleTrac and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to the game Jet Moto. It was released in North America on October 31, 1997, in Europe in April 1998, and in Japan on August 6, 1998...
, also developed by SingleTrac, and Jet Moto 3
Jet Moto 3
Jet Moto 3 was released exclusively for the PlayStation video game console on August 31, . It was the first and only Jet Moto title released by developer Pacific Coast Power & Light and publisher 989 Sports. It has been released only in North America...
, developed by Pacific Coast Power & Light
Pacific Coast Power & Light
Pacific Coast Power & Light was an old game developer of DT Productions and Locomotive Games and develops games for a variety of game machines and consoles...
. Two other titles were cancelled during their development. Pacific Coast Power & Light was also developing Jet Moto 2124 for the PlayStation, set over a century after the first three games, however the game was cancelled when Jet Moto 3 showed poor sales. Jet Moto: SOLAR, developed by RedZone Interactive, was also cancelled. SOLAR would have been the first title in the series to appear on the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
.
Present-day wishlists for video game sequels have often included Jet Moto. 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
listed a fourth Jet Moto in their "Sequels We Want, and the Formulas They Need" feature, stating that Jet Moto "symbolized everything that made the original PlayStation cooler than anything else at the time". IGN felt similarly, listing Jet Moto in their "Dirty Dozen: Revival of the Fittest" feature, calling the game "a novel racer with enough staying power to make it an instant hit".